From the jacket:
A masterly introduction to the life and thought of the man who transformed our
conception of math forever.
Kurt Gödel is considered the
greatest logician since Aristotle. His monumental theorem of incompleteness
demonstrated that in every formal system of arithmetic there are true statements
that nevertheless cannot be proved. The result was an upheaval that spread far
beyond mathematics, challenging conceptions of the nature of the mind.
Rebecca Goldstein, a MacArthur-winning novelist and philosopher, explains the philosophical vision
that inspired Gödel’s mathematics, and reveals the ironic twist that led to
radical misinterpretations of his theorems by the trendier intellectual
fashions of the day, from positivism to postmodernism. Ironically, both he and
his close friend Einstein felt themselves intellectual exiles, even as their
work was cited as among the most important in twentieth-century thought.
For Gödel, the sense of isolation would have tragic consequences.
This lucid and accessible study
makes Gödel’s theorem and its mindbending implications comprehensible to the
general reader, while bringing this eccentric, tortured genius and his world to
life.
About the series: Great
Discoveries brings together renowned writers from diverse backgrounds to tell
the stories of crucial scientific breakthroughs—the great discoveries that have
gone on to transform our view of the world.
“Enthralling.”
—Jim Holt, The New Yorker
“Elegant.”
—Edward Rothstein, The New York Times
“Masterful.... an eminently lucid explanation of Gödel’s theorem and its implications...”
—Laura Miller, Salon.com
“What a wonderful book! Finally, a biographer worthy of Gödel!... Finally someone who understands Gödel!”
—Gregory Chaitin, Journal of Scientific Exploration
“[A] fine book.... a moving picture of a passionate life. “
—David Guaspari, The Weekly Standard.
“A formidable job.”
—Anthony Doerr, The Boston Globe
“Unfolds its surprisingly accessible story with dignity, tenderness and awe.”
—Polly Shulman, The New York Times Book Review
“The author has skillfully humanized [difficult material] by showing us Godel,
Wittgenstein, and Einstein in their work, their friendships, and their
disagreements. Perhaps only a novelist could have done this. Rebecca Goldstein
has, in any case, done it superbly well.”
—John Derbyshire, The New York Sun
“An artfully written and thoroughly engaging account.”
—Brian Greene, Professor of Physics, Columbia University, and author of The Elegant Universe
“[Goldstein] does a magnificent job... Her philosophical background makes her a sure guide to the
underlying ideas, and she brings a novelistic depth of character and atmosphere
to her account of the positivist intellectual milieu surrounding Gödel... The
result is a stimulating exploration of both the power
and the limitations of the human intellect.”
—Publishers Weekly
