A major work investigating the realities behind the mythology of alchemy.
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Book Description
The Philosopher's Stone is the Holy Grail of alchemy, the ancient art of turning base metal into gold. Its magical and elemental power has fixated explorers, occultists and scientists for centuries. For the Philosopher's Stone, it is said, holds the key, not only to making gold but also to deciphering the riddle of existence and unlocking the secret of eternal life. Following such luminaries as Newton, Jung, St Thomas Aquinas and Zosimus, who devoted most of their lives searching for it, Peter Marshall set out to unearth the secrets of alchemy in the lands where it was traditionally practised. The result is fascinating piece of historical, scientific and philosophical detection, as well as an exciting physical and spiritual adventure. Exploring the beliefs and practises, the myths and the symbols of the alchemists, Peter Marshall takes us on an enthralling journey through the western and eastern worlds.
About the Author
Peter Marshall is a serious and well-reviewed academic, author of the raved-about Demanding the Impossible: A History of Anarchism (Harper Collins) and a biography of the philosopher William Goodwin (Yale University Press).
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By debugger#77
Format:Paperback
I have decided to rate this book a three and not a two simply because it was an entertaining and easy read. Those readers looking for an easy initiation into the world of alchemy, will find this book quite pleasant. That aside, I find the book highly subjective and poorely researched in certain areas. Yes, it is a personal journey of one author, and yes, it probably doesn't claim to be an exemplar of academic scrutiny, but I did find some of the positions to be highly slanted. I must admit, though, that it is quite fun, for the duration of the read, to imagine with the author a world of old where such ideas are not merely assumed but accepted.
In summary: This book is not for everyone. Some will find it fun, others might find it informative. Serious academics of alchemy may wish to treat it with a pinch of salt.
In summary: This book is not for everyone. Some will find it fun, others might find it informative. Serious academics of alchemy may wish to treat it with a pinch of salt.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's ok if you can distance yourself from the author's suspension of disbelief. I love reading about alchemy, hermetics and other occult traditions and Frances Yate's sympathetic but objective accounts have been a delight. This book had some interesting points, but much of it felt rushed, credulous and at time downright irritating when he glazed over murky pieces of research or presented ambiguous information or hearsay as fact.
Best approached as a romp of a novel merging fiction with fact than a genuine piece of researched history.
31 of 36 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I totally enjoyed Marshall's book. Well-read, but also highly individual, this books captures your imagination from the very first page. The search for the Philosopher's stone is imaginatively set against the background of the mysterious exoteric buildings connected with it, from the Alhambra to the Pyramids to Prague's Castle. The true story of Marshall's studies and obsession with alchemy, it shows that the search for the stone was not merely the dream of some medieval weirdo in a non-scientific age, but a constant of all civilisations, from the Chinese to Hindus to the Arabs and the Europeans, and as such a response to a basic human need. After a few pages, you discover that the practical search for turning stone into gold was paired by an exoteric search for the ultimate meaning of life, and distilling your being's ultimate essence. Fascinating! A documentary you can read like a novel, and which even feels like a quest. You'll soon realise that the author not only documents his fascination with and search for the stone, but make the reader starts his own exoteric quest too. Some sections are great prompts to meditation, others just make you want book a flight ticket and jet off! If you liked Indiana Jones, The Alchemist, Tai Chi, Buddhism, J.L. Borges, travel stories, or all of them, then in different ways this is a book for you.
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Lengthy but superficial
An account of a lengthy, but superficial and ultimately unsuccessful, search for the hidden meaning behind the great alchemical traditions. Entertaining but not enlightening.
Published on 15 Mar 2010 by A. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent primer
Don't be fooled into thinking that any book an alchemy will contain everything there is to know; that's just not possible! Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2009 by Mr. I. Simms
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent View Of One Man's Search For The Truth of Alchemy
The story of one man's search for the Philosopher's Stone might sound like a dry read, but Peter Marshall makes entertaining reading of his own search through the highways and... Read more
Published on 10 Oct 2006 by Capt I. McRae
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