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HOW TO MELLIFY A CORPSE By: Vicki Leon
And Other Human Stories of Ancient Science & Superstition
Walker & Company
July 2010
On Sale: July 6, 2010
336 pages ISBN: 0802717020 EAN: 9780802717023 Paperback
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Non-Fiction
In How to Mellify a Corpse, Vicki LeΓ³n brings her particular hybrid of history and humor to the entwined subjects of science and superstition in the ancient world, from Athens and Rome to Mesopotamia, the Holy Land, Egypt, and Carthage. LeΓ³n covers subjects as diverse as astronomy and astrology, philosophy and practicalities of life and death (including the titular ancient method of embalming), and ancient mechanical engineering. How to Mellify a Corpse of course invokes legendary thinkers (Pythagoras and his discoveries in math and music, Aristotle's books on politics and philosophy, and Archimedes' "Eureka" moment), but it also delves deeply into the lives of everyday people, their understanding and beliefs. A feast for the curious mind, How to Mellify a Corpse is not only for those with an interest in the experimental: it's for anyone who's inspired by the imagination and ingenuity humanity uses to understand our world.
 Media BuzzWeekend Edition Sunday - August 8, 2010
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