Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 5: Chemistry and chemical technology, Part 2: Spagyrical discovery and invention: magisteries of gold and immortality

Science and Civilisation in China #5.2

by Joseph Needham

The fifth volume of Dr Needham's immense undertaking, like the fourth, is subdivided into parts for ease of assimilation and presentation, each part bound and published separately. The volume as a whole covers the subjects of alchemy, early chemistry, and chemical technology (which includes military invention, especially gunpowder and rockets; paper and printing; textiles; mining and metallurgy; the salt industry; and ceramics).

Genres: History, Alchemy, China, Science

510 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Joseph Needham was a British biochemist, historian and sinologist known for his scientific research and writing on the history of Chinese science and technology. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1941, and a fellow of the British Academy in 1971. In 1992, Queen Elizabeth II conferred on him the Companionship of Honour, and the Royal Society noted he was the only living person to hold these three titles.

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun volume in the series. I used to be deeply interested in alchemy and I took AP chemistry in high school, so this was a lot easier for me to follow than some of the other volumes, e.g. on civil engineering etc. Pretty interesting and not so dry as some of the other volumes. Continuing to enjoy the series!