Rebecca Newberger Goldstein is a writer whose novels and short stories dramatize the concerns of philosophy without sacrificing the demands of imaginative storytelling. Her books tell a compelling story as they describe with wit, compassion, and originality the interaction of mind and heart. In her fiction, characters confront problems of faith—religious faith and faith in an ability to comprehend the mysteries of the physical world—as complementary to moral and emotional states of being. Goldstein’s writings emerge as brilliant arguments for the belief that fiction in our time may be the best vehicle for involving readers in questions of morality and existence.
What would the ancient Greek philosopher make of the twenty-first-century Google headquarters? A dazzling exploration of the role of ancient philosophy in modern life from the acclaimed writer and thinker.
Is philosophy obsolete? Are the ancient questions still relevant in the age of cosmology and neuroscience, not to mention crowd-sourcing and cable news? The acclaimed philosopher and novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein provides a dazzlingly original plunge into the drama of philosophy, revealing its hidden role in today s debates on religion, morality, politics, and science. At the origin of Western philosophy stands Plato, who got about as much wrong as one would expect from a thinker who lived 2,400 years ago. But Plato s role in shaping philosophy was pivotal. On her way to considering the place of philosophy in our ongoing intellectual life, Goldstein tells a new story of its origin, re-envisioning the extraordinary culture that produced the man who produced philosophy.
"A gem…An unforgettable account of one of the great moments in the history of human thought." —Steven PinkerProbing the life and work of Kurt Gödel, Incompleteness indelibly portrays the tortured genius whose vision rocked the stability of mathematical reasoning—and brought him to the edge of madness.
Part of the Jewish Encounter series In 1656, Amsterdam’s Jewish community excommunicated Baruch Spinoza, and, at the age of twenty–three, he became the most famous heretic in Judaism. He was already germinating a secularist challenge to religion that would be as radical as it was original. He went on to produce one of the most ambitious systems in the history of Western philosophy, so ahead of its time that scientists today, from string theorists to neurobiologists, count themselves among Spinoza’s progeny. In Betraying Spinoza, Rebecca Goldstein sets out to rediscover the flesh-and-blood man often hidden beneath the veneer of rigorous rationality, and to crack the mystery of the breach between the philosopher and his Jewish past. Goldstein argues that the trauma of the Inquisition’ s persecution of its forced Jewish converts plays itself out in Spinoza’s philosophy. The excommunicated Spinoza, no less than his excommunicators, was responding to Europe’ s first experiment with racial anti-Semitism. Here is a Spinoza both hauntingly emblematic and deeply human, both heretic and hero—a surprisingly contemporary figure ripe for our own uncertain age.
Rebecca Goldstein's brilliant international bestseller is now available in paperback. 'A rare find among contemporary novelists: she has intellectual muscle as well as a tender emotional reach.' Ian McEwan
Exploring the tension between faith and reason, this novel combines wit and intellectual depth to engage readers in a thought-provoking dialogue. The narrative delves into philosophical themes, challenging conventional beliefs and inviting contemplation on the complexities of human thought and belief systems. Through its compelling characters and ideas, it offers an intoxicating journey that stimulates both the mind and spirit.
A mesmerizing exploration of love and envy unfolds among three physicists as they confront the profound mysteries of light, a concept that even Einstein struggled to unravel. Their entangled relationships reveal the complexities of both scientific inquiry and human emotion, leading to unpredictable consequences. The narrative combines intellectual depth with lyrical beauty, creating a rich tapestry that reflects on the intersections of passion and science. This novel captivates with its blend of imagination and intellect, offering a unique perspective on both physics and personal connection.
Set against a backdrop of Victorian repression, the narrative weaves intricate tales that explore themes of sexuality and identity. Infused with Jewish humor, the story features a blend of Gothic mystery and psychological depth reminiscent of the works of Henry and William James. The novel's structure, with its layers of storytelling, invites readers to delve into the complexities of its characters and their experiences. A new afterword adds further insight into this unique literary work.
A novel of three generations of Jewish women begins with Sasha, the matriarch, who has learned of Mazel, the great confounder of order and predictability, from her experiences in pre-war Warsaw and her current life in New York, as she passes this knowledge onto her daughter and granddaughter. Reprin
»Ein herrliches Buch.« The New York Times Book Review Renee Feuer, die kluge Philosophiestudentin, findet die Atmosphäre in Princeton aus den verschiedensten Gründen nicht sehr förderlich für ihr Selbstvertrauen. Daher konzentriert sie sich auf das allgegenwärtige Körper-Geist-Problem und macht sich daran, es auf ihre Weise zu lösen. Während sie sich durch eine Liste von zu verführenden Doktoranden arbeitet, lernt sie schließlich auch noch die Freuden des Geistes kennen. Sie heiratet Noam Himmel, den weltberühmten Mathematiker und, so sollte man meinen, Traum aller potentiellen jüdischen Schwiegermütter. Doch Renee muß feststellen, daß mit einem Genie verheiratet zu sein eine weit weniger erhebende Erfahrung ist als erwartet. Ihre Suche nach einer Möglichkeit, Sinnlichkeit und Geist zu vereinen, ist ein Abenteuer: berührend, komisch und zutiefst menschlich.
