Decoding the Heavens

A 2,000-Year-Old Computer -- and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets

Contributors

By Jo Marchant

Formats and Prices

Price

$11.99

Price

$15.99 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. ebook $11.99 $15.99 CAD
  2. Trade Paperback $21.99 $28.99 CAD

This item is a preorder. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around February 10, 2009. This date is subject to change due to shipping delays beyond our control.

In Decoding the Heavens, Jo Marchant tells for the first time the full story of the hundred-year quest to decipher the ancient Greek computer known as the Antikythera Mechanism. Along the way she unearths a diverse cast of remarkable characters and explores the deep roots of modern technology in ancient Greece and the medieval European and Islamic worlds. At its heart, this is an epic adventure and mystery, a book that challenges our assumptions about technology through the ages.

Genre:

  • PopMatters.com, 4/16/10
    “Spirit and fascination fully informs [Marchant’s] book”

    Tucson Citizen, 4/30/10
    “[A] highly readable book…An adventure that blends ample portions of fate, historic intrigue, and modern scientific innovation.”

On Sale
Feb 10, 2009
Page Count
304 pages
Publisher
Da Capo Press
ISBN-13
9780786744107

Jo Marchant

About the Author

Jo Marchant is an award-winning journalist who specializes in writing about cutting-edge science. She has worked as a staff reporter and editor for Nature and New Scientist, where she is currently a consultant. She lives in London.

Learn more about this author