It was 1733 when the poet and philosopher Voltaire met Emilie du
Chatelet, a beguiling--and married--aristocrat who would one day
popularize Newton's arcane ideas and pave the way for Einstein's
theories. In an era when women were rarely permitted any serious
schooling, this twenty-seven-year-old's nimble conversation and
unusual brilliance led Voltaire, then in his late thirties, to
wonder, "Why did you only reach me so late?" They fell immediately
and passionately in love.
Through the prism of their tumultuous fifteen-year relationship we
see the crumbling of an ancient social order and the birth of the
Enlightenment. Together the two lovers rebuilt a dilapidated and
isolated rural chateau at Cirey where they conducted scientific
experiments, entertained many of the leading thinkers of the
burgeoning scientific revolution, and developed radical ideas about
the monarchy, the nature of free will, the subordination of women,
and the separation of church and state.
But their time together was filled with far more than reading and
intellectual conversation. There were frantic gallopings across
France, sword fights in front of besieged German fortresses, and a
deadly burning of Voltaire's books by the public executioner at the
base of the grand stairwell of the Palais de Justice in Paris. The
pair survived court intrigues at Versailles, narrow escapes from
agents of the king, a covert mission to the idyllic lakeside
retreat of Frederick the Great of Prussia, forays to the royal
gambling tables (where Emilie put her mathematical acumen to
lucrative use), and intense affairs that bent but did not break
their bond.
Along with its riveting portrait of Voltaire as a vulnerable
romantic, Passionate Minds at last does justice to the supremely
unconventional life and remarkable achievements of Emilie du
Chatelet--including her work on the science of fire and the nature
of light. Long overlooked, her story tells us much about women's
lives at the time of the Enlightenment. Equally important, it
demonstrates how this graceful, quick-witted, and attractive woman
worked out the concepts that would lead directly to the "squared"
part of Einstein's revolutionary equation: E=mc2.
Based on a rich array of personal letters, as well as writings from
houseguests, neighbors, scientists, and even police reports,
Passionate Minds is both panoramic and intimate in feeling. It is
an unforgettable love story and a vivid rendering of the birth of
modern ideas.
"From the Hardcover edition."
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(4)
