How to Mellify a Corpse: And Other Human Stories of Ancient Science & Superstition

Draws on a range of disciplines in an introduction to ancient-world science, mechanical engineering, and superstitions, from Aristotle's political views to Archimedes's "Eureka" moment and the Egyptian practice of embalming.

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LibraryThing member whitreidtan

The ancients lived in a world made up of an intriguing mix of superstition and science. They gave us the true and firm basis for many scientific theories today and yet they also believed some wildly incorrect things as well. Oftentimes superstition and science were married in the same person, even

one who we remember today as the father (or less commonly, mother) of some branch of science or math we still study. Vicki Leon's How to Mellify a Corpse is a readable and interesting look at this combination.

With chapters organized by geographic area, Leon focuses on the various schools of thought that sprang up in the Greco-Roman world and predominated thought for centuries. Her writing is accessibly and can verge on the breezy. This is definitely not a textbook, nor is it meant to be an in-depth look at the people and beliefs of the time, instead functioning as a general overview. Occasionally the colloquialisms used in the text bring the reader up short and throw them out of the information stream but they also serve to offer a bit of levity in the reading. Since the chapters are arranged by area, there are some needless repetitions about historical figures and their schools but this is only evident on a straight through reading. If the book were to be used more as a dip and delve, this would cease being a problem.

Also, and this is no reflection on Leon at all, just as in school, I found it nigh impossible to keep the people straight. Can I chalk this up to not being scientifically or mathematically inclined myself? As such, I found the information on the superstitions to be most interesting. I'm certain I'd already run across all the scientists and mathematicians who contributed to our current understanding today while in school. But the failed or wrong thinking is usually kept out of books, depriving us of some of the fascinating quirks that make past civilizations so intriguing and human. Leon has re-animated these interesting tidbits here for the lay person. Armchair scientists will enjoy the heck out of this book of equal parts history, science, and just plain crazy ideas.

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LibraryThing member SwitchKnitter

This book looks at science, technology, and superstition in the Greco-Roman world. The book's title is from a bit on Alexander the Great's body being preserved in honey. The format is short, one or two page anecdotes and mini-histories. Everything from war machines to makeup is covered, and the

writing style is very breezy. It kind of annoyed me in a few places, but for the most part it was enjoyable. I didn't know even half the stuff in the book, and I really appreciate books that teach me something. (Even if my bad memory makes me forget it a week later... Sigh.)

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LibraryThing member Kellswitch

When I first decided to read this book I was under the impression it was another look at discoveries and ideas that we thought were so modern but had really already been discovered in ancient times. That is not what this turned out to be, it included many things the ancients thought and discovered

that were just flat out wrong as well as what they got right. Most of them I have come across before but its always interesting to hear about them again but from a different perspective and this was true here.

There wasn’t a lot of detail in the stories but that was more than all right, in relatively short sections the author both made clear what each invention, philosophy or discover was and managed to humanize the story and inject a great deal of humor without sounding forced or condescending…no matter how silly the idea the ancients had.

I learned some new things, gained a different perspective on others and made connections between ideas, culture and history that I hadn’t previously made and had fun in the process so for me this was a very successful book.

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