Used. Seller Inventory # GoodWizard0674002911
Synopsis:
This engaging and wide-ranging biography casts new light on the life and careers of Percival Lowell. Scion of a wealthy Boston family, elder brother of Harvard President Lawrence and poet Amy, Percival Lowell is best remembered as the astronomer who claimed that intelligent beings had built a network of canals on Mars. But the Lowell who emerges in David Strauss's finely textured portrait was a polymath: not just a self-taught astronomer, but a shrewd investor, skilled photographer, inspired public speaker, and adventure-travel writer whose popular books contributed to an awakening American interest in Japan.
Strauss shows that Lowell consistently followed the same intellectual agenda. One of the principal American disciples of Herbert Spencer, Lowell, in his investigations of Japanese culture, set out to confirm Spencer's notion that Westerners were the highest expression of the evolutionary process. In his brilliant defense of the canals on Mars, Lowell drew on Spencer's claim that planets would develop life-supporting atmospheres over time.
Strauss's charming, somewhat bittersweet tale is the story of a rebellious Boston Brahmin whose outsider mentality, deep commitment to personal freedom, and competence in two cultures all contributed to the very special character of his careers, first as a cultural analyst and then more memorably as an astronomer.
About the Author: David Strauss is Professor of History, Kalamazoo College.
Title: Percival Lowell: The Culture and Science of ...
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Publication Date: 2001
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: very good
Book Description Hardback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR013452549
Book Description Hardback. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. Pp. xi, 333. Seller Inventory # G008840
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.5. Seller Inventory # G0674002911I5N00
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0674002911
Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 1.49. Seller Inventory # Q-0674002911
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0674002911
Book Description Condition: Good. Book is in Used-Good condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain limited notes and highlighting. 1.55. Seller Inventory # 0674002911-2-4
Book Description Condition: Very Good. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. 1.55. Seller Inventory # 0674002911-2-3
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0674002911
Book Description Condition: new. Questo è un articolo print on demand. Seller Inventory # b03419437691e23031c44ba620e48c13