The Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery, & Invention

Description

Revised, full-color illustrated edition of the multi-award-winning, international bestseller that charts the unparalleled and astounding achievement of ancient China - Brings to life one hundred Chinese "firsts" in the fields of agriculture, astronomy, engineering, mathematics, medicine, music, technology, and warfare - Based on the definitive work of the world's most famous Sinologist, Joseph Needham (1900-1995), author of Science and Civilisation in China - Organized by field, invention, and discovery for ease of reference Undisputed masters of invention and discovery for 3,000 years, the ancient Chinese were the first to discover the solar wind and the circulation of the blood and even to isolate sex hormones. From the suspension bridge and the seismograph to deep drilling for natural gas, the iron plough, and the parachute, ancient China's contributions in the fields of engineering, medicine, technology, mathematics, science, transportation, warfare, and music helped inspire the European agricultural and industrial revolutions. Since its original publication, The Genius of China has won five literary awards in America and been translated into 43 languages. Its Chinese edition, The Spirit of Chinese Invention, was approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education for use in connection with the national secondary curriculum in China. Based on the immense, authoritative scholarship of the late Joseph Needham, the world's foremost scholar of Chinese science, and including a foreword by him, this revised full-color illustrated edition brings to life the spirit and excitement of the unparalleled achievements of ancient China.

Robert Temple is a visiting professor of the history and philosophy of science at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He also is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society; member of the Egypt Exploration Society, Royal Historical Society, Institute of Classical Studies, and the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies; and visiting research fellow of the University of the Aegean in Greece. He is the author of 10 books, including The Sirius Mystery and Oracles of the Dead, and lives in England with his wife, Olivia.

" . . . a must-have for history buffs and anyone who is interested in the rich and diverse contributions of ancient China to the modern world."--Vision Magazine, Feb 2008 " . . . a top pick for any college-level collection strong in Chinese history and culture, offering a revised full-color edition that brings to life elements of ancient Chinese history."--The Midwest Book Review, Mar 2008 " . . . richly illustrative narrative utilizing facsimiles of historical script and beautifully done photography. . . . a rigorous, but pleasurable intellectual endeavor without the trappings of tedious academic script. Fully referenced and loaded with facts . . . "--Robert Figler, Ph.D., Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Vol. 17, No. 3 "These days, we Americans would do well to understand the Chinese as thoroughly as we can; this book is a good starting point in beginning to understand that before 'we discovered' the Orient, it was doing fine without us and our primitive technologies."--Curled Up with a Good Book, Dec 2007