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 enlarge | Creator: Simon Winchester
Publisher: HarperAudio
Category: Book
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $18.75
You Save: $21.20 (53%)
New (36) Used (11) from $18.00
Rating:  47 reviews
Sales Rank: 271477
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 8
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 5.8 x 5.3 x 1.6
ISBN: 0061556270
Dewey Decimal Number: 509.2
EAN: 9780061556272
ASIN: 0061556270
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Audiobook. New, still in the shrink wrap. Includes 8 cd's. Ships the next business day, with tracking and delivery confirmation sent to your email.
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| Customer Reviews:
 China September 20, 2008
Very great read. I could not put it down. It certainly changed my view of Chinese history and innovation.
China and Cambridge September 5, 2008
A very readable and excellently researched and written account of the life, adventures and discoveries of the Cambridge don, Joseph Needham
Fascinating book of captivating man August 30, 2008
This is a fascinating book about a person I had never heard of. Joseph Needham was a brilliant British scientist who made significant contributions to biochemistry while still in his early twenties. He was also a boisterous character -- a nudist, progressive Christian, committed socialist, Morris dancer, fluent in several languages and believer in open marriage. Above all, he was full of energy and intellectual curiosity.
The turning point in Needham's life came when he met a young Chinese scientist, Lu Gwei-djen, in 1938. He not only fell in love with her, although he'd been happily married to a fellow scientist for several years, but made the decision to learn fluent Chinese. Lying in bed together, she was his first teacher. This led Needham to his life's work, the compilation of a huge, multi-volumed work on the history of science in China which transformed the way the world looked at Chinese history and civilization. Incidentally, Needham managed to a sustain loving relationships with both women until the end of their lives, aparently with all three getting along comfortably with each other.
During the Second World War, Needham was sent by the British government to China to formed links with Chinese universities, then under terrible pressure from the invading Japanese, to help them with supplies of books and materials. During his years there, he was able to make several epic journeys, well described by Winchester, penetrating far-flung corners of the huge country, making interesting discoveries along the way.
His massive study, which began appearing in the 1950s. It had grown to 18 volumes by the time Needham died in 1995 and now stands at 24. Needham was the one who informed the world that the Chinese had invented gunpowder, printing and the compass centuries before the West and also blast furnaces, arched bridges, crossbows, vaccination against smallpox, toilet paper, wheelbarrows, stirrups and a thousand other things.
This book is a wonderful window on one of the great minds of the 20th century. For anyone who wants to understand more about China and meet this brilliant and captivating man, I recommend this book.
For more on me and my latest book, The Nazi Hunter: A Novel go to www.alanelsner.com.
compelling story August 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This wonderfully written biography of the British scientist Joseph Needham tells two stories - one of Needham as a "renaissance" man and the other of China and its amazing contributions to our world. Perhaps most compelling is the story of Needham and his love of China, of life, of women, and learning.
Simon Winchester writes gracefully and honestly. It was hard to put this down.
wow August 26, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
wo hen xihuan zhege gushi (I really liked this story)! Again a fascinating account of a fascinating man forgotten by history.
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