Description
Book SynopsisWhat sort of information did people in early modern England seek? In
The Practical Renaissance Donna Seger explores the diffusion and reception of prescriptive publications over the 16th and 17th centuries. Published in an age of dynamic religious and political change, these texts demonstrate the universal desire for health and wealth, a fortified body and an orderly household.Showing how classical and continental information had been Englished over time, this book shows how new publications supplanted these traditional ideas with more empirical and authoritative knowledge. Published in an age of dynamic religious and political change, these texts, which include plague tracts, husbandry handbooks, printed recipe books, and navigation manuals, demonstrate the universal desire for health and wealth, a fortified body and an orderly household. Divided into three parts, the opening chapters explore factors which affected the diffusion of practical knowledge via prescriptive texts. Pa
Trade ReviewThis well written and well-argued work provides enough analysis to provide further avenues of research for the historian interested in the history of knowledge and information. ... Seger’s thematic selection coupled with her clear presentation of evidence is sure to keep the attention and sate the interests of even the most ambitious and enthusiastic students. * The Middle Ground Journal *
[This book] is interesting, well-written, well-conceived, covers a vast amount of material and numerous relevant subjects and fills a gap in the knowledge of many Renaissance scholars. * Andrew Hadfield, Professor of English, University of Sussex, UK *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Jewels Abound Part I (1500-1557): Diffusion Chapter 1: Regimens and Rules: The Rudiments of Health and Husbandry Chapter 2: Mathematics and Mensuration Part II (1558-1603): Discovery Chapter 3: Elizabethan Exploration and Experimentation: What’s New a. Alchemy Assimilated b. New Lands, New Crops, New Cures, New Trees, New Foods c. Husbandry and Huswifery Chapter 4: The Navigators Part III: (1604-1640): Debate Chapter 5. The Plague and Public Health in Early Stuart London Chapter 6: The Knowledge-Mongers a. Gervase Markham and the Way to Get Wealth b. Ready Reckoning and Reference Bibliography Index
