Ben Waber reviewed The Secrets of Alchemy by Lawrence M. Principe
A Fascinating Portion of Scientific and Cultural History
4 stars
This book subverted my expectations of what alchemy was. Rather than a completely ascientific field, instead it was a strange mix of chemistry, philosophy, and religion. While I originally wanted to read this book to understand how an approach devoid of evidence could maintain itself for so long, instead it's much more about the emergence of a new field (chemistry) from an established one. If like me you also enjoyed Fullmetal Alchemist, this book will forever change what you think of when you hear "homunculus." Highly recommend
This book subverted my expectations of what alchemy was. Rather than a completely ascientific field, instead it was a strange mix of chemistry, philosophy, and religion. While I originally wanted to read this book to understand how an approach devoid of evidence could maintain itself for so long, instead it's much more about the emergence of a new field (chemistry) from an established one. If like me you also enjoyed Fullmetal Alchemist, this book will forever change what you think of when you hear "homunculus." Highly recommend