Science and Civilisation in China (1954–2008) is a series of books initiated and edited by British biochemist and China scholar Joseph Needham (1900–1995). They deal with the history of science and technology in China. To date there have been 27 volumes (and parts). The series was on the Modern Library Board's 100 Best Nonfiction books of the 20th century. Needham's transliteration of Chinese characters uses the Wade-Giles system, except that the aspirate apostrophe (e.g., ch'i) is rendered 'h' (viz. chhi; traditional Chinese: 氣; Mandarin Pinyin: qì).
Science and Civilisation in China (1954–2008) is a series of books initiated and edited by British biochemist and China scholar Joseph Needham (1900–1995). They deal with the history of science and technology in China. To date there have been 27 volumes (and parts). The series was on the Modern Library Board's 100 Best Nonfiction books of the 20th century. In 1954, Needham — along with an international team of collaborators — started a project to study the science and civilisation of ancient China. This project produced a series of volumes published by Cambridge University Press. The project is still continuing under the guidance of the Publications Board of the Needham Research Institute (NRI), chaired by Christopher Cullen. Needham's transliteration of Chinese characters uses the Wade-Giles system, except that the aspirate apostrophe (e.g., ch'i) is rendered 'h' (viz. chhi; traditional Chinese: 氣; Mandarin Pinyin: qì).