Skip to content

Serendipities: Language and Lunacy
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Serendipities: Language and Lunacy Hardcover - 1998

by Umberto Eco; William Weaver (Translator)

Unlocking the riddles of history, Eco explores the "linguistics of the lunatic", stories told by scholars, scientists, poets, fanatics, and ordinary people in order to make sense of the world. The bewildering anecdotes and scholarly rigor entertain readers with a passion for the curious history of languages.


From the publisher

Best-selling author Umberto Eco's latest work unlocks the riddles of history in an exploration of the "linguistics of the lunatic," stories told by scholars, scientists, poets, fanatics, and ordinary people in order to make sense of the world. Exploring the "Force of the False," Eco uncovers layers of mistakes that have shaped human history, such as Columbus's assumption that the world was much smaller than it is, leading him to seek out a quick route to the East via the West and thus fortuitously "discovering" America. The fictions that grew up around the cults of the Rosicrucians and Knights Templar were the result of a letter from a mysterious "Prester John"--undoubtedly a hoax--that provided fertile ground for a series of delusions and conspiracy theories based on religious, ethnic, and racial prejudices. While some false tales produce new knowledge (like Columbus's discovery of America) and others create nothing but horror and shame (the Rosicrucian story wound up fueling European anti-Semitism) they are all powerfully persuasive. In a careful unraveling of the fabulous and the false, Eco shows us how serendipities--unanticipated truths--often spring from mistaken ideas. From Leibniz's belief that the I Ching illustrated the principles of calculus to Marco Polo's mistaking a rhinoceros for a unicorn, Eco tours the labyrinth of intellectual history, illuminating the ways in which we project the familiar onto the strange. Eco uncovers a rich history of linguistic endeavor--much of it ill-conceived--that sought to "heal the wound of Babel." Through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Greek, Hebrew, Chinese, and Egyptian were alternately proclaimed as the first language that God gave to Adam, while--in keeping with the colonial climate of the time--the complex language of the Amerindians in Mexico was viewed as crude and diabolical. In closing, Eco considers the erroneous notion of linguistic perfection and shrewdly observes that the dangers we face lie not in the rules we use to interpret other cultures but in our insistence on making these rules absolute. With the startling combination of erudition and wit, bewildering anecdotes and scholarly rigor that are Eco's hallmarks, Serendipities is sure to entertain and enlighten any reader with a passion for the curious history of languages and ideas.

Details

  • Title Serendipities: Language and Lunacy
  • Author Umberto Eco; William Weaver (Translator)
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 128
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Columbia University Press, New York
  • Date 1998
  • ISBN 9780231111348 / 0231111347
  • Weight 0.72 lbs (0.33 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.48 x 5.72 x 0.57 in (24.08 x 14.53 x 1.45 cm)
  • Reading level 1460
  • Library of Congress subjects Intercultural communication, Language and languages - Philosophy
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 98-7935
  • Dewey Decimal Code 401

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 10/15/1998, Page 377
  • Kirkus Reviews, 09/01/1998, Page 1253
  • Library Journal, 10/15/1998, Page 70
  • Publishers Weekly, 09/28/1998, Page 83

About the author

Umberto Eco is the author of five best-selling novels and numerous collections of essays. He is a professor of semiotics at the University of Bologna and lives in Italy.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

Serendipities
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Serendipities

by Umberto Eco

  • Used
  • good
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780231111348
ISBN 10
0231111347
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$2.08
A$6.60 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Good. [ No Hassle 30 Day Returns ][ Ships Daily ] [ Underlining/Highlighting: NONE ] [ Writing: None ]
Item Price
A$2.08
A$6.60 shipping to USA
Serendipities
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Serendipities

by Eco, Umberto

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 13
9780231111348
ISBN 10
0231111347
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$7.12
A$6.20 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Columbia University Press. Used - Very Good. Very Good condition. Very Good dust jacket. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner’s name, short gifter’s inscription or light stamp. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included.
Item Price
A$7.12
A$6.20 shipping to USA
Serendipities
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Serendipities

by Eco, Umberto

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 13
9780231111348
ISBN 10
0231111347
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$9.06
A$6.20 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Columbia University Press. Used - Very Good. Very Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain a few markings such as an owner’s name, short gifter’s inscription or light stamp.
Item Price
A$9.06
A$6.20 shipping to USA
Serendipities : Language and Lunacy

Serendipities : Language and Lunacy

by Umberto Eco

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780231111348
ISBN 10
0231111347
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$10.21
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Columbia University Press, 1998. Hardcover. Very Good. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
A$10.21
FREE shipping to USA
Serendipities
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Serendipities

by Eco, Umberto; Weaver, William

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Very Good in Very Good dust jacket
Edition
First American Edition; First Printing
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780231111348
ISBN 10
0231111347
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$10.88
A$12.43 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Columbia University Press. Very Good in Very Good dust jacket. 1998. First American Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. 0231111347 . 0.7 x 9.1 x 5.6 Inches; 128 pages .
Item Price
A$10.88
A$12.43 shipping to USA
Serendipities
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Serendipities

by Umberto Eco; Translator-William Weaver

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780231111348
ISBN 10
0231111347
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$13.27
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Columbia University Press, 1998-10-15. Hardcover. Good.
Item Price
A$13.27
FREE shipping to USA
Serendipities: Language and Lunacy
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Serendipities: Language and Lunacy

by Eco, Umberto

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Fine copy in fine dust jacket
Edition
Later prt.
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780231111348
ISBN 10
0231111347
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Pittsford, New York, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$19.43
A$6.22 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New York: Columbia University Press. Fine copy in fine dust jacket. 1998. Later prt.. hardcover. 8vo, 130 pp. .
Item Price
A$19.43
A$6.22 shipping to USA
Serendipities
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Serendipities

by Eco, Umberto; William Weaver (trans.)

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780231111348
ISBN 10
0231111347
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$19.43
A$9.31 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. Hardcover. pp. 129. 8vo. Yellow cloth to spine. Light shelfwear; very good+ in very good dustjacket.
Item Price
A$19.43
A$9.31 shipping to USA
Serendipities
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Serendipities

by Eco, Umberto & William Weaver

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Fine in Fine dust jacket
Edition
First Edition; First Printing
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780231111348
ISBN 10
0231111347
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$21.68
A$6.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New York: Columbia University Press. Fine in Fine dust jacket. 1998. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. 0231111347 . International orders may require additional postage. ; 9.10 X 5.60 X 0.70 inches; 128 pages .
Item Price
A$21.68
A$6.99 shipping to USA
SERENDIPITIES:
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

SERENDIPITIES:

by Eco, Umberto

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Fine in dust jacket
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780231111348
ISBN 10
0231111347
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Los Altos Hills, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$23.31
A$4.65 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New York: Columbia University Press, [1998]. Hardcover. Fine in dust jacket. 9.5 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches. Number line has a 1 in it but begins with C What can one say about Umberto Eco? Open this book anywhere and there is plenty of food for thought
Item Price
A$23.31
A$4.65 shipping to USA