pickabook books with huge discounts for everyone
pickabook books with huge discounts for everyone
Visit our new collection website www.collectionsforschool.co.uk
     
Email: Subscribe to news & offers:
Need assistance? Log In/Register


Item Details
Title: SERENDIPITIES
LANGUAGE AND LUNACY
By: Umberto Eco, William Weaver (Trans)
Format: Hardback

List price: £27.95


We currently do not stock this item, please contact the publisher directly for further information.

ISBN 10: 0231111347
ISBN 13: 9780231111348
Publisher: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
Pub. date: 6 October, 1998
Series: Italian Academy Lectures
Pages: 128
Translated from: Italian
Description: In a careful unraveling of the fabulous and the false, Eco shows us how serendipities----unanticipated truths----often spring from mistaken ideas. Eco uncovers layers of mistakes that have shaped human history, such as Columbus's assumption that the world was much smaller than it is, leading him to seek out a quick route to the East via the West and thus fortuitously "discovering" America.
Synopsis: Best-selling author Umberto Eco's latest work unlocks the riddles of history in an exploration of the "linguistics of the lunatic," stories told by scholars, scientists, poets, fanatics, and ordinary people in order to make sense of the world. Exploring the "Force of the False," Eco uncovers layers of mistakes that have shaped human history, such as Columbus's assumption that the world was much smaller than it is, leading him to seek out a quick route to the East via the West and thus fortuitously "discovering" America. The fictions that grew up around the cults of the Rosicrucians and Knights Templar were the result of a letter from a mysterious "Prester John"-undoubtedly a hoax-that provided fertile ground for a series of delusions and conspiracy theories based on religious, ethnic, and racial prejudices. While some false tales produce new knowledge (like Columbus's discovery of America) and others create nothing but horror and shame (the Rosicrucian story wound up fueling European anti-Semitism) they are all powerfully persuasive. In a careful unraveling of the fabulous and the false, Eco shows us how serendipities-unanticipated truths-often spring from mistaken ideas.From Leibniz's belief that the I Ching illustrated the principles of calculus to Marco Polo's mistaking a rhinoceros for a unicorn, Eco tours the labyrinth of intellectual history, illuminating the ways in which we project the familiar onto the strange. Eco uncovers a rich history of linguistic endeavor-much of it ill-conceived-that sought to "heal the wound of Babel." Through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Greek, Hebrew, Chinese, and Egyptian were alternately proclaimed as the first language that God gave to Adam, while-in keeping with the colonial climate of the time-the complex language of the Amerindians in Mexico was viewed as crude and diabolical. In closing, Eco considers the erroneous notion of linguistic perfection and shrewdly observes that the dangers we face lie not in the rules we use to interpret other cultures but in our insistence on making these rules absolute. With the startling combination of erudition and wit, bewildering anecdotes and scholarly rigor that are Eco's hallmarks, Serendipities is sure to entertain and enlighten any reader with a passion for the curious history of languages and ideas.
Publication: US
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Returns: Returnable
Some other items by this author:
A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE (HB)
A RECULONS, COMME UNE ECREVISSE (PB)
A SEMIOTIC LANDSCAPE. PANORAMA SEMIOTIQUE (HB)
A THEORY OF SEMIOTICS
A THEORY OF SEMIOTICS
A VIOLENT LIFE (PB)
A VIOLENT LIFE (PB)
AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF INTERIOR DECORATION (HB)
APOCALITTICI E INTEGRATI PACK (PB)
APOCALYPSE POSTPONED
APOCALYPSE POSTPONED
ART AND BEAUTY IN THE MIDDLE AGES (PB)
BAUDOLINO
BAUDOLINO
BAUDOLINO (HB)
BAUDOLINO (PB)
BAUDOLINO (PB)
BAUDOLINO (PB)
BAUDOLINO (PB)
BAUDOLINO (PB)
BEHIND THE DOOR (PB)
BELIEF OR NON-BELIEF? (PB)
BELIEF OR NONBELIEF? (PB)
BOREDOM (PB)
BUSTINA DI MINERVA (PB)
CANDIDA HOFER (HB)
CARNIVAL!
CARNIVAL!
CARNIVAL! (HB)
CHRONICLES OF A LIQUID SOCIETY
CHRONICLES OF A LIQUID SOCIETY (HB)
CHRONICLES OF A LIQUID SOCIETY (PB)
CHRONICLES OF A LIQUID SOCIETY (PB)
COMMENT ECRIRE SA THESE
COMMENT ECRIRE SA THESE
COMMENT VOYAGER AVEX SALMON (PB)
CONFESSIONS OF A YOUNG NOVELIST
CONFESSIONS OF A YOUNG NOVELIST (HB)
CONTRA EL FASCISMO / ETERNAL FASCISM
COSTRUIRE IL NEMICO E ALTRI SCRITTI OSCCASIONALI
CULINARY EPHEMERA
DE L'ARBRE AU LABYRINTHE (PB)
DE LA ESTUPIDEZ A LA LOCURA: CRONICAS PARA EL FUTURO QUE NOS ESPERA / FROM STUPI DITY TO INSANITY
DE LA LITTERATURE (PB)
DE SUPERMAN AU SURHOMME (PB)
DER FRIEDHOF IN PRAG (PB)
DER NAME DER ROSE (PB)
DER NAME DER ROSE (PB)
DIARIO MINIMO
DIARIO MINIMO (PB)
DIFFICULT LOVES (PB)
DIRE PRESQUE LA MEME CHOSE (PB)
DIRE QUASI LA STESSA COSA. ESPERIENZE DI TRADUZIONE
DIRE QUASI LA STESSA COSA. ESPERIENZE DI TRADUZIONE (PB)
EL CEMENTERIO DE PRAGA (PB)
EL CEMENTERIO DE PRAGA (PB)
ENTRE MENTIRA E IRONIA
EXPERIENCES IN TRANSLATION (PB)
FAITH IN FAKES
FAITH IN FAKES (PB)
FIVE MORAL ESSAYS (HB)
FIVE MORAL PIECES
FIVE MORAL PIECES (PB)
FOCAULT'S PENDULUM (PB)
FOUCAULT''S PENDULUM (PB)
FOUCAULT''S PENDULUM (PB)
FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM
FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM (HB)
FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM (HB)
FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM (PB)
FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM (PB)
FROM THE TREE TO THE LABYRINTH
FROM THE TREE TO THE LABYRINTH (HB)
HISTOIRE DES LIEUX DE LEGENDE
HISTORY (PB)
HISTORY (PB)
HOW TO SPOT A FASCIST
HOW TO TRAVEL WITH A SALMON
HOW TO TRAVEL WITH A SALMON (PB)
HOW TO WRITE A THESIS (PB)
IF NOT NOW, WHEN? (PB)
IF ON A WINTER'S NIGHT A TRAVELLER (HB)
IL CIMITERO DI PRAGA
IL NOME DELLA ROSA (HB)
IL NOME DELLA ROSA (PB)
IL PENDOLO DI FOUCAULT (PB)
IL SECONDO DIARIO MINIMO (PB)
IL SEGNO DEI TRE (PB)
IL SUPERUOMO DI MASSA (PB)
IMJA ROZY (HB)
IMJA ROZY (PB)
IN COSA CREDE CHI NON CREDE
INCONTRO-ENCOUNTER-RENCONTRE (PB)
INTERPRETACION Y SOBREINTERPRETACION (PB)
INTERPRETACION Y SOBREINTERPRETACION (PB)
INTERPRETATION AND OVERINTERPRETATION
INTERPRETATION AND OVERINTERPRETATION (HB)
INTERPRETATION AND OVERINTERPRETATION (PB)
INTERPRETAZIONE E SOVRAINTERPRETAZIONE (PB)
INVENTING THE ENEMY
INVENTING THE ENEMY (PB)
INVISIBLE CITIES
INVISIBLE CITIES (PB)
ISLAND OF THE DAY BEFORE
ISLAND OF THE DAY BEFORE (PB)
KANT AND THE PLATYPUS
KANT AND THE PLATYPUS (PB)
KANT AND THE PLATYPUS (PB)
KANT E L'ORNITORINCO (PB)
KRIZIA (HB)
L' ILE DU JOUR D'AVANT (HB)
L''ISOLA DEL GIORNO PRIMA
L'ISOLA DEL GIORNO PRIMA (PB)
LA EXTRUCTURA AUSENTE (PB)
LA GUERRE DU FAUX (PB)
LA MISTERIOSA FIAMMA DELLA REGINA LOANA (HB)
LA MISTERIOSA FIAMMA DELLA REGINA LOANA (PB)
LA MISTERIOSA FIAMMA DELLA REGINA LOANA (PB)
LA MISTERIOSA LLAMA DE LA REINA LOANA (PB)
LA MYSTERIEUSE FLAMME DE LA REINE LOANA (PB)
LA PRODUCTION DES SIGNES (PB)
LA STRUTTURA ASSENTE (PB)
LE CIMETIERE DE PRAGUE (PB)
LE NOM DE LA ROSE (PB)
LECTOR IN FABULA (PB)
LES LIMITES DE L'INTERPRETATION (PB)
LIMITS OF INTERPRETATION (HB)
LOOKING FOR A LOGIC OF CULTURE (HB)
MATRIX ANALYSIS FRAMED STRUCTURES (PB)
MATRIX ANALYSIS OF FRAMED STRUCTURES (HB)
MATRIX ANALYSIS OF FRAMED STRUCTURES (HB)
MATRIX ANALYSIS OF FRAMED STRUCTURES (HB)
MEANING AND MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS
MEANING AND MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS (HB)
MEDIA STORIES IN THE FALKLANDS-MALVINAS CONFLICT (PB)
MISREADINGS (PB)
MOUSE OR RAT?
MOUSE OR RAT? (PB)
MYSTERIOUS FLAME OF QUEEN LOANA (PB)
N'ESPEREZ PAS VOUS DEBARRASSER DES LIVRES (PB)
NAME OF THE ROSE (HB)
NAME OF THE ROSE (PB)
NAMING THE ROSE
NAMING THE ROSE (PB)
NON SPERATE DI LIBERARVI DEI LIBRI (PB)
NUMERO ZERO
NUMERO ZERO
NUMERO ZERO
NUMERO ZERO
NUMERO ZERO (CD)
NUMERO ZERO (CD)
NUMERO ZERO (HB)
NUMERO ZERO (HB)
NUMERO ZERO (PB)
NUMERO ZERO (PB)
NUMERO ZERO (PB)
NUOVO ESPRESSO
NUOVO ESPRESSO
NUOVO ESPRESSO (PB)
NUOVO ESPRESSO (PB)
NUOVO ESPRESSO (PB)
ON BEAUTY (HB)
ON BEAUTY (PB)
ON LITERATURE
ON LITERATURE (HB)
ON LITERATURE (PB)
ON THE MEDIAEVAL THEORY OF SIGNS (HB)
ON THE MEDIEVAL THEORY OF SIGNS
ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS (HB)
ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS (PB)
ON UGLINESS
ON UGLINESS (HB)
ON UGLINESS (PB)
OPERA APERTA
PASTICHES ET POSTICHES (PB)
PINOCCHIO (PB)
PUCCINI (HB)
READING ECO
READING ECO (HB)
RECONNAITRE LE FASCISME
SEMIOTICS AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
SEMIOTICS AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE (HB)
SERENDIPITIES
SERENDIPITIES (PB)
SERENDIPITIES (PB)
SETTE ANNI DI DESIDERIO (PB)
SIGN OF THREE (HB)
SIX WALKS IN THE FICTIONAL WOODS (PB)
STORIA DELLA BELLEZZA
STORIA DELLA BELLEZZA (HB)
STORIA DELLA BRUTTEZZA (PB)
STORIA DELLE TERRE E DEI LUOGHI LEGGENDARI (HB)
SULLA LETTERATURA (PB)
SUR LES EPAULES DES GEANTS (HB)
TALKING OF JOYCE (PB)
TALKING OF JOYCE (PB)
THAT AWFUL MESS ON THE VIA MERULANA (PB)
THE AESTHETICS OF THOMAS AQUINAS (PB)
THE BOOK OF LEGENDARY LANDS (HB)
THE BOOK OF LEGENDARY LANDS (HB)

TOP SELLERS IN THIS CATEGORY
The Language Instinct (Paperback)
By: Steven Pinker
Penguin Books Ltd
Our Price : £9.48
more details
The Rule of Metaphor (Paperback)
By: Paul Ricoeur, R. Czerny (Trans), etc. (Trans)
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Our Price : £16.14
more details
Making the Social World (Paperback)
By: John Searle
Oxford University Press
Our Price : £8.02
more details
How Language Works (Paperback)
By: David Crystal
Penguin Books Ltd
Our Price : £9.48
more details
Killing in War (Paperback)
By: Jeff McMahan
Oxford University Press
Our Price : £17.49
more details
BROWSE FOR BOOKS IN RELATED CATEGORIES
 LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND BIOGRAPHY
 language & linguistics
 philosophy of language


Information provided by www.pickabook.co.uk
SHOPPING BASKET
  
Your basket is empty
  Total Items: 0
 

NEW
Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
By: SARA KHAN
A celebratory, inclusive and educational exploration of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr for both children that celebrate and children who want to understand and appreciate their peers who do.
add to basket

Learning
That''s My Story!: Drama for Confidence, Communication and C...
By: ADAM POWER-ANNAND
The ability to communicate is an essential life skill for all children, underpinning their confidence, personal and social wellbeing, and sense of self.
add to basket