The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci

Spence, Jonathan

ISBN 10: 1847243444 / ISBN 13: 9781847243447

Published by Quercus, 2008

About this Item

Gut/Very good: Buch bzw. Schutzumschlag mit wenigen Gebrauchsspuren an Einband, Schutzumschlag oder Seiten. / Describes a book or dust jacket that does show some signs of wear on either the binding, dust jacket or pages.

Seller Inventory # M01847243444-V

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci
• Publisher: Quercus
• Publication Date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1847243444
• ISBN 13: 9781847243447
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: very good

About this title

Synopsis

To capture the complex emotion and religious drama of Matteo Ricci's life, Jonathan Spence relates the missionary's experiences via a series of images, four of which derive from events described in The Bible and others from his 'Treatise on Mnemonic Arts'.

Review

Matteo Ricci (1552-1616), an Italian Jesuit, entered China in 1583 to spread Catholicism in the largely Confucian country. In order to make a persuasive argument for the educated Chinese to abandon their traditional faith for the new one he was carrying, Ricci realized that he would have to prove the general superiority of Western culture. He did so by teaching young Confucian scholars tricks to increase their memory skills--an important advantage in a nation with countless laws and rituals that had to be learned by heart. Ricci attracted numerous students with this method; more important, Ricci came to have a sympathetic understanding for China that he communicated to Rome, and thence to the European nations at large. Spence's portrait of Ricci is a gem of historical writing. --Gregory MacNamee