At the dawn of Europe's Scientific Revolution, China was a major world power. With million-person cities, vast navies, and a robust trade in luxury goods, China was a country of marvels. The "Central Kingdom" was also a country of invention. This fascinating resource explores the science and technology behind China's rise to power: the incredible scope, the unique traditions that supported it, and the reasons for the eventual decline of the dynastic era. Readers will learn of agricultural innovations, massive building projects, elaborate machines, and countless inventions that changed the way the world ate, drank, read, waged war, and traveled.
Over its 2,700-year history, the Maya became one of the most complex and dominant indigenous civilizations in pre-Columbian America. They became masters in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM, as evident through the archaeological remains that still excite and intrigue people today. The Maya built massive civilizations with temples, palaces, extensive highway networks, and some of the largest pyramids in the world. This splendid book explores all these innovations and more, explaining how, why, and when the Mayan empire's greatest minds came up with unique STEM solutions to everyday problems.
Mostly known today for its complex pantheon and religious rituals, the Aztec empire was also highly advanced in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math or STEM. With the capital city of the empire built in the middle of a lake, the geographical, political, and economic needs of the Aztecs drove innovation for centuries. Massive construction projects, including ziggurats, causeways, and aqueducts demonstrated that the Aztecs had ambitious goals as well as the STEM knowledge to achieve them. Though much of its history was destroyed, the accomplishments of the Aztecs are an impressive reminder of history's ingenuity.
This is Virgil's latest publication THE ARMSTRONG REPORT -- ET's & UFO's -- THEY NEED US, WE DON'T NEED THEM. They left us here years ago, thinking we would die on a planet that they polluted, destined for destruction. They advanced technologically to extremes that we cannot imagine at this time. Now they are back because the planet and this sola: system is about to make a change in consciousness to a higher dimensional level. While they advanced technologically, we advanced spiritually. Ant spirituality is what they lack. By experimenting with us they are trying to regain that which they have lost, their humanness and spirituality therefore they need us, we don't need them.
In this learned, yet readable, book, Joseph McDermott introduces the history of the book in China in the late imperial period from 1000 to 1800. He assumes little knowledge of Chinese history or culture and compares the Chinese experience with books with that of other civilizations, particularly the European. Yet he deals with a wide range of issues in the history of the book in China and presents novel analyses of the changes in Chinese woodblock bookmaking over these centuries. He presents a new view of when the printed book replaced the manuscript and what drove that substitution. He explores the distribution and marketing structure of books, and writes fascinatingly on the history of book collecting and about access to private and government book collections. In drawing on a great deal of Chinese, Japanese, and Western research this book provides a broad account of the way Chinese books were printed, distributed, and consumed by literati and scholars, mainly in the lower Yangzi delta, the cultural center of China during these centuries. It introduces interesting personalities, ranging from wily book collectors to an indigent shoe-repairman collector. And, it discusses the obstacles to the formation of a truly national printed culture for both the well-educated and the struggling reader in recent times. This broad and comprehensive account of the development of printed Chinese culture from 1000 to 1800 is written for anyone interested in the history of the book. It also offers important new insights into book culture and its place in society for the student of Chinese history and culture. 'A brilliant piece of synthetic research as well as a delightful read, it offers a history of the Chinese book to the eighteenth century that is without equal.' - Timothy Brook, University of British Columbia 'Writers, scribes, engravers, printers, binders, publishers, distributors, dealers, literati, scholars, librarians, collectors, voracious readers — the full gamut of a vibrant book culture in China over one thousand years — are examined with eloquence and perception by Joseph McDermott in The Social History of the Book. His lively exploration will be of consuming interest to bibliophiles of every persuasion.' - Nicholas A. Basbanes, author of A Gentle Madness, Patience and Fortitude, A Splendor of Letters, and Every Book Its Reader Joseph McDermott is presently Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge, and University Lecturer in Chinese at Cambridge University. He has published widely on Chinese social and economic history, most recently on the economy of the Song (or, Sung) dynasty for the Cambridge History of China. He has edited State and Court Ritual in China and Art and Power in East Asia.
"Presents stories of kings and queens, generals, battles, and courtiers from the Zhou Dynasty, when China was ruled by kings from 1046 BC to 221 BC. It was the period before the country was unified under a single emperor, when each state schemed to become more powerful than its neighbor, leading to many exciting stories populated by famous historical figures"--Jacket.
Written by a recognized international scholar in the China media field, this book analyzes China’s creative economy and how television, animation, advertising, design, publishing and digital games are reshaping traditional understandings of culture.
A History of Chinese Science and Technology (Volumes 1, 2 & 3) presents 44 individual lectures, beginning with Ancient Chinese Science and Technology in the Process of Human Civilizations and an Overview of Chinese Science and Technology, and continuing with in-depth discussions of several issues in the History of Science and the Needham Puzzle, interspersed with topics on Astronomy, Arithmetic, Agriculture and Medicine, The Four Great Inventions, and various technological areas closely related to clothing, food, shelter and transportation. This book is the most authoritative work on the history of Chinese Science and Technology. It is the Winner of the China Book Award, the Shanghai Book Award (1st prize), and the Classical China International Publishing Project (GAPP, General Administration of Press and Publication of China) and offers an essential resource for academic researchers and non-experts alike. It originated with a series of 44 lectures presented to top Chinese leaders, which received very positive feedback. Written by top Chinese scholars in their respective fields from the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and many other respected Chinese organizations, the book is intended for scientists, researchers and postgraduate students working in the history of science, philosophy of science and technology, and related disciplines. Yongxiang Lu is a professor, former president and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and Vice Chairman of the National Congress of China.
