| history of innovation |
[Jan. 7th, 2004|11:36 pm] |
can't find a good book on history of innovation.
the closest ones so far:
Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of science and technology
Doubt, by Hecht
need to peruse amazon to see related books.
Asimov writes about Paracelsus:
"The purpose of alchemy, he decided, was not to discover methods for manufacturing gold but to prepare medicines with wihich to treat desease. It was a point of view then coming into fashion ... but it was Paracelsus' loud mouth that did most to bring it to general public.
As town physician at Basel, he burned the works of Galen and Avicenna in public in 1527....
He believed wholeheartedly in the four elements of the Greeks and the three principles (merc, sulfur, salt) as well as the influence of stars on disease. He sought unceasingly for the philosopher's stone, and even claimed to have found it, insisting he would live forever. p. 72 |
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