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Nature 454, 409-411 (24 July 2008) | doi:10.1038/454409a; Published online 23 July 2008

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China: The man who unveiled China

Simon Winchester1

  1. Simon Winchester is a writer living in Massachusetts. His book The Man Who Loved China was published in May.
    Email: simonwinchester@mac.com

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An English biochemist single-handedly changed the West's perception of China, revealing its past scientific glories and predicting more to come. Simon Winchester investigates the ongoing legacy of Joseph Needham.

Seldom does the pork-and-rice reliability of a Chinese takeaway spring a revelation. One frigid December evening last year in Washington DC, as I was counting out money for a Shanghainese delivery man, I mentioned that I was writing a book about Joseph Needham, known in China as Li Yue-se.