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The Riddle of the Compass: The Invention That Changed the World

by Amir D. Aczel

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Comment on this title and you could win free books! Synopses & Reviews Comment on this title and you could win free books! ISBN13: 9780156007535 ISBN10: 0156007533 All Product Details

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

The story of the compass is shrouded in mystery and myth, yet most will agree it begins around the time of the birth of Christ in ancient China. A mysterious lodestone whose powers affected metal was known to the Chinese emperor. When this piece of metal was suspended in water, it always pointed north. This unexplainable occurrence led to the stone's use in feng shui, the Chinese art of finding the right location. However, it was the Italians, more than a thousand years later, who discovered the ultimate destiny of the lodestone and unleashed its formidable powers. In Amalfi sometime in the twelfth century, the compass was born, crowning the Italians as the new rulers of the seas and heralding the onset of the modern world. Retracing the roots of the compass and sharing the fascinating story of navigation through the ages, The Riddle of the Compass is Aczel at his most entertaining and insightful.

Book News Annotation:

Popular science writer Aczel explores the series of riddles behind the origin and spread of the technology that launched the commercial revolution of the late 13th century. The journey spans from ancient to modern times in China, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Arabia, Africa, and the New World.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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About the Author

Amir D. Aczel, Ph.D. grew up on a ship and was navigating straits in the Mediterranean long before he could drive a car. The author of Fermat's Last Theorem, God's Equation, The Mystery of the Aleph, and Probability 1, he lives with his wife and daughter in the Boston area and teaches at Bentley College.

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780156007535

Author:

Aczel, Amir D.

Publisher:

Harvest Books

Author:

Aczel, Amir D., PH.D.

Location:

San Diego, Calif.

Subject:

History

Subject:

Compass

Subject:

Electromagnetism

Subject:

Scientific Instruments

Subject:

Navigation

Subject:

History of Science-General

Edition Number:

1st Harvest ed.

Edition Description:

Trade Paper

Series Volume:

77

Publication Date:

20020531

Binding:

TRADE PAPER

Language:

English

Illustrations:

20 black-and-white illustrations in text

Pages:

208

Dimensions:

8 x 5.31 in 0.44 lb

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The Riddle of the Compass: The Invention That Changed the World New Trade Paper Amir D. Aczel

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Product details 208 pages Harvest Books - 2002-05-00 English 9780156007535 Reviews: