Lawrence Principe, The Secrets of Alchemy , Chicago & London, University of Chicago Press 2013. 281 pp. ISBN-13 978-0-226-10379-2. Alchemy is a subject that is as diverse as it elusive when one tries to find definitive interpretations of its literature and gain a thorough understanding of its ideas. Without doubt, it is the lack of understanding and the inaccessibility of original sources that engendered the enormous corpus of non-academic writings on alchemy we have today, overshadowing sound scientific studies that are not occupied primarily with ‘occultism’ or magical practices (pp. 2-3). From Late Classical Hellenic Egypt and the Arabic world to alchemy’s apex in Early Modern Europe: the subject area is vast, with different and old languages involved. In all, alchemy travelled a long way before ending up in popular culture like Paul Coelho’s The Alchemist and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , which immediately betray persistent clichés on ...
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