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Distributed for Reaktion Books

Myriad, Microscopic and Marvellous

The World of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek

Translated by Andy Brown
The fascinating life and legacy of a pioneering seventeenth-century microbiologist.
 
The pioneering Dutch microbiologist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek uncovered hidden worlds of minuscule life. With his ingenious, self-made microscopes, he observed inconceivably tiny creatures and structures everywhere—in well water, sperm, pimples, and many other unlikely things besides. In the seventeenth century, his discoveries opened the door to realms previously unseen, making him a renowned researcher. Myriad, Microscopic and Marvellous explores van Leeuwenhoek’s brilliant and sometimes peculiar ideas, setting them in the context of his time. Geertje Dekkers reveals how van Leeuwenhoek’s curiosity and inventions propelled the study of nature in surprising new directions, leaving a legacy that is still admired three centuries later.

216 pages | 59 halftones | 5.43 x 8.5 | © 2025


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Reviews

“This book is by far the best biography of van Leeuwenhoek to date. It is thoroughly documented, very well written (at times very funny), and [strikes] the right balance between academic discourse and the commonsense approach so cherished by van Leeuwenhoek. . . . A must-read for anyone interested in van Leeuwenhoek and, more generally, the cultural world of the Dutch seventeenth century.”

Eric Jorink, senior researcher at the Huygens Institute and coeditor of “Newton and the Netherlands”

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