∎ PDF The Man Who Loved China The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom Simon Winchester 9780060884598 Books

The Man Who Loved China The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom Simon Winchester 9780060884598 Books

Download As PDF : The Man Who Loved China The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom Simon Winchester 9780060884598 Books

The Man Who Loved China The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom Simon Winchester 9780060884598 Books

I really have mixed feelings about this book. I bought it because I found the subject extremely interesting and Needham was clearly presented as a very important actor in our knowledge of China and Chinese culture and history in general. Winchester indeed took on a gigantic task which in a way mirrors Needham's own lifelong quest. There is a tremendous amount of work on Winchester's part and certainly much interesting information. However after reading it I was left with a sense of frustration. The central question which is brought up time and again as the object of Needham's continuously expanding work, why was China arrested in its way to discovering modern science? why did it happen in Europe? is not answered, so there is a nagging sense of an interruptus. The detailed account of the growth of the project as Needham swims in the treacherous waters of old Chinese texts and cannot find a course which excludes all those desert islands and really maps a coherent picture reminds me of a story by Jorge Luis Borges, called "Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote". In this story the critic Pierre Menard trying to interpret Cervantes' famous novel is unable to make a selection and ends up producing an identical copy of the original work. So Needham's huge effort seems to have led to a work that is more of a catalogue than a selection showing an underlying trend or logical course.
Winchester is more of a journalist than a writer or a thinker, and while I wish again to express my respect for his intensive work I am sorry to say that my impression is that of the chronicle of a quest that falls short of its promise.


Tags : The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom [Simon Winchester] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In sumptuous and illuminating detail, Simon Winchester, the bestselling author of <em>The Professor and the Madman</em> ( Elegant and scrupulous —<em>New York Times Book Review</em>) and <em>Krakatoa</em> ( A mesmerizing page-turner —<em>Time</em>) brings to life the extraordinary story of Joseph Needham,Simon Winchester,The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom,Harper,0060884592,Historical - General,Science;China;History.,Scientists;Great Britain;Biography.,1900-1995,Asia - China,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Historical,Biography,Biography & Autobiography,Biography Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,CHINA - HISTORY - 20TH CENTURY,China,GENERAL,General Adult,Great Britain,HISTORY Asia China,HISTORY OF SCIENCE,History,Needham, Joseph,,Non-Fiction,SCIENTISTS,Science,Scientists - General,United States

The Man Who Loved China The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom Simon Winchester 9780060884598 Books Reviews

this is a glorious biography about a man who, at a time that people thought the Chinese were backward discovered , through his unlimited curiosity and intelligence how the Chinese had discovered most instruments and materials that westerners thought they invented first. An absolutely deightful delightfdul boo, written in Winchester's inimitable wonderful, riveting style. A must read - particularly for those of us who are rapidly becoming aware that it won't be long before=China will once again overtake the West in technical innovation again!.
Winchester really is a magnificent writer. Although I am a bigger fan of some of his other works, this certainly fits well into the rest of his life's opus. Somehow he manages to cover bits of science, technology, philosophy, history, (his love) geology, archaeology, culture, politics and even uses his flair for travel writing with great ethos and pathos to tell an interesting story.

Aside from the breadth of topics he covers while telling the story of one man's life's work, he writes about and discusses topics which should be part of everyone's personal cultural knowledge. As a small example, he makes mention of one of the real life archaeologists who served as a model for Indiana Jones - though sadly he only makes the direct connection in a footnote which many may not likely read.

Though I had originally picked up the book out of general curiosity (not to diminish the fact that I'm on a quest to read every word Winchester has written), I find that it also neatly fits into providing some spectacular background on the concept of "Big History" (see Maps of Time An Introduction to Big History (California World History Library)) as it relates to China's place in the world. In particular "Needham's question" (briefly Why, given China's illustrious past, did modern science not develop there after the 1500's?) turned around becomes a interesting illustration on the course of human history and the rises and falls of cultures and societies since the holocene.

For those who may miss the significance, I was particularly impressed with the overall literary power imbued to the book by the use of the bookended contrasts of Needham's Chongqing at the opening of the work and modern day Chongqing at the close. This is one of the few times that the mechanics behind how Winchester, the master of telling often non-linear stories, has been patently obvious to me. I hope one day to unravel all of his other secrets. I can only imagine that in his heavy research of his topics, he somehow internally sees the ultimately magical ways in which he will present the information.

I will note that, in contrast to some of his past works, this one had some better physical maps and photos to go along with the text, although I was highly disappointed in their unusuable presentation in the e-book version of the book. (Higher dpi versions would have gone a long way, particularly with the ability to zoom in on them in most e-readers.) For those unfortunate enough to have the e-book copy, I commend picking up a physical copy of the book for better interpretations of the photos and maps included.
I really have mixed feelings about this book. I bought it because I found the subject extremely interesting and Needham was clearly presented as a very important actor in our knowledge of China and Chinese culture and history in general. Winchester indeed took on a gigantic task which in a way mirrors Needham's own lifelong quest. There is a tremendous amount of work on Winchester's part and certainly much interesting information. However after reading it I was left with a sense of frustration. The central question which is brought up time and again as the object of Needham's continuously expanding work, why was China arrested in its way to discovering modern science? why did it happen in Europe? is not answered, so there is a nagging sense of an interruptus. The detailed account of the growth of the project as Needham swims in the treacherous waters of old Chinese texts and cannot find a course which excludes all those desert islands and really maps a coherent picture reminds me of a story by Jorge Luis Borges, called "Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote". In this story the critic Pierre Menard trying to interpret Cervantes' famous novel is unable to make a selection and ends up producing an identical copy of the original work. So Needham's huge effort seems to have led to a work that is more of a catalogue than a selection showing an underlying trend or logical course.
Winchester is more of a journalist than a writer or a thinker, and while I wish again to express my respect for his intensive work I am sorry to say that my impression is that of the chronicle of a quest that falls short of its promise.