eBook - PDF

Science and the Secrets of Nature

Name: Science and the Secrets of Nature
Author: William Eamon

Books of Secrets in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

William Eamon,

English
PDF
Available on iOS & Android

eBook - PDF

Science and the Secrets of Nature

Books of Secrets in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

William Eamon,

About this book

By explaining how to sire multicolored horses, produce nuts without shells, and create an egg the size of a human head, Giambattista Della Porta's Natural Magic (1559) conveys a fascination with tricks and illusions that makes it a work difficult for historians of science to take seriously. Yet, according to William Eamon, it is in the "how-to" books written by medieval alchemists, magicians, and artisans that modern science has its roots. These compilations of recipes on everything from parlor tricks through medical remedies to wool-dyeing fascinated medieval intellectuals because they promised access to esoteric "secrets of nature." In closely examining this rich but little-known source of literature, Eamon reveals that printing technology and popular culture had as great, if not stronger, an impact on early modern science as did the traditional academic disciplines.

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Yes, you can access Science and the Secrets of Nature by William Eamon in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Science History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.