The House of Wisdom
How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance
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Narrated by:
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Simon Vance
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By:
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Jim Al-Khalili
About this listen
The Arabic legacy of science and philosophy has long been hidden from the West. British-Iraqi physicist Jim Al-Khalili unveils that legacy to fascinating effect by returning to its roots in the hubs of Arab innovation that would advance science and jump-start the European Renaissance.
Many of the innovations that we think of as hallmarks of Western science were actually the result of Arab ingenuity: Astronomers laid the foundations for the heliocentric model of the solar system long before Copernicus; physicians accurately described blood circulation and the inner workings of the eye ages before Europeans solved those mysteries; physicists made discoveries that laid the foundation for Newton's theories of optics. But the most significant legacy of Middle Eastern science was its evidence-based approach - the lack of which kept Europeans in the dark throughout the Dark Ages.
With transporting detail, Al-Khalili places the listener in the intellectual and cultural hothouses of the Arab Enlightenment and tackles two tantalizing questions: Why did the Arab world enter its own Dark Age after such a dazzling enlightenment? And how much did Arabic learning contribute to making the Western world as we know it? Given his singular combination of expertise in both the Western and Middle Eastern scientific traditions, Al-Khalili is uniquely qualified to solve those riddles.
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- Unabridged
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On August 10, 1632, five men in flowing black robes convened in a somber Roman palazzo to pass judgment on a deceptively simple proposition: that a continuous line is composed of distinct and infinitely tiny parts. With the stroke of a pen the Jesuit fathers banned the doctrine of infinitesimals, announcing that it could never be taught or even mentioned. The concept was deemed dangerous and subversive, a threat to the belief that the world was an orderly place, governed by a strict and unchanging set of rules.
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An intriguing and underappreciated bit of history
- By Marino on 09-22-14
By: Amir Alexander
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Is God a Mathematician?
- By: Mario Livio
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Nobel Laureate Eugene Wigner once wondered about "the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics" in the formulation of the laws of nature. Is God a Mathematician? investigates why mathematics is as powerful as it is. From ancient times to the present, scientists and philosophers have marveled at how such a seemingly abstract discipline could so perfectly explain the natural world. More than that - mathematics has often made predictions, for example, about subatomic particles or cosmic phenomena that were unknown at the time, but later were proven to be true.
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Origins of Mathematics
- By Rick B on 07-08-21
By: Mario Livio
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The Upright Thinkers
- The Human Journey From Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos
- By: Leonard Mlodinow
- Narrated by: Leonard Mlodinow
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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In this fascinating and illuminating work, Leonard Mlodinow guides us through the critical eras and events in the development of science, all of which, he demonstrates, were propelled forward by humankind's collective struggle to know. From the birth of reasoning and culture to the formation of the studies of physics, chemistry, biology, and modern-day quantum physics, we come to see that much of our progress can be attributed to simple questions - why? how? - bravely asked.
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10/10 Got What I Wanted.
- By Austin on 09-22-15
By: Leonard Mlodinow
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How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization
- By: Thomas E. Woods Jr.
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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Western civilization has given us modern science, the wealth of free-market economics, the security of law, a sense of human rights and freedom, charity as a virtue, splendid art and music, philosophy grounded in reason, and innumerable other gifts we take for granted.
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Fascinating and informative
- By Michael Kellogg on 09-29-05
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The Golden Ratio
- The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number
- By: Mario Livio
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Throughout history, thinkers from mathematicians to theologians have pondered the mysterious relationship between numbers and the nature of reality. In this fascinating book, Mario Livio tells the tale of a number at the heart of that mystery: phi, or 1.6180339887.... This curious mathematical relationship, widely known as "The Golden Ratio", was discovered by Euclid more than 2,000 years ago. Since then it has shown a propensity to appear in the most astonishing variety of places.
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Tedious Listen
- By Amanda Halsdorff on 10-25-14
By: Mario Livio
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The Rise and Fall of Alexandria
- Birthplace of the Modern Mind
- By: Justin Pollard, Howard Reid
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
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Founded by Alexander the Great and built by self-styled Greek pharaohs, the city of Alexandria at its height dwarfed both Athens and Rome. It was the marvel of its age, legendary for its vast palaces, safe harbors, and magnificent lighthouse. But it was most famous for the astonishing intellectual efflorescence it fostered and the library it produced. If the European Renaissance was the "rebirth" of Western culture, then Alexandria, Egypt, was its birthplace.
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A good listen
- By Jeffrey on 10-02-08
By: Justin Pollard, and others
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Scientific Revolution
- A Captivating Guide to the Emergence of Modern Science During the Early Modern Period and the Life of Galileo Galilei
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Kevin Hung-Liang
- Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
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If you want to discover the captivating history of the Scientific Revolution, then pay attention...Two captivating manuscripts in one audiobook: The Scientific Revolution: A Captivating Guide to the Emergence of Modern Science During the Early Modern Period, Including Stories of Thinkers Such as Isaac Newton and René Descartes and Galileo Galilei: A Captivating Guide to an Italian Astronomer, Physicist, and Engineer and His Impact on the History of Science. So if you want to learn more about the Scientific Revolution and Galileo Galilei listen to this audiobook now!
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great info, worst narratorever.
- By Pat Newell on 08-10-21
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Descartes' Bones
- A Skeletal History of the Conflict between Faith and Reason
- By: Russell Shorto
- Narrated by: Paul Hecht
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
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On a brutal winter's day in 1650 in Stockholm, Frenchman Rene Descartes, the most influential and controversial thinker of his time, was buried after a cold and lonely deathfar from home. Sixteen years later, the pious French Ambassador Hugues de Terlon secretly unearthed Descartes' bones and transported them to France. Why would this devoutly Catholic official care so much about the remains of a philosopher who washounded from country after country on charges of atheism?
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Philosophy of Modernity
- By Roger on 06-17-09
By: Russell Shorto
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The Story of Western Science
- From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory
- By: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Far too often, public discussion of science is carried out by journalists, voters, and politicians who have received their science secondhand. The Story of Western Science shows us the joy and importance of reading groundbreaking science writing for ourselves and guides us back to the masterpieces that have changed the way we think about our world, our cosmos, and ourselves.
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Good text, tedious book structure
- By Diane K. on 10-07-15
By: Susan Wise Bauer
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Significant Figures
- The Lives and Work of Great Mathematicians
- By: Ian Stewart
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
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In Significant Figures, acclaimed mathematician Ian Stewart introduces the visionaries of mathematics throughout history. Delving into the lives of twenty-five great mathematicians, Stewart examines the roles they played in creating, inventing, and discovering the mathematics we use today. Through these short biographies, we get acquainted with the history of mathematics.
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Beware
- By Anton Kurtz on 12-08-18
By: Ian Stewart
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Euclid's Window
- The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace
- By: Leonard Mlodinow
- Narrated by: Robert Blumenfeld
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Through Euclid's Window Leonard Mlodinow brilliantly and delightfully leads us on a journey through five revolutions in geometry, from the Greek concept of parallel lines to the latest notions of hyperspace. Here is an altogether new, refreshing, alternative history of math revealing how simple questions anyone might ask about space -- in the living room or in some other galaxy -- have been the hidden engine of the highest achievements in science and technology.
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Wow!
- By Eric on 08-13-10
By: Leonard Mlodinow
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What listeners say about The House of Wisdom
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Sayyid
- 10-26-20
I absolutely loved this book.
The authors did a stellar job from a scientific stand point. There are some concepts and events that I have a predisposed view on but I appreciate the intellectual scientific account.
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- brandon Wolfe-Hunnicutt
- 10-06-21
Great teaching resource
This is a great resource for teaching Islamic Civilization at the first year undergraduate level. Students appreciate having an audio version of the book.
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- Khalid
- 10-23-21
A mostly needed cold shower
A very neat compilation, that must be taught in schools and political chambers.. I don’t believe science progress should be linked to a specific religious, racial or political entity, nor let the peculiarity of any of them force or justify its stagnation.
Well done Jim !
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2 people found this helpful
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- bachir taouli
- 08-24-22
Extraordinary tale of scientific achievement in medieval islam
And continuity of knowledge throughout history - this books also highlights how scientific progress are mot only dependent on geniuses but also on enabling political means and vision - a must read in the islam world but also in the west !
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- Kindle Customer
- 03-19-21
on the shoulders of giants
This is the fascinating tale of the Islamic philosophers and scientist that paved the way for many of the westerners of the Renaissance and Enlightenment. We owe a great deal of gratitude and appreciation to our Muslim forefathers. Whitout them we would no have our current scientific, philosophical, and theological knowledge.
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- Judith St. Leger
- 08-22-22
Fascinating
A perspective on science that is illuminating and fascinating! The narrator has a lilting British accent that makes the material flow nicely.
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- Lori
- 11-26-21
So many amazing facts!
I look for books that cover topics I wasn’t exposed to in school or university. This book brought forth knowledge about people and times I wasn’t aware of. I wish my math and science teachers could have known the stories of these people and shared them with me. The clarity and excellent story telling makes this book one I wish every student in the English speaking world could read and embrace. My perspective will be forever enhanced by the information shared here. I absolutely love this book.
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- Anonymous User
- 09-29-22
Insightful
This book illustrates how many of the ideas and thoughts in science have been around much longer than one would have believed. Found it very insightful on many subjects in the science and philosophical worlds. Highly recommend.
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- Roderic Rinehart
- 11-07-20
Very interesting book, well-narrated for sure
It was an eye-opening book into the pursuit and rescue of science that is often overlooked in American history class. Simon Vance is one of the best nonfiction narrators out there. I’ve listened to many books read by him, and he is also one of the few narrators I would go out of my way to listen to. I would definitely recommend this book.
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7 people found this helpful
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- tetrahymena
- 03-17-22
Science owes a debt to the Arabic world.
When I started in science, I learned about William of Ockham, and Roger Bacon, but not about the Arabian and Persian philosophers whose ideas did not just inspire them but who actually predated them with concepts such as parsimony and the scientific method. Jim Al-Khalili opens a window on the history and philosophy of science that begins its journey in Medieval Iran and Arabia and makes its way through Europe and helps spark its renaissance through its cross-fertilization. It tackles a huge body of knowledge in a short book that provides a non-Western perspective that is refreshing.
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