Book description
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,…
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Why read it?
1 author picked The Man Who Loved China as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I loved the story of Joseph Needham, an eccentric English scientist who fell in love first with a Chinese woman and then with China itself.
I could relate to the passion he felt for learning about a completely different culture, immersing himself in the language, and pursuing countless friendships with Chinese people.
Although I had known that Chinese artisans developed some of the world’s greatest inventions (paper, woodblock printing, gunpowder, and the mariner’s compass), Needham discovered and cataloged dozens of others in many thick scholarly volumes, showing the world the greatness of the ancient Chinese culture.
From Jonathan's list on individuals who followed their muse and changed the way we see the world.
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