Paul Strathern Livres

Partant du principe que Newton a révolutionné notre conception du monde, cet ouvrage tente de démontrer que malgré les progrès du 20e siècle, une grande partie de ses découvertes sont encore d'actualité.

Les philosophes, je connais ! (l'essentiel en 90 minutes) est une série de petits ouvrages présentant la vie et l'oeuvre des grands philosophes. Rédigés dans une langue simple et sur le mode plaisant, ils mêlent idées et détails biographiques et s'adressent au lecteur qui souhaite aborder la philosophie sans complexes, ni préjugés. L'auteur, Paul Strathern réussit le tour de force de rendre accessible à tous l'essentiel des grands concepts philosophiques, tout en faisant vivre les grands esprits qui les ont imaginés . La vie et l'oeuvre de chaque philosophe sont restituées dans leur contexte historique et culturel. Vivacité de style et sens de l'humour donnent vie aux hommes et aux idées qui influencent notre conception du monde depuis l'Antiquité. Les grandes théories philosophiques y sont impitoyablement passées à la moulinette ainsi que les grandes forces et petits travers des simples mortels qui ont eu l'audace de les formuler, parfois au péril de leur vie, souvent au péril de leur santé. L'ensemble est complété par des citations clés de chaque philosophe et un rappel chronologique de l'évolution des idées philosophiques

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.

A history of the modest family which rose to become one of the most powerful in Europe, this book is a remarkably modern story of power, money and ambition. Paul Strathern explores the rise and fall of the Medici family in Florence, as well as the Italian Renaissance which they did so much to sponsor.