The Alchemy Reader: From Hermes Trismegistus to Isaac Newton Paperback – Illustrated, 28 Aug. 2003

The key point that should be addressed is the subtitle of this book. "From Hermes Trismegistus to Isaac Newton" indicates that this Reader is exclusively concerned with the sources and texts of Western alchemy. The editor presents a usefull selection of ancient texts that include the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, writings by Plato. Aristotle and Zosimos, to mention only a few. Islamic and Medieval texts are also presented, and include the more well known authors such as Geber and Nicolas Flamel. There are also texts from the Renaissance and Sixteenth Century Europe, starting with Paracelsus, and ending with Isaac Newton.The selection of texts represents a pleasant array of alchemical dictum. I do, however, feel that with a significant portion of these texts only being presented as extracts, a great wealth of symbolism and context is lost to the reader. While it is understandable that a book such as this should only function as a general overview, and that the entire discourse of Plato's "Timaeus" and all the writings of Geber, Paracelsus, etc. cannot possibly be contained within its scope, I do have a problem with some of the editing selections. These issues are highlighted in the editing of Flamel's work, where a significant portion of his explanation of his hieroglyphs is ommitted. Particularly, discussions surrounding the symbolism of the dragons, of putrefaction and the alchemical conjunction, which I would have imagined to be of strong symbolic importance. This is only one example of what bothers me personally.However, the reader should remember that a book such as this has to address a vast audience, and that I am looking for very specific symbolic imagery, while the author is attempting an ideological overview of the divergent ideas that have fluxed throughout alchemy's turbulent history. It is not a case of right or wrong, simply perspective. The author, I do believe, has succeeded in bringing together an adequately representative selection of writings which, considering the difficulty of the source material, actually makes this a rather remarkable feat.