Reviews
"Modern Alchemy is a wonderful achievement. This genuinely exciting book draws connections and parallels that would have escaped less imaginative scholars. Mark Morrisson succeeds magnificently in integrating the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of sober science and the occult." -- PhilipJenkins, author of Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History, "Modern Alchemy explores the revival of alchemy in the early twentieth century, revealing a remarkable interaction between occultists, Theosophists and cutting-edge science on radioactivity. Mark Morrisson shows how pioneering work on intellectual borders led to transmutations, a contest between radio-chemistry and nuclear physics, and even changed attitudes to world finance and the gold standard. A fine work of cultural history, Modern Alchemy will be valuable to those interested in Western esotericism, the history of ideas, alchemy and science, literature and discourse." -- Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, author of The Occult Roots of Nazism and Black Sun "Morrisson's Modern Alchemy is an ambitious and original account of the dynamic interactions between chemistry and the occult during the tumultuous transformations of science at the dawn of the twentieth century. Drawing from scientific publications, literature, occult manifestoes, and a multitude of other sources, the story told here cannot fail to provoke and at times astonish. Morrisson amply demonstrates that truth is at times much stranger than fiction could hope to be." -- Michael D. Gordin, Princeton University, author of A Well-Ordered Thing: Dmitrii Mendeleev and the Shadow of the Periodic Table "Modern Alchemy is a wonderful achievement. This genuinely exciting book draws connections and parallels that would have escaped less imaginative scholars. Mark Morrisson succeeds magnificently in integrating the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of sober science and the occult." -- Philip Jenkins, author of Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in AmericanHistory, "...fascinating and well-written. Strongly recommended to students of the history of modern science."--Choice "Modern Alchemy explores the revival of alchemy in the early twentieth century, revealing a remarkable interaction between occultists, Theosophists and cutting-edge science on radioactivity. Mark Morrisson shows how pioneering work on intellectual borders led to transmutations, a contest between radio-chemistry and nuclear physics, and even changed attitudes to world finance and the gold standard. A fine work of cultural history, Modern Alchemy will be valuable to those interested in Western esotericism, the history of ideas, alchemy and science, literature and discourse." -- Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, author of The Occult Roots of Nazism and Black Sun "Morrisson's Modern Alchemy is an ambitious and original account of the dynamic interactions between chemistry and the occult during the tumultuous transformations of science at the dawn of the twentieth century. Drawing from scientific publications, literature, occult manifestoes, and a multitude of other sources, the story told here cannot fail to provoke and at times astonish. Morrisson amply demonstrates that truth is at times much stranger than fiction could hope to be." -- Michael D. Gordin, Princeton University, author of A Well-Ordered Thing: Dmitrii Mendeleev and the Shadow of the Periodic Table "Modern Alchemy is a wonderful achievement. This genuinely exciting book draws connections and parallels that would have escaped less imaginative scholars. Mark Morrisson succeeds magnificently in integrating the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of sober science and the occult." -- Philip Jenkins, author of Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History, "Modern Alchemy explores the revival of alchemy in the early twentieth century, revealing a remarkable interaction between occultists, Theosophists and cutting-edge science on radioactivity. Mark Morrisson shows how pioneering work on intellectual borders led to transmutations, a contestbetween radio-chemistry and nuclear physics, and even changed attitudes to world finance and the gold standard. A fine work of cultural history, Modern Alchemy will be valuable to those interested in Western esotericism, the history of ideas, alchemy and science, literature and discourse." --Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, author of The Occult Roots of Nazism and Black Sun, "...fascinating and well-written. Strongly recommended to students of the history of modern science."--Choice "Modern Alchemyexplores the revival of alchemy in the early twentieth century, revealing a remarkable interaction between occultists, Theosophists and cutting-edge science on radioactivity. Mark Morrisson shows how pioneering work on intellectual borders led to transmutations, a contest between radio-chemistry and nuclear physics, and even changed attitudes to world finance and the gold standard. A fine work of cultural history,Modern Alchemywill be valuable to those interested in Western esotericism, the history of ideas, alchemy and science, literature and discourse." -- Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, author ofThe Occult Roots of Nazism and Black Sun "Morrisson'sModern Alchemyis an ambitious and original account of the dynamic interactions between chemistry and the occult during the tumultuous transformations of science at the dawn of the twentieth century. Drawing from scientific publications, literature, occult manifestoes, and a multitude of other sources, the story told here cannot fail to provoke and at times astonish. Morrisson amply demonstrates that truth is at times much stranger than fiction could hope to be." -- Michael D. Gordin, Princeton University, author ofA Well-Ordered Thing: Dmitrii Mendeleev and the Shadow of thePeriodic Table "Modern Alchemyis a wonderful achievement. This genuinely exciting book draws connections and parallels that would have escaped less imaginative scholars. Mark Morrisson succeeds magnificently in integrating the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of sober science and the occult." -- Philip Jenkins, author ofMystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History, "...fascinating and well-written. Strongly recommended to students of the history of modern science."--Choice"Modern Alchemy explores the revival of alchemy in the early twentieth century, revealing a remarkable interaction between occultists, Theosophists and cutting-edge science on radioactivity. Mark Morrisson shows how pioneering work on intellectual borders led to transmutations, a contest between radio-chemistry and nuclear physics, and even changed attitudes to world finance and the gold standard. A fine work of cultural history, ModernAlchemy will be valuable to those interested in Western esotericism, the history of ideas, alchemy and science, literature and discourse." -- Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, author of The Occult Roots of Nazism and Black Sun"Morrisson's Modern Alchemy is an ambitious and original account of the dynamic interactions between chemistry and the occult during the tumultuous transformations of science at the dawn of the twentieth century. Drawing from scientific publications, literature, occult manifestoes, and a multitude of other sources, the story told here cannot fail to provoke and at times astonish. Morrisson amply demonstrates that truth is at times much stranger thanfiction could hope to be." -- Michael D. Gordin, Princeton University, author of A Well-Ordered Thing: Dmitrii Mendeleev and the Shadow of the Periodic Table"Modern Alchemy is a wonderful achievement. This genuinely exciting book draws connections and parallels that would have escaped less imaginative scholars. Mark Morrisson succeeds magnificently in integrating the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of sober science and the occult." -- Philip Jenkins, author of Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History"Modern Alchemy explores the revival of alchemy in the early twentieth century, revealing a remarkable interaction between occultists, Theosophists and cutting-edge science on radioactivity. Mark Morrisson shows how pioneering work on intellectual borders led to transmutations, a contest between radio-chemistry and nuclear physics, and even changed attitudes to world finance and the gold standard. A fine work of cultural history, ModernAlchemy will be valuable to those interested in Western esotericism, the history of ideas, alchemy and science, literature and discourse." -- Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, author of The Occult Roots of Nazism and Black Sun"Morrisson's Modern Alchemy is an ambitious and original account of the dynamic interactions between chemistry and the occult during the tumultuous transformations of science at the dawn of the twentieth century. Drawing from scientific publications, literature, occult manifestoes, and a multitude of other sources, the story told here cannot fail to provoke and at times astonish. Morrisson amply demonstrates that truth is at times much stranger thanfiction could hope to be." -- Michael D. Gordin, Princeton University, author of A Well-Ordered Thing: Dmitrii Mendeleev and the Shadow of the Periodic Table"Modern Alchemy is a wonderful achievement. This genuinely exciting book draws connections and parallels that would have escaped less imaginative scholars. Mark Morrisson succeeds magnificently in integrating the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of sober science and the occult." -- Philip Jenkins, author of Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History, "Morrisson's Modern Alchemy is an ambitious and original account of the dynamic interactions between chemistry and the occult during the tumultuous transformations of science at the dawn of the twentieth century. Drawing from scientific publications, literature, occult manifestoes, and amultitude of other sources, the story told here cannot fail to provoke and at times astonish. Morrisson amply demonstrates that truth is at times much stranger than fiction could hope to be." -- Michael D. Gordin, Princeton University, author of A Well-Ordered Thing: Dmitrii Mendeleev and the Shadowof the Periodic Table, "Modern Alchemy explores the revival of alchemy in the early twentieth century, revealing a remarkable interaction between occultists, Theosophists and cutting-edge science on radioactivity. Mark Morrisson shows how pioneering work on intellectual borders led to transmutations, a contest between radio-chemistry and nuclear physics, and even changed attitudes to world finance and the gold standard. A fine work of cultural history, Modern Alchemy will be valuable to those interested in Western esotericism, the history of ideas, alchemy and science, literature and discourse." -- Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, author of The Occult Roots of Nazism and Black Sun"Morrisson's Modern Alchemy is an ambitious and original account of the dynamic interactions between chemistry and the occult during the tumultuous transformations of science at the dawn of the twentieth century. Drawing from scientific publications, literature, occult manifestoes, and a multitude of other sources, the story told here cannot fail to provoke and at times astonish. Morrisson amply demonstrates that truth is at times much stranger than fiction could hope to be." -- Michael D. Gordin, Princeton University, author of A Well-Ordered Thing: Dmitrii Mendeleev and the Shadow of the Periodic Table"Modern Alchemy is a wonderful achievement. This genuinely exciting book draws connections and parallels that would have escaped less imaginative scholars. Mark Morrisson succeeds magnificently in integrating the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of sober science and the occult." -- Philip Jenkins, author of Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History, "...fascinating and well-written. Strongly recommended to students of the history of modern science."-- Choice " Modern Alchemy explores the revival of alchemy in the early twentieth century, revealing a remarkable interaction between occultists, Theosophists and cutting-edge science on radioactivity. Mark Morrisson shows how pioneering work on intellectual borders led to transmutations, a contest between radio-chemistry and nuclear physics, and even changed attitudes to world finance and the gold standard. A fine work of cultural history, Modern Alchemy will be valuable to those interested in Western esotericism, the history of ideas, alchemy and science, literature and discourse." -- Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, author of The Occult Roots of Nazism and Black Sun "Morrisson's Modern Alchemy is an ambitious and original account of the dynamic interactions between chemistry and the occult during the tumultuous transformations of science at the dawn of the twentieth century. Drawing from scientific publications, literature, occult manifestoes, and a multitude of other sources, the story told here cannot fail to provoke and at times astonish. Morrisson amply demonstrates that truth is at times much stranger than fiction could hope to be." -- Michael D. Gordin, Princeton University, author of A Well-Ordered Thing: Dmitrii Mendeleev and the Shadow of the Periodic Table " Modern Alchemy is a wonderful achievement. This genuinely exciting book draws connections and parallels that would have escaped less imaginative scholars. Mark Morrisson succeeds magnificently in integrating the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of sober science and the occult." -- Philip Jenkins, author of Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History
