The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 2

by Colin A. Ronan

Overview

In the second volume of his abridgement of Joseph Needham's original text, Colin Ronan looks in detail at the early Chinese contributions to various sciences. The first section deals with mathematics, and it is shown that the Chinese works were comparable with the pre-Renaissance achievements of the old world. This account is written with the non-mathematician in mind. The text is next concerned with the sciences of astronomy and meteorology, followed by the Earth sciences: geography, cartography, geology, seismology and mineralogy. Volume 2 closes with a description of some aspects of Chinese physics, including their predilection for the wave theory as opposed to particles, metrology, statics, hydrostatics, heat, light and sound.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521315364
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/20/1985
Series:	Shorter Science and Civilisation in China , #2
Edition description:	Abridged Edition
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 1.02(d)

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; List of tables; Preface; 1. Mathematics; 2. The sciences of the heavens: (i) astronomy; 3. The sciences of the heavens: (ii) meteorology; 4. The sciences of the earth: (i) geography and map-making; 5. The sciences of the earth: (ii) geology and related sciences; 6. Physics; Table of Chinese dynastics; Bibliography; Index.