PROMETHEAN AMBITIONSBOOKS / Nonfiction

From: International Herald Tribune | Date: August 2, 2004| Author: Edward Rothstein | Copyright information


International Herald Tribune

08-02-2004

PROMETHEAN AMBITIONSAlchemy and the Quest to Perfect NatureBy William R. Newman 333 pages. $30. University of Chicago Press. Reviewed by Edward Rothstein*Among the secrets revealed in this unusual history of alchemy is Leonardo da Vinci's recipe for making artificial pearls ''as large as you wish'' ­ take a small genuine pearl, dissolve it in lemon juice, dry the paste into a power, mix it with egg white, let it harden, t...

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