Scientific American is published monthly and available in every city, ancient or modern, throughout the world. Orders may be placed by calling toll free 1-800-333-1199 (in the U.S. and Canada only) or by writing to Scientific American, P.O. Box 3187, Des Moines, IA 51593-0378.
Scientific American, the oldest continuously-published magazine in America, was founded in 1845 by Rufus Porter as a weekly journal subtitled ╥The Advocate of Industry and Enterprise, and Journal of Mechanical and Other Improvements.╙ Porter, a man of abundant energy and varied interests, was a true nineteenth-century ╥Renaissance man╙╤an inventor, painter, musician, and teacher.
Ten months after founding the magazine, Rufus Porter turned to other pursuits and sold Scientific American to Orson Desaix Munn, a twenty-two-year-old entrepreneur, and nineteen-year-old Alfred Ely Beach, who brought experience as a journalist on The New York Sun, the newspaper owned by his father.
Munn & Company retained ownership of Scientific American for a full century, chronicling the major discoveries and inventions of the Industrial Revolution. The offices on lower Broadway in New York City became a gathering place for the leading innovators of the day: Thomas Edison brought the prototype of the phonograph in for inspection, and Samuel Morse, father of the telegraph, Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, and Captain John Ericsson, designer of the warship Monitor, were frequent visitors.
Pioneers headed West brought treasured collections of Scientific American with them on their covered wagons. Wilbur and Orville Wright took the latest issue of Scientific American to their field camp at Kitty Hawk.
Soviet Premier Vladimir Illych Lenin was an admirer of the magazine, as industrialist Armard Hammer recalled:
Lenin picked up a copy of Scientific American. ╥Look here,╙ he said, ╥this is what your people have done. This is what progress means: buildings, inventions, machines, development of mechanical aids to human hands. Russia today is like your country was during the pioneer stage. We need the knowledge and spirit that has made America what she is today.╙
╤From ╥Hammer╙ by Armand Hammer
Gerard Piel and Dennis Flanagan, journalists at Life magazine, along with management consultant Donald Miller, purchased Scientific American from Munn & Company in 1948 and founded Scientific American, Inc. In their quest to increase the immediacy, timeliness and authority of the magazine, they insisted that articles be written by the people who actually did the work described╤a unique distinction that still applies.
The rejuvenated Scientific American won widespread praise.
From poet Robert Frost:
╥There are only two really great literary magazines in the United States. First is The New Yorker. The more brilliant of the two is Scientific American. It╒s come up with a great editorship. I╒d rather read the advertisements in Scientific American than most of the literature written elsewhere.╙
Then-Senator John F. Kennedy wrote:
╥I read through the issue with much interest and with pride that my alma mater was so well represented. However, frankness compels me to admit that I found the articles by the non-Harvard authors╤especially the review of Sir Charles Snow and the piece on Descartes╤considerably easier reading.╙
And in 1960, Harper╒s Magazine called Scientific American ╥...perhaps the most spectacular success in postwar publishing...its readers are all members of a group which is climbing fast in influence, prestige and income.╙
In 1986, Scientific American, Inc. became part of Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, a German-based publishing group.
Scientific American, Inc. is affiliated with W. H. Freeman & Company and Hanley & Belfus, Inc., book publishers, and with Scientific American Medicine, a diversified publisher of medical and surgical books and subscription texts. Scientific American Library is a book club offering titles on major science topics.
Following are the addresses and telephone numbers (toll free when available) of other Scientific American endeavors and affiliates.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
415 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
SUBSCRIPTIONS
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
P.O. Box 3187
Des Moines, IA 51593-0378
Basic prices: 12 issues for $36, $47 outside the U.S. Other prices available.
800-333-1199
BACK ISSUES
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
415 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Most numbers available. $6 each, $7 outside the U.S.
FAX: 212-355-0408
REPRINTS
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
415 Madison Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10017
Selected articles available. $4 each. Also reprints in large quantities.
FAX: 212-355-0408
THE EDITORS
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
415 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
For editorial correspondence and manuscript submission.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Science & Medicine
415 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Magazine for physicians and health sciences community.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
Science & Medicine
P.O. Box 3182
Harlan, IA 51593-0373
Bi-monthly. 6 issues for $59, $65 outside the U.S. 12 issues for $89, $101 outside the U.S.
800-888-0028
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Medicine
415 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
800-545-0554
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Medicine
Physicians╒ loose-leaf reference updated monthly. 3,000-page three volume ring-binder set.
SAM-CD, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Medicine on CD-ROM
Complete contents of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Medicine. Updated quarterly. Also includes the DISCOTEST cases. Macintosh, Windows, DOS.
DISCOTEST (CME on computer disk)
Self-assessment examination for Continuing Medical Education. Meets criteria for 32 credit hours in Cagegory 1. 3.5╙ disks for Macintosh, Windows and DOS (also available in 5.25╙).
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Medicine Pocket Edition
Selected chapters from SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Medicine, focusing on emergency and acute care. For medical students, residents and clinicians.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Surgery (formerly Care of the Surgical Patient)
Surgeons╒ loose-leaf reference updated quarterly. 2,000-page two volume ring-binder set.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Products
P.O. Box 11314
Des Moines, IA 50340-1314
SciDex, the cumulative index of Scientific American feature articles on computer disk; umbrellas; special issues; SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Frontiers videotapes, etc. To order or to receive a free catalog.
800-777-0444
W. H. FREEMAN AND COMPANY
41 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Publisher of science-related textbooks. New children╒s book division, including series One Small Square.
800-877-5351
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Library
P.O. Box 646
Holmes, PA 19043
Book series covering major scientific topics.
800-345-8112
HANLEY & BELFUS
210 South 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Medical Publisher.
800-962-1892
CREDITS
Chairman & CEO John J. Hanley
President & Publisher John J. Moeling, Jr.
Editor Jonathan Piel
Production Richard Sasso
Systems Madelyn Keyes
Circulation Lorraine Terlecki
Electronic Publishing Martin Paul
General Management Marie M. Beaumonte
There are many individuals at Scientific American and Sumeria that contributed to the development of this product. We thank them all and hope you will find Exploring Ancient Cities an informative and exciting product. In addition to the above, our special thanks to the staff at Scientific American: Tanya DeSilva, Carol Hansen, Eric Marquard, Kathi Robold, Jim Rogers, Laura Salant, Joan Starwood, Matthew Weiner, Nan Zabala; and the entire staff and producers of Sumeria, Inc.