Transformation of Knowledge: Early Manuscripts from the Collection of Lawrence J. Schoenberg

by Crofton Black

The most remarkable records of human endeavor set side by side in the Schoenberg Collection. The purpose behind this catalog is not only to give their particulars but also to sketch their role in the history of ideas. The reflection of this history in the material gathered here spans over four thousand years, from the practice of arithmetic in Babylon in the third millennium BC to a report on submarine detection experiments in 1919. Manuscripts, properly speaking, are not rare; they are unique. Each one provides a snapshot of one or more individuals grappling with the intellectual problems of their time.

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2007

Reviews

[Elena Traduzioni Oceano Mare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't describe this collection of manuscripts on mathematics, astronomy, medicine, philosophy that I found in the bookstore of the British Museum. I can only say its beauty is incredibly overwhelming!!

[Margaret Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some interesting parts but it smelled like an airport (read with a hangover, this disturbed me immensely)