Alchemy
An Illustrated History of Elixirs, Experiments, and the Birth of Modern Science
$45.75
- Hardcover
256 pages
- Release Date
8 December 2025
Summary
Flush with hundreds of illustrations, this book revisits the histories of chemistry, medicine, ideas, and culture through the lens of alchemy
The craft of alchemy has intrigued and mystified people since antiquity. Many early cultures are known to have experimented with chemical transformations: from dyes, glazes, and cosmetics in Bronze Age Egypt to life-extending elixirs pursued by scholars in ancient China and India. Many have also attempted to transform lead, merc…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780300280876 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0300280874 |
| Author: | Philip Ball |
| Publisher: | Yale University Press |
| Imprint: | Yale University Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 256 |
| Release Date: | 8 December 2025 |
| Weight: | 1.08kg |
| Dimensions: | 171mm x 256mm x 258mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
“Philip Ball’s book is a treasure: beautifully illustrated and, as usual, the author caries his learning lightly.”—David Wootton, Spectator
“Philip Ball is one of the most skilled and prolific science writers today… . Alchemy provides a very accessible and artistically-pleasing introduction suitable for interested lay readers as well as ‘chemist-historians,’ including this reviewer.”—Arthur Greenberg, Bulletin for the History of Chemistry
“A wonderful and beautifully illustrated guidebook to a strange land, compiled with erudition, enthusiasm, empathy and common sense.”—Pat Shiel, The Age
“Alchemists have been often written about as failed scientists, crippled by their spiritual beliefs, or as mystical philosophers whose hours at the athanor are beneath notice. Ball … rescues their scientific reputation while recognising the importance of the mystical philosophy that informed their work.”—Nick Richardson, London Review Books
“A fabulous resource for anyone interested in esoteric knowledge or how it relates to more conventionally accepted bodies of thought.”—Mathew Lyons, Broken Compass
“This captivating guide is sumptuously decorated on nearly every page… . A beautiful way to remind yourself of how science got to where it is now.”—Kit Chapman, Nature
“Philip Ball illuminates the history of alchemy without excluding readers at any level. Alchemy: An Illustrated History is a great accomplishment.”—Lawrence M. Principe, author of The Secrets of Alchemy
“In this absorbing exploration of alchemy and alchemists, which ranges from the ancient world to the modern and from East to West, Philip Ball takes a refreshing approach to alchemy as a science and as a philosophy. It is a delight to read, with its many illustrations, concise biographies, and engaging prose.”—Owen Davies, author of Art of the Grimoire: An Illustrated History of Magic Books and Spells
About The Author
Philip Ball
Philip Ball is an award-winning author, writer, and commentator. His many books include How Life Works: A User’s Guide to the New Biology.
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