Paul Strathern Libri

The wondrous and illuminating story of humankind's quest to discover the fundamentals of chemistry, culminating in Mendeleyev's dream of the Periodic Table. **One of Bill Gates' Top Five Book Recommendations** In 1869 Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleyev was puzzling over a way to bring order to the fledgling science of chemistry. Wearied by the effort, he fell asleep at his desk. What he dreamed would fundamentally change the way we see the world. Framing this history is the life story of the nineteenth-century Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleyev, who fell asleep at his desk and awoke after conceiving the periodic table in a dream-the template upon which modern chemistry is founded and the formulation of which marked chemistry's coming of age as a science. From ancient philosophy through medieval alchemy to the splitting of the atom, this is the true story of the birth of chemistry and the role of one man's dream. In this elegant, erudite, and entertaining book, Paul Strathern unravels the quixotic history of chemistry through the quest for the elements.

Focusing on the individual's existence, Kierkegaard's work transcends traditional philosophy by emphasizing personal choice and subjective experience. He challenges conventional systems of thought, positioning existentialism as a new philosophical branch rooted in the complexities of life. Paul Strathern's concise account explores Kierkegaard's life and ideas, detailing their impact on humanity's quest for understanding. The book also features selections from Kierkegaard's writings, suggested readings for deeper exploration, and chronologies situating him within his era and the wider philosophical landscape.

Marseilles, 1891: as Arthur Rimbaud lies dying in hospital, his mind wanders fitfully - taking him back to Commune-era Paris, and the scandalous life he led with Verlaine. But, above all, he is transported to Harar, Abyssinia, where he ventured in 1880 to seek his fortune, having chucking in the disreputable game of writing poetry... Paul Strathern's second novel, published in 1972, won a Somerset Maugham Award both for its superb evocation of the colour, squalor and hurlyburly of Harar and for its inspired 'impersonation' of Rimbaud - restless, ragged self-overcomer, would-be explorer-imperialist, and genius poet repulsed by his past literary life. In a new preface to this edition Strathern discusses the mercurial personality of Rimbaud, his novel's bold shifts between first and third person, and his own travels in East Africa that informed the book.

With a focus on the lives and ideas of renowned writers, this series offers brief yet insightful biographical studies. Paul Strathern's engaging prose makes complex literary concepts accessible, providing readers with a refined understanding of each author's contributions. Each book serves as both an entertaining read and an authoritative appraisal, highlighting the significance of these literary figures in an accessible manner.

Witty and incisive, this collection features brief biographical studies of renowned writers, showcasing their lives and ideas. Paul Strathern presents these figures in an entertaining and accessible manner, making their contributions to literature engaging and relatable for readers.

Napoleon's attack on Egypt in 1798 was the first on a Middle Eastern country by a Western power in modern times.

"Between the birth of Dante in 1265 and the death of Galileo in 1642 something happened which transformed the entire culture of western civilisation. Painting' sculpture and architecture would all visibly change in such a striking fashion that there could be no going back on what had taken place. Likewise' the thought and self-conception of humanity would take on a completely new aspect. Sciences would be born' or emerge in an entirely new guise. The ideas which broke this mould largely began' and continued to flourish' in the city of Florence in the province of Tuscany in northern central Italy. These ideas' which placed an increasing emphasis on the development of our common humanity - rather than other-worldly spirituality - coalesced in what came to be known as humanism. This philosophy and its new ideas would eventually spread across Italy' yet wherever they took hold they would retain an element essential to their origin. And as they spread further across Europe this element would remain. Transformations of human culture throughout western history have remained indelibly stamped by their origins. The Reformation would always retain something of central and northern Germany. The Industrial Revolution soon outgrew its British origins' yet also retained something of its original template. Closer to the present' the IT revolution which began in Silicon Valley remains indelibly coloured by its Californian origins. Paul Strathern shows how Florence' and the Florentines' played a similar role in the Renaissance."

The book presents concise biographical studies of renowned writers, showcasing their lives and ideas through engaging and accessible prose. Paul Strathern combines wit with insightful analysis, offering readers a refined understanding of each writer's contributions. These studies serve as authoritative introductions, making complex literary concepts approachable. Praised for their dramatic flair and ability to evoke a sense of time and place, these works are ideal for those seeking to explore Western civilization's literary heritage.

The sensational story of the rise and fall of one of the most notorious families in history, by the author of The Medici.