- 256 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
From Alchemy to Chemistry
About this book
"Chemistry, in particular, is capable, when suitably presented, of making a strong appeal to the intelligence and the imagination; for, as the following pages are intended to show, it is the most romantic of all the branches of science; and in its variegated history, stretching back through unnumbered generations of alchemists into an indefinite past, its present votaries have (if they but knew) a richly human and humanistic heritage." — from the Preface
Written for the layman, this accessible history takes a broad, humanistic perspective, eschewing chemical equations and formulae. Instead it concentrates on the great figures of chemistry and the ideas that revolutionized the science, from earliest history to the modern era.
Much of the book is devoted to alchemy and such topics as the philosopher's stone, alchemical crypticism and symbolism, pseudo-alchemists, Paracelsus, and the "swan song" of alchemy as the scientific revolution took hold. In the final chapters, the author takes up the development of modern chemistry, including atomic theory, the nature of the elements, the beginning of organic chemistry, and more. Broad in scope, erudite yet readable, this rich and absorbing narrative will appeal to anyone interested in the long and colorful history of chemical science. Glossary. 50 illustrations.
Written for the layman, this accessible history takes a broad, humanistic perspective, eschewing chemical equations and formulae. Instead it concentrates on the great figures of chemistry and the ideas that revolutionized the science, from earliest history to the modern era.
Much of the book is devoted to alchemy and such topics as the philosopher's stone, alchemical crypticism and symbolism, pseudo-alchemists, Paracelsus, and the "swan song" of alchemy as the scientific revolution took hold. In the final chapters, the author takes up the development of modern chemistry, including atomic theory, the nature of the elements, the beginning of organic chemistry, and more. Broad in scope, erudite yet readable, this rich and absorbing narrative will appeal to anyone interested in the long and colorful history of chemical science. Glossary. 50 illustrations.
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access From Alchemy to Chemistry by John Read in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Physical Sciences & Chemistry. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Table of Contents
- Table of Figures
- PREFACE
- REFERENCES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- I BEGINNINGS
- II THE EMERGENCE OF ALCHEMY
- III THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
- IV ALCHEMICAL CRYPTICISM AND SYMBOLISM
- V STRANDS IN THE ALCHEMICAL WEB
- VI THE DIVERSITY OF ALCHEMISTS
- VII THE PARTING OF THE WAYS
- VIII THE SWAN SONG OF ALCHEMY
- IX THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN CHEMISTRY
- X THE RISE OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- GLOSSARY
- INDEX
- A CATALOG OF SELECTED DOVER BOOKS IN ALL FIELDS OF INTEREST