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From Lived Experience to the Written Word

Reconstructing Practical Knowledge in the Early Modern World
By Pamela H. Smith
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
From Lived Experience to the Written Word by Pamela H. Smith explores how the practical knowledge and craft skills of the early modern period shaped the development of science and technology. The book examines the translation of hands-on experience into documented knowledge, shedding light on the relationship between practitioners and scholars in history. Smith delves into the intertwined worlds of artisans and academics, offering insights into the historical evolution of scientific understanding.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$7599
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're fascinated by how historical knowledge has been shaped by hands-on experience and artisanal skills. Discover how the transformation from practical experience to comprehensive documentation influenced the development of science and technology in history. It blends intriguing insights into intellectual history with the role of craftsmen and their contributions to written knowledge.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
How and why early modern European artisans began to record their knowledge. In From Lived Experience to the Written Word, Pamela H. Smith considers how and why, beginning in 1400 CE, European craftspeople began to write down their making practices. Rather than simply passing along knowledge in the workshop, these literate artisans chose to publish handbooks, guides, treatises, tip sheets, graphs, and recipe books, sparking early technical writing and laying the groundwork for how we think about scientific knowledge today. Focusing on metalworking from 1400–1800 CE, Smith looks at the nature of craft knowledge and skill, studying present-day and historical practices, objects, recipes, and artisanal manuals. From these sources, she considers how we can reconstruct centuries of largely lost knowledge. In doing so, she aims not only to unearth the techniques, material processes, and embodied experience of the past but also to gain insight into the lifeworld of artisans and their understandings of matter.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

From Lived Experience to the Written Word by Pamela H. Smith is praised for its original exploration of skilled practices and their documentation as influential elements in the evolution of knowledge during early modern Europe. The book is highlighted as a groundbreaking work offering a novel perspective on the intersection of material culture, science, and the interaction of minds and materials. It's seen as a crucial addition for scholars interested in the historical context of craft and scientific practices.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780226818245

Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 September 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: University of Chicago Press

Illustration: 75 color plates, 41 halftones

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 222.0mm

Height: 241.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 352

Collections

Education & Reference History & Archaeology History & Military Non-Fiction Pamela H. Smith

About the Author

Pamela H. Smith is the Seth Low Professor of History at Columbia University and founding director of the Center for Science and Society and of its cluster project, the Making and Knowing Project. She is the author of The Business of Alchemy and The Body of the Artisan, the latter also published by the University of Chicago Press. She is the co-editor of Ways of Making and Knowing and The Matter of Art and editor of Entangled Itineraries.

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