Brave Genius: A Scientist, a Philosopher, and Their Daring Adventures from the French Resistance to the Nobel Prize

· Sold by Crown
4.5
6 reviews
Ebook
576
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

The never-before-told account of the intersection of some of the most insightful minds of the 20th century, and a fascinating look at how war, resistance, and friendship can catalyze genius.
 
In the spring of 1940, the aspiring but unknown writer Albert Camus and budding scientist Jacques Monod were quietly pursuing ordinary, separate lives in Paris. After the German invasion and occupation of France, each joined the Resistance to help liberate the country from the Nazis and ascended to prominent, dangerous roles. After the war and through twists of circumstance, they became friends, and through their passionate determination and rare talent they emerged as leading voices of modern literature and biology, each receiving the Nobel Prize in their respective fields.
 
Drawing upon a wealth of previously unpublished and unknown material gathered over several years of research, Brave Genius tells the story of how each man endured the most terrible episode of the twentieth century and then blossomed into extraordinarily creative and engaged individuals. It is a story of the transformation of ordinary lives into exceptional lives by extraordinary events--of courage in the face of overwhelming adversity, the flowering of creative genius, deep friendship, and of profound concern for and insight into the human condition.

Ratings and reviews

4.5
6 reviews
Stephen Cysewski
April 8, 2019
A fascinating book. I read and was changed by reading Camus as a college kid. Now as an old man this book provided perspective on my life.
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Nicholas Demet
May 17, 2014
Compellingly written. Two new personal heroes.
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About the author

Sean B. Carroll is the author of Remarkable Creatures, a finalist for the National Book Award, The Making of the Fittest, winner of the Phi Beta Kappa Science Book Award, and of Endless Forms Most Beautiful, among others. Carroll also wrote a monthly feature “Remarkable Creatures” for the New York Times Science Times. An internationally-known scientist and leading educator, Dr. Carroll currently heads the Department of Science Education of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and is Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Wisconsin.

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