Can I read The Secrets of Alchemy (Synthesis) on EtoBox?

The Secrets of Alchemy (Synthesis) by Lawrence M. Principe is a history book available to read on EtoBox.

What is The Secrets of Alchemy (Synthesis) about?

"This ele­gant, readable book…covers the history of alchemy from its shadowy origins in Hellenistic Egypt to its scholarly recovery in the 20th century” (Anthony Grafton, Science).   In The Secrets of Alchemy, science historian and practicing chemist Lawrence M. Principe dispels commonly held misconceptions about alchemy and sheds light on what it was, how it began, and how it influenced a range of other ideas and pursuits. Principe demonstrates the importance of alchemy during its heyday in early modern Europe, and explores its enduring place in literature, fine art, theater, and religion as well as its recent acceptance as a serious subject of study for historians of science.   Principe also introduces readers to some of the most fascinating alchemists, such as Zosimos and Basil Valentine, whose lives dot alchemy’s long reign from the third century and to the present day. Through his discussion of alchemists and their times, Principe pieces together clues from obscure texts to reveal alchemy’s secrets, and uses them to recreate many of the most famous recipes in his lab, including those for the “glass of antimony” and “philosophers’ tree.”

Who reads The Secrets of Alchemy (Synthesis)?

Author

Lawrence M. Principe

Publisher

University of Chicago Press; University Presses Marketing [distributor]

Published

2012

Language

EN

ISBN

9781283864787

Category

history

Subjects

Fiction, History, Chemistry

Rating

4.4 / 5 (196 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-14