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。

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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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.