Overview

In Decoding the Heavens, Jo Marchant tells for the first time the full story of the hundred-year quest to decipher the ancient Greek computer known as the Antikythera Mechanism. Along the way she unearths a diverse cast of remarkable characters and explores the deep roots of modern technology in ancient Greece and the medieval European and Islamic worlds. At its heart, this is an epic adventure and mystery, a book that challenges our assumptions about technology through the ages.

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Reviews

Nature, 10/16/08<br> [A] gripping and varied account...Fascinating final chapter. <br> <p><br> Publishers Weekly, 1/26/09<br> Marchant goes behind the scenes...[and] gives clear explanations of the questions and topics involved, including Greek astronomy and clockwork mechanisms...This globe-trotting, era-spanning mystery should absorb armchair scientists of all kinds. <br> <p><br> Booklist, 2/15/09<br> Science readers will be entranced by Marchant's vibrant depiction of the characters in this remarkable story of ancient technology. <br> <p><br> Huffington Post, 2/14/09<br> A fascinating new book...Clear prose...An intriguing journey into science, archaeology, and history...An intelligent account of what is apparently the world's first analog computer. The book and the story are well worth your time.

PopMatters.com, 4/16/10 ""Spirit and fascination fully informs [Marchant's] book"" Tucson Citizen, 4/30/10 ""[A] highly readable book...An adventure that blends ample portions of fate, historic intrigue, and modern scientific innovation.""

Author Information

Jo Marchant is a science journalist who has worked as a staff reporter and editor for Nature and New Scientist, where she is currently a consultant. She lives in London.

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