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Man Who Loved China : The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom by Simon Winchester (2009, Trade Paperback)
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherHarperCollins
ISBN-100060884614
ISBN-139780060884611
eBay Product ID (ePID)71118831
Product Key Features
Book TitleMan Who Loved China : The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom
Number of Pages336 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2009
TopicCivilization, Cultural Heritage, General, Asia / China, Historical, Science & Technology
GenreScience, Biography & Autobiography, History
AuthorSimon Winchester
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height0.8 in
Item Weight9.9 Oz
Item Length8 in
Item Width5.3 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
TitleLeadingThe
Dewey Edition22
Dewey Decimal509.2 B
SynopsisIn sumptuous and illuminating detail, Simon Winchester, the bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman ("Elegant and scrupulous"-- New York Times Book Review ) and Krakatoa ("A mesmerizing page-turner"-- Time ) brings to life the extraordinary story of Joseph Needham, the brilliant Cambridge scientist who unlocked the most closely held secrets of China, long the world's most technologically advanced country. No cloistered don, this tall, married Englishman was a freethinking intellectual, who practiced nudism and was devoted to a quirky brand of folk dancing. In 1937, while working as a biochemist at Cambridge University, he instantly fell in love with a visiting Chinese student, with whom he began a lifelong affair. He soon became fascinated with China, and his mistress swiftly persuaded the ever-enthusiastic Needham to travel to her home country, where he embarked on a series of extraordinary expeditions to the farthest frontiers of this ancient empire. He searched everywhere for evidence to bolster his conviction that the Chinese were responsible for hundreds of mankind's most familiar innovations--including printing, the compass, explosives, suspension bridges, even toilet paper--often centuries before the rest of the world. His thrilling and dangerous journeys, vividly recreated by Winchester, took him across war-torn China to far-flung outposts, consolidating his deep admiration for the Chinese people. After the war, Needham was determined to tell the world what he had discovered, and began writing his majestic Science and Civilisation in China , describing the country's long and astonishing history of invention and technology. By the time he died, he had produced, essentially single-handedly, seventeen immense volumes, marking him as the greatest one-man encyclopedist ever. Both epic and intimate, The Man Who Loved China tells the sweeping story of China through Needham's remarkable life. Here is an unforgettable tale of what makes men, nations, and, indeed, mankind itself great--related by one of the world's inimitable storytellers., In sumptuous and illuminating detail, Simon Winchester, the bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman ("Elegant and scrupulous"--New York Times Book Review) and Krakatoa ("A mesmerizing page-turner"--Time) brings to life the extraordinary story of Joseph Needham, the brilliant Cambridge scientist who unlocked the most closely held secrets of China, long the world's most technologically advanced country. No cloistered don, this tall, married Englishman was a freethinking intellectual, who practiced nudism and was devoted to a quirky brand of folk dancing. In 1937, while working as a biochemist at Cambridge University, he instantly fell in love with a visiting Chinese student, with whom he began a lifelong affair. He soon became fascinated with China, and his mistress swiftly persuaded the ever-enthusiastic Needham to travel to her home country, where he embarked on a series of extraordinary expeditions to the farthest frontiers of this ancient empire. He searched everywhere for evidence to bolster his conviction that the Chinese were responsible for hundreds of mankind's most familiar innovations--including printing, the compass, explosives, suspension bridges, even toilet paper--often centuries before the rest of the world. His thrilling and dangerous journeys, vividly recreated by Winchester, took him across war-torn China to far-flung outposts, consolidating his deep admiration for the Chinese people. After the war, Needham was determined to tell the world what he had discovered, and began writing his majestic Science and Civilisation in China, describing the country's long and astonishing history of invention and technology. By the time he died, he had produced, essentially single-handedly, seventeen immense volumes, marking him as the greatest one-man encyclopedist ever. Both epic and intimate, The Man Who Loved China tells the sweeping story of China through Needham's remarkable life. Here is an unforgettable tale of what makes men, nations, and, indeed, mankind itself great--related by one of the world's inimitable storytellers.
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- 28 Jun, 2021
China was first in some areas and then it went on vacation.
As always, Winchester takes a good story and makes it very interesting both by writing well and by adding touches that make it a tale of human challenge and accomplishment by both the Chinese inventors and by his protagonist. His list of China "firsts" was extensive and makes it clear that this is a country that, under the right culture, is fully capable of producing the highest level of achievement.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- 23 May, 2024
Another marvelous book from Simon Winchester.
Fascinating book about Joseph Needham and his engagement with and promotion of China in the 20th century.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 12 Feb, 2016
A great book
This is a truly amazing story - extremely well told by a gifted writer. Highly recommended on many levels.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
