The secrets of alchemy - Lawrence M. Principe

In The Secrets of Alchemy, Lawrence
M. Principe, one of the world's leading authorities on the subject,
brings alchemy out of the shadows and restores it to its important place
in human history and culture. By surveying what alchemy was and how it
began, developed, and overlapped with a range of ideas and pursuits,
Principe illuminates the practice. He vividly depicts the place of
alchemy during its heyday in early modern Europe, and then explores how
alchemy has fit into wider views of the cosmos and humanity, touching on
its enduring place in literature, fine art, theater, and religion as
well as its recent acceptance as a serious subject of study for
historians of science. In addition, he introduces the reader to some of
the most fascinating alchemists, such as Zosimos and Basil Valentine,
whose lives dot alchemy's long reign from the third century and to
the present day. Through his exploration of alchemists and their times,
Principe pieces together closely guarded clues from obscure and
fragmented texts to reveal alchemy's secrets, and-most exciting for
budding alchemists-uses them to recreate many of the most famous recipes
in his lab, including those for the "glass of antimony" and
"philosophers' tree." This unique approach brings the reader closer to
the actual work of alchemy than any other book.