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Genevieve's War
by Patricia Reilly Giff Becca StadtlanderThirteen-year-old American girl Genevieve has spent the summer of 1939 at her grandmother’s farm in Alsace, France. Then she makes an impulsive choice: to stay in France. It proves to be a dangerous decision. World War II erupts. The Nazis conquer Alsace and deport the Jews and others. A frightening German officer commandeers a room in Meme’s farmhouse. And when Gen’s friend Remi commits an act of sabotage, Gen is forced to hide him in the attic—right above the Nazi officer’s head. Genevieve’s War is a gripping story that brings the war in occupied France vividly to life. It is a companion work to Lily’s Crossing, a Newbery Honor Book.
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
by Jack WeatherfordThe name Genghis Khan often conjures the image of a relentless, bloodthirsty barbarian on horseback leading a ruthless band of nomadic warriors in the looting of the civilized world. But the surprising truth is that Genghis Khan was a visionary leader whose conquests joined backward Europe with the flourishing cultures of Asia to trigger a global awakening, an unprecedented explosion of technologies, trade, and ideas. In Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, Jack Weatherford, the only Western scholar ever to be allowed into the Mongols' "Great Taboo"--Genghis Khan's homeland and forbidden burial site--tracks the astonishing story of Genghis Khan and his descendants, and their conquest and transformation of the world. Fighting his way to power on the remote steppes of Mongolia, Genghis Khan developed revolutionary military strategies and weaponry that emphasized rapid attack and siege warfare, which he then brilliantly used to overwhelm opposing armies in Asia, break the back of the Islamic world, and render the armored knights of Europe obsolete. Under Genghis Khan, the Mongol army never numbered more than 100,000 warriors, yet it subjugated more lands and people in twenty-five years than the Romans conquered in four hundred. With an empire that stretched from Siberia to India, from Vietnam to Hungary, and from Korea to the Balkans, the Mongols dramatically redrew the map of the globe, connecting disparate kingdoms into a new world order. But contrary to popular wisdom, Weatherford reveals that the Mongols were not just masters of conquest, but possessed a genius for progressive and benevolent rule. On every level and from any perspective, the scale and scope of Genghis Khan's accomplishments challenge the limits of imagination. Genghis Khan was an innovative leader, the first ruler in many conquered countries to put the power of law above his own power, encourage religious freedom, create public schools, grant diplomatic immunity, abolish torture, and institute free trade. The trade routes he created became lucrative pathways for commerce, but also for ideas, technologies, and expertise that transformed the way people lived. The Mongols introduced the first international paper currency and postal system and developed and spread revolutionary technologies like printing, the cannon, compass, and abacus. They took local foods and products like lemons, carrots, noodles, tea, rugs, playing cards, and pants and turned them into staples of life around the world. The Mongols were the architects of a new way of life at a pivotal time in history. In Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, Jack Weatherford resurrects the true history of Genghis Khan, from the story of his relentless rise through Mongol tribal culture to the waging of his devastatingly successful wars and the explosion of civilization that the Mongol Empire unleashed. This dazzling work of revisionist history doesn't just paint an unprecedented portrait of a great leader and his legacy, but challenges us to reconsider how the modern world was made.From the Hardcover edition.
Genghis Khan and the Mongol War Machine
by Chris PeersThe military might, tactics, and philosophy of Khan is explored in this “fine read” and “useful source for Mongolian . . . and medieval studies in general” (De Re Militari). As a soldier, general, statesman, and empire-builder, Genghis Khan is a near-mythical figure. His remarkable achievements and his ruthless methods have given rise to a monstrous reputation. But who was the man behind the legend? As historian Chris Peers shows in this concise and authoritative study, Genghis Khan possessed exceptional gifts as a leader and manager of men—ranking among the greatest military commanders in history. But he can only be properly understood in terms of the Mongol society and traditions he was born into. Here, the leader’s world is explored—from the military and cultural background of the Mongols, to the nature of steppe societies and their armies, and their relation to other peoples and cultures. The book also looks in detail at the military skills, tactics, and ethos of the Mongol soldiers, and at the advantages and disadvantages they had in combat with the soldiers of other civilizations. For anyone who wants to go beyond the myth of the man who almost conquered the world and learn the real life story behind it, this comprehensive study offers a fascinating perspective on Genghis Khan as a man and a general, and on the armies he led.
Genghis Khan and the Quest for God: How the World's Greatest Conqueror Gave Us Religious Freedom
by Jack WeatherfordA landmark biography by the New York Times bestselling author of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World that reveals how Genghis harnessed the power of religion to rule the largest empire the world has ever known. Throughout history the world's greatest conquerors have made their mark not just on the battlefield, but in the societies they have transformed. Genghis Khan conquered by arms and bravery, but he ruled by commerce and religion. He created the world's greatest trading network and drastically lowered taxes for merchants, but he knew that if his empire was going to last, he would need something stronger and more binding than trade. He needed religion. And so, unlike the Christian, Taoist and Muslim conquerors who came before him, he gave his subjects freedom of religion. Genghis lived in the 13th century, but he struggled with many of the same problems we face today: How should one balance religious freedom with the need to reign in fanatics? Can one compel rival religions - driven by deep seated hatred--to live together in peace? A celebrated anthropologist whose bestselling Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World radically transformed our understanding of the Mongols and their legacy, Jack Weatherford has spent eighteen years exploring areas of Mongolia closed until the fall of the Soviet Union and researching The Secret History of the Mongols, an astonishing document written in code that was only recently discovered. He pored through archives and found groundbreaking evidence of Genghis's influence on the founding fathers and his essential impact on Thomas Jefferson. Genghis Khan and the Quest for God is a masterpiece of erudition and insight, his most personal and resonant work.From the Hardcover edition.
Genghis Khan: 13th Century Mongolian Tyrant (Wicked History Ser.)
by Norman Itzkowitz Enid GoldbergTraces the life and accomplishments of the Mongol conqueror who established the largest empire in history. <P><P>Lexile Measure: 680
Genghis Khan: Epic and Legendary Leaders (The World's Greatest Myths and Legends)
by Flame TreeThe story behind the mythic brutality of Genghis Kahn, one of the most successful leaders in human history.A new title in the series created for the modern reader, introducing the heroes, cultures, myths and religions of the world. The tale of the legendary Mongol General Genghis Khan is as phenomenal as the man himself. Probably the greatest conqueror in history, he ruled vast swathes of land in the early 1200s, vanquishing people across Asia and Europe, so that by the mid-1200s the Mongol Empire covered over 12 million square miles of land.From myth to mystery, the supernatural to horror, fantasy and science fiction FLAME TREE 451 offers tales, myths and epic literature from the beginnings of humankind, through the medieval era to the stories of imagination and dark romance of today.
Genghis Khan: Essential Biographies
by James ChambersGenghis Khan, the thirteenth century emperor, was infamous for his bloodthirsty, ruthless campaigns, but he was also one of the great commanders of history. Though a master of terror – his campaigns in northern China and Iran were accompanied by a level of slaughter that was not seen again until the twentieth century – he was just and generous to his subjects and often magnanimous in victory. His broad, ambitious strategies and elusive tactics were so far ahead of their time that they were acknowledged models for some of the most successful tank commanders of the Second World War. At the beginning of the thirteenth century Genghis Khan united the nomad tribes of Mongolia, turned them into a formidable army and led them to rule over the largest empire ever conquered by a single commander. By the time he died, in 1227, his dominions stretched eastward from the Caspian Sea to the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Genghis Khan: His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy
by Frank MclynnMongol leader Genghis Khan was a mighty warrior, more powerful even than Alexander the Great or Napoleon. He successfully waged war on two fronts simultaneously while also conquering Russia in winter. So how did an illiterate nomad from a nation of just 2 million people conquer and subdue most of the known world--from the Adriatic to the Pacific, the Arctic Ocean to the Persian Gulf? Were the Mongols simply a horde of thugs, guilty of the greatest massacres in history until the twentieth century? Or, were they actually the architects of the first globalization, spurring on the Age of Discovery and the Renaissance? In a fast-paced panorama of warfare from China to Poland, Frank McLynn answers these and other questions, illuminating the genius of Genghis Khan.
Genghis Khan: Life, Death, and Resurrection
by John ManGenghis Khan is one of history's immortals, alive in memory as a scourge, hero, military genius and demi-god. To Muslims, Russians and westerners, he is a murderer of millions, a brutal oppressor. Yet in his homeland of Mongolia he is the revered father of the nation, and the Chinese honor him as the founder of a dynasty. In his so-called Mausoleum in Inner Mongolia, worshippers seek the blessing of his spirit. In a supreme paradox, the world's most ruthless conqueror has become a force for peace and reconciliation.As a teenager, Genghis was a fugitive, hiding from enemies on a remote mountainside. Yet he went on to found the world's greatest land empire and change the course of world history. Brilliant and original as well as ruthless, he ruled an empire twice the size of Rome's until his death in 1227 placed all at risk. To secure his conquests and then extend them, his heirs kept his death a secret, and secrecy has surrounded him ever since. His undiscovered grave, with its imagined treasures, remains the subject of intrigue and speculation.This is more than just a gripping account of Genghis' rise and conquests. John Man uses first-hand experiences in China and Mongolia to reveal the khan's enduring influence. He has traveled the length of the empire. He spotlights the tension between Mongols and Chinese, who both claim Genghis' spirit. He is the first writer to explore the hidden valley where Genghis is believed to have died, and one of the few westerners to climb the mountain where he was likely buried.This stunning narrative paints a vivid picture of the man himself, the places where he lived and fought, and the passions that surround him still. For in legend, ritual and intense controversy, Genghis lives on.
Genghis, Marco, Colón... y otros chicos del montón
by Luis MatíasUna novela de viajes y aventuras con personajes reencarnados que te sorprenderá muy mucho Marco Polo harto de su vida sedentaria y poco fructífera en Venecia decide dar un giro radical a su vida y se convierte por una mera casualidad en compañero de piso del mítico Genghis Khan en la Barcelona actual. <P><P>Europa sigue inmersa en plena crisis económica y sin unas perspectivas laborales muy prometedoras. Es por ello que ambos deciden que es el momento de emprender un largo viaje atravesando gran parte del continente asiático hacia los lugares que les llevaron a la posteridad muchos siglos atrás, uno por conquistador y otro por comerciante/cronista. <P>Su objetivo es ver cómo esos países, sus culturas y religiones han cambiado y evolucionado a lo largo de esos últimos siglos. Un viaje complicado sobre todo debido al diferente, y a veces difícil, carácter de nuestros protagonistas. <P>Por el camino se encontrarán con otros personajes universales y otros que aún no siendo tan conocidos han aportado su grano de arena, bueno o malo, al desarrollo de la historia de esos países. <P>Entre ellos destaca Alejandro Magno persona con la que rivalizarán casi desde el principio del viaje por la búsqueda de un objeto muy peculiar que les puede cambiar su porvenir actual y volver a conseguir dar la fama que obtuvieron tiempo atrás.
Genghis: A Novel (The Khan Dynasty #3)
by Conn IgguldenFrom the author of the bestselling The Dangerous Book for Boys BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Conn Iggulden's Khan: Empire of Silver. From Conn Iggulden, #1 bestselling author of six historical epics and coauthor of the international sensation The Dangerous Book for Boys, comes a magnificent new work of fiction. Here, the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan, stalked by enemies seen and unseen and plagued by a divided family, leads a sprawling force of horsemen beyond the realm of their known world. He will bring a storm to Arab lands and face the armies of the shah in all their strength. From the fierce cold plains of Mongolia to the Korean Peninsula, Genghis's brothers, sons, and commanders have made emperors bow, slaughtering vast armies of fighting men. But as Genghis enters a strange new land of towering mountains and arid desert, he stirs an enemy greater than any he has met before. Under his command, Shah Ala-ud-Din Mohammed has thousands of fierce Arab warriors, teeming cavalry, and terrifying armored elephants. When Genghis strikes, the Arabs prove their mettle. On the verge of defeat, Genghis is forced to leave his own vast encampment, and the women and children in it, in the path of an enraged, savage enemy. While the Mongols--men, women, and children--fight back, as secret assassins are sent into the night, another battle is taking shape. Two of Genghis's sons, Jochi and Chagatai, are steeped in enmity. Warriors choose between them, and a murderer commits an unspeakable crime. Soon the most powerful man in the world, who has brought devastation to this land, must choose a successor. And when he does, it will touch off the most bitter conflict of all. In a novel that ranges from the fertile lands of the Chin to the dust and rock of Afghanistan, Conn Iggulden weaves the epic story of history's most enigmatic conqueror --those who feared him, those who defied him, and those whose bones he left behind.
Genghis: Birth of an Empire (Conqueror #1)
by Conn IgguldenFrom the author of the bestselling The Dangerous Book for Boys BONUS: This edition contains excerpts from Conn Iggulden's Genghis: Lords of the Bow and Khan: Empire of Silver.Genghis Khan was born Temujin, the son of a khan, raised in a clan of hunters migrating across the rugged steppe. Shaped by abandonment and betrayal, Temujin endured, driven by a singular fury: to survive in the face of death, to kill before being killed, and to conquer enemies who could come without warning from beyond the horizon.Through a series of courageous raids, Temujin's legend grew until he was chasing a vision: to unite many tribes into one, to make the earth tremble under the hoofbeats of a thousand warhorses, to subject all nations and empires to his will.
Genghis: Lords of the Bow (Conqueror #2)
by Conn IgguldenFrom the author of the bestselling The Dangerous Book for Boys BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Conn Iggulden's Khan: Empire of Silver.For centuries, primitive tribes have warred with one another. Now, under Genghis Khan--a man who lives for battle and blood--they have united as one nation, overcoming moats, barriers, deceptions, and superior firepower only to face the ultimate test of all: the great, slumbering walled empire of the Chin. Genghis Khan comes from over the horizon, a single Mongol warrior surrounded by his brothers, sons, and fellow tribesmen. With each battle his legend grows and the ranks of his horsemen swell, as does his ambition. In the city of Yenking--modern-day Beijing--the Chin will make their final stand, confident behind their towering walls, setting a trap for the Mongol raiders. But Genghis will strike with breathtaking audacity, never ceasing until the emperor himself is forced to kneel.
Geniale Frauen in der Wissenschaft: Versteckte Beiträge, die die Welt verändert haben
by Lars JaegerObwohl Frauen schon früh das wissenschaftliche Denken mitgeprägt haben, sichtbar geworden sind sie fast nie. Dieses Ungleichgewicht setzt sich bis heute fort, auch wenn es aktuell weit mehr Wissenschaftlerinnen gibt als jemals zuvor. Lars Jaeger spannt einen Bogen von der Antike bis heute und porträtiert in essayartigen Einführungen das Leben und Wirken der wohl bedeutendsten weiblichen Naturwissenschaftlerinnen und Mathematikerinnen. Von Hypatia von Alexandria über Émilie du Châtelet und Emmy Noether bis hin zu Lisa Randall, sie alle haben Großes geleistet, die Wissenschaft entscheidend vorangebracht und konnten dennoch oft nicht aus dem Schatten ihrer männlichen Kollegen treten.Neben den spannenden Porträts der einzelnen Wissenschaftlerinnen sowie einer detaillierten und anschaulichen Darstellung ihrer wissenschaftlichen Leistungen beleuchtet dieses Sachbuch auch das Geschlechterverhältnis in der Wissenschaft, das sich nur quälend langsam zugunsten eines fairen Verhältnisses für die Frauen entwickelt.
Genius & Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World, 1847-1947
by Norman LebrechtA unique chronicle of the years 1847-1947, the century when the Jewish people changed the world—and it changed them.In a hundred-year period, a handful of men and women changed the way we see the world. Many of them are well known—Marx, Freud, Proust, Einstein, Kafka. Others have vanished from collective memory despite their enduring importance in our daily lives. Without Karl Landsteiner, for instance, there would be no blood transfusions or major surgery. Without Paul Ehrlich, no chemotherapy. Without Siegfried Marcus, no motor car. Without Rosalind Franklin, genetic science would look very different. Without Fritz Haber, there would not be enough food to sustain life on earth. What do these visionaries have in common? They all had Jewish origins. They all had a gift for thinking in wholly original, even earth-shattering ways. In 1847 the Jewish people made up less than 0.25% of the world&’s population, and yet they saw what others could not. How? Why? Norman Lebrecht has devoted half of his life to pondering and researching the mindset of the Jewish intellectuals, writers, scientists, and thinkers who turned the tides of history and shaped the world today as we know it. In Genius & Anxiety, Lebrecht begins with the Communist Manifesto in 1847 and ends in 1947, when Israel was founded. This robust, magnificent volume, beautifully designed, is an urgent and necessary celebration of Jewish genius and contribution.
Genius and Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World, 1847–1947
by Norman LebrechtMarx, Freud, Proust, Einstein, Bernhardt and Kafka. Between the middle of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries a few dozen men and women changed the way we see the world. But many have vanished from our collective memory despite their enduring importance in our daily lives. Without Karl Landsteiner, for instance, there would be no blood transfusions or major surgery. Without Paul Ehrlich no chemotherapy. Without Siegfried Marcus no motor car. Without Rosalind Franklin genetic science would look very different. Without Fritz Haber there would not be enough food to sustain life on earth. These visionaries all have something in common – their Jewish origins and a gift for thinking outside the box. In 1847 the Jewish people made up less than 0.25% of the world&’s population, and yet they saw what others could not. How?
Genius and Discovery: Five Historical Miniatures
by Anthea Bell Stefan ZweigOne of two beautifully designed hardback gift editions of Stefan Zweig's breathlessly dramatic historical sketches, out in time for the holidays.Millions of people in a nation are necessary for a single genius to arise, millions of tedious hours must pass before a truly historic shooting star of humanity appears in the sky.Five vivid dramatizations of some of the most pivotal episodes in human history, from the Discovery of the Pacific to the composition of the Marseillaise, bringing the past to life in brilliant technicolor.Included in this collection:"Flight into Immortality": Vasco Núñez de Balboa's quest to be the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. "The Resurrection of George Frederic Handel": Handel falls into depression until a poet sends him an inspirational work."The Genius of a Night": Captain Rouget writes La Marseillaise, the song which is to become the French national anthem."The Discovery of El Dorado": John Sutter founds New Helvetia in western America and attempts to keep it."The First Word to Cross the Ocean": Cyrus W. Field resolves to lay the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable.
Genius and Heroin: Creativity, Obsession and Reckless Abandon Through the Ages
by Michael LargoWhat is the price of brilliance?Why are so many creative geniuses also ruinously self-destructive? From Caravaggio to Jackson Pollack, from Arthur Rimbaud to Jack Kerouac, from Charlie Parker to Janis Joplin, to Kurt Cobain, and on and on, authors and artists throughout history have binged, pill-popped, injected, or poisoned themselves for their art. Fully illustrated and addictively readable, Genius and Heroin is the indispensable reference to the untidy lives of our greatest artists and thinkers, entertainingly chronicling how the notoriously creative lived and died—whether their ultimate downfalls were the result of opiates, alcohol, pot, absinthe, or the slow-motion suicide of obsession.
Genius at Play: The Curious Mind of John Horton Conway
by Siobhan RobertsA multifaceted biography of a brilliant mathematician and iconoclastA mathematician unlike any other, John Horton Conway (1937–2020) possessed a rock star&’s charisma, a polymath&’s promiscuous curiosity, and a sly sense of humor. Conway found fame as a barefoot professor at Cambridge, where he discovered the Conway groups in mathematical symmetry and the aptly named surreal numbers. He also invented the cult classic Game of Life, a cellular automaton that demonstrates how simplicity generates complexity—and provides an analogy for mathematics and the entire universe. Moving to Princeton in 1987, Conway used ropes, dice, pennies, coat hangers, and the occasional Slinky to illustrate his winning imagination and share his nerdish delights. Genius at Play tells the story of this ambassador-at-large for the beauties and joys of mathematics, lays bare Conway&’s personal and professional idiosyncrasies, and offers an intimate look into the mind of one of the twentieth century&’s most endearing and original intellectuals.
Genius in France: An Idea and Its Uses
by Ann JeffersonThis engaging book spans three centuries to provide the first full account of the long and diverse history of genius in France. Exploring a wide range of examples from literature, philosophy, and history, as well as medicine, psychology, and journalism, Ann Jefferson examines the ways in which the idea of genius has been ceaselessly reflected on and redefined through its uses in these different contexts. She traces its varying fortunes through the madness and imposture with which genius is often associated, and through the observations of those who determine its presence in others.Jefferson considers the modern beginnings of genius in eighteenth-century aesthetics and the works of philosophes such as Diderot. She then investigates the nineteenth-century notion of national and collective genius, the self-appointed role of Romantic poets as misunderstood geniuses, the recurrent obsession with failed genius in the realist novels of writers like Balzac and Zola, the contested category of female genius, and the medical literature that viewed genius as a form of pathology. She shows how twentieth-century views of genius narrowed through its association with IQ and child prodigies, and she discusses the different ways major theorists—including Sartre, Barthes, Derrida, and Kristeva—have repudiated and subsequently revived the concept.Rich in narrative detail, Genius in France brings a fresh approach to French intellectual and cultural history, and to the burgeoning field of genius studies.
Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard, the Man Behind the Bomb
by William Lanouette Bela SilardThis biography presents the shy, witty, eccentric physicist Szilard, co-designer of the first nuclear reactor in 1942, who worked first to prevent, then to hasten, and finally to outlaw nuclear weapons. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.
Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted (A Merloyd Lawrence Book)
by Justin MartinFrederick Law Olmsted is arguably the most important historical figure that the average American knows the least about. Best remembered for his landscape architecture, from New York's Central Park to Boston's Emerald Necklace to Stanford University's campus, Olmsted was also an influential journalist, early voice for the environment, and abolitionist credited with helping dissuade England from joining the South in the Civil War. This momentous career was shadowed by a tragic personal life, also fully portrayed here.Most of all, he was a social reformer. He didn't simply create places that were beautiful in the abstract. An awesome and timeless intent stands behind Olmsted's designs, allowing his work to survive to the present day. With our urgent need to revitalize cities and a widespread yearning for green space, his work is more relevant now than it was during his lifetime. Justin Martin restores Olmsted to his rightful place in the pantheon of great Americans.
Genius: Theory, History and Technique (Springer Praxis Books)
by Roberto ManzoccoGenius is a fascinating topic. Everyone has an opinion on it, but not a lot of clarity. Much has been written on the subject - biographies, autobiographies, technical books, popular science books, and practical manuals - but genius in all of its dimensions has yet to be addressed. This book seeks to remedy that. What follows is a work of significant breadth that hopes to facilitate a nuanced popular understanding of the definition of genius, examining all of the main theories and approaches regarding the nature and origin of brilliance, the cognitive path that geniuses follow, and the difference that exists between “geniuses” on one side and “normal people” on the other. Pragmatic indications surrounding this issue are also examined, regarding such questions as: is it possible to become a genius or is genius innate? If it is possible, what is the path – no doubt long and difficult – that one must take? Is there a method for becoming a genius that can be taught and learned? This book will appeal to anyone who has ever contemplated great ideas and works and wondered how they came into being.
Geniuses at War: Bletchley Park, Colossus, and the Dawn of the Digital Age
by David A. PriceThe dramatic, untold story of the brilliant team whose feats of innovation and engineering created the world&’s first digital electronic computer—decrypting the Nazis&’ toughest code, helping bring an end to WWII, and ushering in the information age.Planning the invasion of Normandy, the Allies knew that decoding the communications of the Nazi high command was imperative for its success. But standing in their way was an encryption machine they called Tunny (British English for &“tuna&”), which was vastly more difficult to crack than the infamous Enigma cipher. To surmount this seemingly impossible challenge, Alan Turing, the Enigma codebreaker, brought in a maverick English working-class engineer named Tommy Flowers who devised the ingenious, daring, and controversial plan to build a machine that would calculate at breathtaking speed and break the code in nearly real time. Together with the pioneering mathematician Max Newman, Flowers and his team produced—against the odds, the clock, and a resistant leadership—Colossus, the world&’s first digital electronic computer, the machine that would help bring the war to an end. Drawing upon recently declassified sources, David A. Price&’s Geniuses at War tells, for the first time, the full mesmerizing story of the great minds behind Colossus and chronicles the remarkable feats of engineering genius that marked the dawn of the digital age.
Geniuses, Heroes, and Saints: The Nobel Prize and the Public Image of Science
by Massimiano BucchiA rich account of the world&’s leading science prize told through the lives it has changed, the controversies it has generated, and the impact it has made on the public.In a world where the work of science largely remains inscrutable to the general public, the Nobel Prize confers a degree of intelligibility like no other honor. Our best-known and most prestigious award for individual scientific achievement, the Nobel attaches a brilliant face to a story of profound discovery, making moving headlines. In Geniuses, Heroes, and Saints, Massimiano Bucchi tells an equally compelling story of the Nobel&’s transformation of science into an epic pursuit legible both to the field and to the public, bound up with the currents of historical change.Three main narratives characterize the Nobel. The scientist as genius, portrayed as a creative visionary, an exceptional intellect reflecting a solitary and romantic ideal of great communicative impact. The scientist as national hero acts as a surrogate of competition among nations in a peaceful, rational contest. The scientist as saint shines with moral exceptionality, a figure worthy of celebration and worship, known for virtues such as modesty, humility, and total dedication, body and soul, to the scientific enterprise. Whether the recipient was Albert Einstein or a countryside doctor toiling for years in obscurity, whether the prize was worthily given or awarded to work later disproved, or whether we even remember the honorees today, the Nobel defined the image of science in the twentieth century, Bucchi shows, an image that still lives in all sorts of fascinating ways today.