本书是美国的房龙所著。在书介绍的是科学常识，用文学家的表现手法，拿来用以讲述科学而已，值得一读。
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目录
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER I THE TYRANNY OF IGNORANCE
CHAPTER II THE GREEKS
CHAPTER III THE BEGINNING OF RESTRAINT
CHAPTER IV THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS
CHAPTER V IMPRISONMENT
CHAPTER VI THE PURE OF LIFE
CHAPTER VII THE INQUISITION
CHAPTER VIII THE CURIOUS ONES
CHAPTER IX THE WAR UPON THE PRINTED WORD
CHAPTER X CONCERNING THE WRITING OF HISTORY IN GENERAL AND THIS BOOK IN PARTICULAR
CHAPTER XI RENAISSANCE
CHAPTER XII THE REFORMATION
CHAPTER XIII ERASMUS
CHAPTER XIV RABELAIS
CHAPTER XV NEW SIGNBOARDS FOR OLD
CHAPTER XVI THE ANABAPTISTS
CHAPTER XVII THE SOZZINI FAMILY
CHAPTER XVIII MONTAIGNE
CHAPTER XIX ARMINIUS
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试读章节
The latter had its ramifications all over Europe and burned Joan of Arc in the northern part of the continents as it burned Giordano Bruno in the southern.