When we cease to understand the world

Benjamin Labatut

Really enjoyed this book, Benjamin Labatut's "When We Cease to Understand the World" is a fusion of storytelling and historical fact. The narrative he crafts that is both intellectually stimulating and as engaging makes the book hard to put down.

The book is basically a view back into the past through the lives of iconic scientists. Labatut peels back the layers of their stories, revealing the quirks, struggles, and moments of genius that shaped their groundbreaking discoveries. It's like listening to various a biographical dramas.

The author makes the abstract concepts seem tangible and by weaving in the historical context, he connects the dots between groundbreaking discoveries and the bigger picture of how they shaped our world. The connecting of the dots between historical discoveries for me was the most interesting part of the book.

A theme I did pick up throughout the book though was that the majority of the sciencists fit that mould of "tourtured soul". Some of the scientists named are:

• Fritz Haber
• Alexander Grothendieck
• Werner Heisenberg
• Erwin Schrödinger

Schrödinger was an absolute wrongun it turns out too, that was shocking to find out.

Labatut's writing is informative yet emotionally resonant, leaving you with a profound appreciation for the mysteries of the universe. As someone who enjoys non-fiction but has been looking to expand my horizons, this one was a great read.