The Secrets of Alchemy, Lawrence M. Principe
The Secrets of Alchemy, Lawrence M. Principe
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The Secrets of Alchemy

Author: Lawrence M. Principe

Narrator: Gary Tiedemann

Unabridged: 8 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/21/2023


Synopsis

In The Secrets of Alchemy, Lawrence M. Principe, one of the world's leading authorities on the subject, brings alchemy out of the shadows and restores it to its important place in human history and culture. By surveying what alchemy was and how it began, developed, and overlapped with a range of ideas and pursuits, Principe illuminates the practice. He vividly depicts the place of alchemy during its heyday in early modern Europe, and then explores how alchemy has fit into wider views of the cosmos and humanity, touching on 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. In addition, he introduces the listener 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 exploration of alchemists and their times, Principe pieces together closely guarded clues from obscure and fragmented texts to reveal alchemy's secrets, and—most exciting for budding alchemists—uses them to recreate many of the most famous recipes in his lab, including those for the "glass of antimony" and "philosophers' tree." This unique approach brings the listener closer to the actual work of alchemy than any other book.

About Lawrence M. Principe

Lawrence M. Principe is the Drew Professor of the Humanities and director of the Singleton Center for the Study of Premodern Europe at Johns Hopkins University.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Atila on February 05, 2017

Lawrence M. Principe realmente entende do que está escrevendo. O livro passa pelo começo da alquimia até o seu fim, ou declínio, com o começo da ciência moderna. E o autor faz um excelente trabalho de explicar não só o que os alquimistas pensavam, como porque eles pensavam o que pensavam. Ao invés d......more

Goodreads review by David on May 29, 2019

This was an extremely insightful book that provided a context rich history of alchemy. Principe does a great job of providing objective information to clarify what the original purpose of alchemy was and how it contributed to modern chemistry. I read this book because I was not satisfied with the fi......more

Goodreads review by Luke on May 16, 2025

I stumbled upon this book thanks to Reddit. Someone had asked which works were the best introductions to alchemy, and Principe's book was the most popular. It's easy to see why. The Secrets of Alchemy was written for a popular audience at a point of critical interest in the scholarship. For so long,......more

Goodreads review by Catarina on December 30, 2018

An okey book book, with tons of information but I wished it included history until the present day~......more

Goodreads review by Josie on October 01, 2021

Solid real talk About Alchemy, one if the most misunderstood concepts and or scientific processes in history. Principe takes great pains to contextualize the history of this maligned noble art. If you want a real history, this is it.......more