| The Waterless Sea: A Curious History of Mirages Contributor(s): Pinney, Christopher (Author) |
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ISBN: 1780239327 ISBN-13: 9781780239323 Publisher: Reaktion Books OUR PRICE: $26.10 Product Type: Hardcover Published: July 2018 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Nature | Ecosystems & Habitats - General - Science | Earth Sciences - Meteorology & Climatology |
| Dewey: 551.565 |
| Physical Information: 0.9" H x 6.1" W x 8.3" (1.05 lbs) 184 pages |
| Themes: - Topical - Ecology |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Mirages have long astonished travelers of the sea and beguiled thirsty desert voyagers. Traditional Chinese and Japanese poetry and art depict the above-horizon, superior mirage, or fata morgana, as exhalations of clam-monsters. Indian sources relate mirages to the "thirst of gazelles," a metaphor for the futility of desire. Starting in the late eighteenth century, mirages became a symbol in the West of Oriental despotism--a negative, but also enchanted, emblem. But the mirage motif is rarely simply condemnatory. More often, our obsession with mirages conveys a sense of escape, of fascination, of a desire to be deceived. The Waterless Sea is the first book devoted to the theories and history of mirages. Christopher Pinney navigates a sinuous pathway through a mysterious and evanescent terrain, showing how mirages have impacted politics, culture, science, and religion--and how we can continue to learn from their sublimity. |
Contributor Bio(s): Pinney, Christopher: - Christopher Pinney is professor of anthropology and visual culture at University College London. He has held positions at the Australian National University, the University of Chicago, the University of Cape Town, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Northwestern University. |