Logicomix: An epic search for truth - Softcover

Doxiadis, Apostolos; Papadimitriou, Christos

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1596914521 ISBN 13: 9781596914520

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, 2009

Synopsis

This exceptional graphic novel recounts the spiritual odyssey of philosopher Bertrand Russell. In his agonized search for absolute truth, Russell crosses paths with legendary thinkers like Gottlob Frege, David Hilbert, and Kurt Gödel, and finds a passionate student in the great Ludwig Wittgenstein. But his most ambitious goal-to establish unshakable logical foundations of mathematics-continues to loom before him. Through love and hate, peace and war, Russell persists in the dogged mission that threatens to claim both his career and his personal happiness, finally driving him to the brink of insanity.


This story is at the same time a historical novel and an accessible explication of some of the biggest ideas of mathematics and modern philosophy. With rich characterizations and expressive, atmospheric artwork, the book spins the pursuit of these ideas into a highly satisfying tale.


Probing and ingeniously layered, the book throws light on Russell's inner struggles while setting them in the context of the timeless questions he spent his life trying to answer. At its heart, Logicomix is a story about the conflict between an ideal rationality and the unchanging, flawed fabric of reality.

About this title

About the Authors

Apostolis Doxadis received a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from Columbia University and a Master's Degree in Applied Mathematics from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris. He has run a number of successful computer companies, as well as written and directed for both the screen and the stage. The second of his two feature films, Tetriem, won the prize of the International Center for Artistic Cinema at the 1988 Berlin International Film Festival. Mr. Doxiadis lives in Athens, Greece

Christos Papadimitriou is a professor of Computer Science at Cal-Berkeley. He is the author of several books on computer science, as well as the novel Turing: A Novel about Computation.

Reviews

From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com Reviewed by Dan Kois Though it may serve as a primer on early 20th-century philosophy and mathematics, "Logicomix" is no textbook -- it's a comic book. "The form is perfect for stories of heroes in search of great goals!" exclaims one co-author to the other. In this case, the superhero is the philosopher Bertrand Russell, and the adventure is his quest for a rational foundation to mathematics and logic, from his childhood in 1870s England to the eve of World War II. Along the way, we also catch glimpses of philosophical luminaries like Gödel and Wittgenstein -- and of the madness to which so many of the discipline's great thinkers succumbed, and which Russell himself feared all his life. A clever framing story, set in Athens and starring the authors themselves, clarifies the more complicated ideas for the lay reader, as the writers helpfully explain the philosophical issues to their bewildered artists. Stepping back into the book at the end, the authors find a poetic counterpoint for Russell's journey in Aeschylus' "Oresteia." The story -- and Russell's philosophical evolution -- comes to a head days after the Nazi invasion of Poland. Now in the United States, Russell, who was jailed for his pacifist activism during World War I, lectures to a nervous American audience about the impotence of logic in the face of tyranny. "Logicomix" is an engaging, energetic work that makes big ideas accessible without dumbing them down. bookworld@washpost.com
Copyright 2009, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

Starred Review. An ambitious full-color exploration of the life and ideas of philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell, the book meticulously interconnects Russell's life, the timelessness of his ideas and the process of creating the book. While a comic about the quest for the foundations of mathematics may seem arduous, it is engrossing on many levels; the story moves, despite heavy philosophical and technical information, as the images, dialogue and narration play off each other. Russell's story is framed within a speech he gave on the brink of America's entry into WWII, in which he expounds his life and philosophical journey. Russell's story is also framed by the creators working in Greece, as they discuss and mold his life into a narrative structure. One of the most prominent themes is the conflict and symbiosis between madness and logic. The fear of madness haunts Russell because of childhood trauma, as he neurotically pushes himself toward what he conceives of as its opposite, a system for certainty. Inventive, with both subtle and overt narrative techniques, the comic form organizes the complex ideas into a simpler system, combining to form a smart and engaging journey through the ambiguity of truth. (Sept.)
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Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1596914521
• ISBN 13: 9781596914520
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352