Divining Science
Treasure Hunting and Earth Science in Early Modern Germany
Biographical note
Warren Alexander Dym, Ph.D. (2005) in History, University of California, Davis, is presently visiting assistant professor at University of Miami. He publishes on German mining and earth science history.
Readership
All those interested in science and technology studies, history of science and magic, artisanal and tacit knowledge, history of geology, social and cultural history of Germany.
Reviews
"Dym marshals an impressive array of sources, ranging from mining archives to philosophical treatises, to make his case. He finds, contrary to what we might expect, that the practice of dowsing persisted even as high-profile Enlightenment writers ridiculed it. This disjunction between published mining theory and the practice of prospecting—an incongruity that proved especially striking in Freiberg itself—is one of the revelations of the book." Andre Wakefield, Isis, Vol. 103, No. 1 (March 2012), pp. 175-177
'Full of surprises, not the least of which is the author’s skill in applying a deeper and more generous historiography to the entire scope of his subject than did earlier historians. Among the author’s strengths is his familiarity with past and current work in the histories of mining and geology, and his recognition of the relevance of subjects like alchemy and dowsing to our increasing knowledge of early modern mineral science.' John A. Norris
Warren Dym’s book is a pleasure to read. The story he unfolds is engagingly told and full of rare and often hitherto unused sources, which give a good idea of the daily practice of dowsing and the role and craft skills of dowers in the mining community of Saxony between the time of Agricola and the early years of the Freiberg Mining Academy.
…the formal aspect of the book is highly recommendable.
Martina Kölbl-Ebert, Metascience, published online 5 July 2011
Divining Science thus offers considerable treasures for those interested in the relations between magic, science, witchcraft, folklore, and popular culture anywhere in early modern Europe, as well as for those interested in the impacts of increasing state control during this era. The extremely handy one-page ‘‘Glossary of Mining and Metallurgical Terms’’ is in itself a godsend for Germanists. ... highly recommended to all scholars with even a passing interest in any of the topics outlined above.
Alix Cooper, Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 64, No. 3 (Fall 2011), pp. 934-936
'Full of surprises, not the least of which is the author’s skill in applying a deeper and more generous historiography to the entire scope of his subject than did earlier historians. Among the author’s strengths is his familiarity with past and current work in the histories of mining and geology, and his recognition of the relevance of subjects like alchemy and dowsing to our increasing knowledge of early modern mineral science.' John A. Norris
Warren Dym’s book is a pleasure to read. The story he unfolds is engagingly told and full of rare and often hitherto unused sources, which give a good idea of the daily practice of dowsing and the role and craft skills of dowers in the mining community of Saxony between the time of Agricola and the early years of the Freiberg Mining Academy.
…the formal aspect of the book is highly recommendable.
Martina Kölbl-Ebert, Metascience, published online 5 July 2011
Divining Science thus offers considerable treasures for those interested in the relations between magic, science, witchcraft, folklore, and popular culture anywhere in early modern Europe, as well as for those interested in the impacts of increasing state control during this era. The extremely handy one-page ‘‘Glossary of Mining and Metallurgical Terms’’ is in itself a godsend for Germanists. ... highly recommended to all scholars with even a passing interest in any of the topics outlined above.
Alix Cooper, Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 64, No. 3 (Fall 2011), pp. 934-936
Table of contents
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
Glossary of Mining and Metallurgical Terms
Introduction
1. White Gold on Spitzberg Hill
2. Magic, Witchcraft, and the Nature of the Rod
3. Mining Science: Vernacular Knowledge
4. True Stories of Freiberg Dowsers
5. The Murderous Matter: Dowsing and New Science
6. The Electric Rod: Dowsing and the Freiberg Mining Academy
Conclusion
Selected Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements
Glossary of Mining and Metallurgical Terms
Introduction
1. White Gold on Spitzberg Hill
2. Magic, Witchcraft, and the Nature of the Rod
3. Mining Science: Vernacular Knowledge
4. True Stories of Freiberg Dowsers
5. The Murderous Matter: Dowsing and New Science
6. The Electric Rod: Dowsing and the Freiberg Mining Academy
Conclusion
Selected Bibliography
Index
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