A Sense of the Mysterious - by Alan Lightman (Paperback)

About the Book

From the gifted scientist-author of the acclaimed novels "Einstein's Dreams" and "The Diagnosis" comes his first collection of essays in more than 15 years; 11 original, insightful, and beautifully written pieces that explore the creative nature of the scientific endeavor.

Book Synopsis

From the bestselling author of Einstein's Dreams comes this lyrical and insightful collection of science writing that delves into the mysteries of the scientific process--physics, astronomy, mathamatics--and exposes its beauty and intrigue.

In these brilliant essays, Lightman explores the emotional life of science, the power of imagination, the creative moment, and the alternate ways in which scientists and humanists think about the world. Along the way, he provides in-depth portraits of some of the great geniuses of our time, including Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, Edward Teller, and astronomer Vera Rubin. Thoughtful, beautifully written, and wonderfully original, A Sense of the Mysterious confirms Alan Lightman's unique position at the crossroads of science and art.

Review Quotes

"Splendidly illuminating... Imprinted with Lightman's scientific wonderment and poetic grace."
--San Francisco Chronicle

"Original. . . . Heartfelt. . . . Illuminating. . . . Lightman writes with his characteristic, unmannered leanness. His style takes something from the scientists who 'want to hear that call of certain truth, that clear note of a struck bell.'" --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"A fine introduction to the excitement and pleasures of science by a scientist who is a humanist in the noblest sense of the word."--Los Angeles Times

"This slender volume mixes insightful scientific biographies with revealing autobiographical accounts and leavens them both with clearly told physics lessons for lay readers." --The Boston Globe

"Wonderfully perceptive. . . . Finely chiseled essays." --Scientific American

About the Author

ALAN LIGHTMAN is the author of seven novels, including the international best seller Einstein's Dreams and The Diagnosis, a finalist for the National Book Award. He has taught at Harvard and at MIT, where he was the first person to receive a dual faculty appointment in science and the humanities. He is the host of the public television series Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science. He is a professor of the practice of the humanities at MIT.