Product Description

Alchemy is an ancient, but still practised, science concerned with transformation: base metal into gold; mortal into immortal. This book investigates the realities behind the mythology of alchemy and searches for the element which can make it a reality: the legendary Philosopher's Stone. It reveals that Isaac Newton spent much of his time at Cambridge practising alchemy and tells the stories of famous alchemists that claimed to have unlocked the secret of transformation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #184931 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 560 pages

Review
St Thomas Aquinas, Isaac Newton, Carl Jung; these and other historians, scientists and philosophers devoted much of their life to the study of alchemy and the search for the ultimate prize: the philosopher's stone, which can transform base metal into gold and is said to hold the key to life itself. Marshall is no desk top researcher, but to write the book embarked on a journey in the footsteps of some of the key practitioners, a quest which takes him to Beijing, Egypt, France, Spain and beyond and leads to encounters with many contemporary philosophers, alchemists and scientists, all searching not so much for fame or fortune but for the ultimate prize of enlightenment. This appealing combination of travelogue and inner journey is well served by the author's friendly, conversational tone and his ability to make sometimes complex ideas thoroughly accessible without shortchanging the reader. Myth, magic , religion and intrigue come together here to offer an intriguing alternative view of the history of civilisation's development. (Kirkus UK)

Customer Reviews

Entertaining but not academic
I have decided to rate this book a three and not a two simply because it was an entertaining and easy read. Those readers looking for an easy initiation into the world of alchemy, will find this book quite pleasant. That aside, I find the book highly subjective and poorely researched in certain areas. Yes, it is a personal journey of one author, and yes, it probably doesn't claim to be an exemplar of academic scrutiny, but I did find some of the positions to be highly slanted. I must admit, though, that it is quite fun, for the duration of the read, to imagine with the author a world of old where such ideas are not merely assumed but accepted.

In summary: This book is not for everyone. Some will find it fun, others might find it informative. Serious academics of alchemy may wish to treat it with a pinch of salt.

A true story, and a tale of all times and all cities...
I totally enjoyed Marshall's book. Well-read, but also highly individual, this books captures your imagination from the very first page. The search for the Philosopher's stone is imaginatively set against the background of the mysterious exoteric buildings connected with it, from the Alhambra to the Pyramids to Prague's Castle. The true story of Marshall's studies and obsession with alchemy, it shows that the search for the stone was not merely the dream of some medieval weirdo in a non-scientific age, but a constant of all civilisations, from the Chinese to Hindus to the Arabs and the Europeans, and as such a response to a basic human need. After a few pages, you discover that the practical search for turning stone into gold was paired by an exoteric search for the ultimate meaning of life, and distilling your being's ultimate essence. Fascinating! A documentary you can read like a novel, and which even feels like a quest. You'll soon realise that the author not only documents his fascination with and search for the stone, but make the reader starts his own exoteric quest too. Some sections are great prompts to meditation, others just make you want book a flight ticket and jet off! If you liked Indiana Jones, The Alchemist, Tai Chi, Buddhism, J.L. Borges, travel stories, or all of them, then in different ways this is a book for you.

Too one sided
It's ok if you can distance yourself from the author's suspension of disbelief. I love reading about alchemy, hermetics and other occult traditions and Frances Yate's sympathetic but objective accounts have been a delight. This book had some interesting points, but much of it felt rushed, credulous and at time downright irritating when he glazed over murky pieces of research or presented ambiguous information or hearsay as fact.

Best approached as a romp of a novel merging fiction with fact than a genuine piece of researched history.