Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life. The longing for love, search for knowledge and unbearable pity for suffering of mankind.
So begins the autobiography of Bertrand Russell. We have met Mr.Russell before, and the chief reason for me picking up this book (apart from a general curiosity about the life of Mr.Russell), was that I wanted to know how Principia Mathematica came about. I wanted to know the intellectual milieu that fuelled its creation, the decade long effort that went into making it and so on. OK, so on that one count the book disapppointed me. There is not a lot about the things I mentioned above in the book. But the book on the whole is so good, and so important (so it seems to me) that that one particular point dimineshes into insignificance. I knew Russell as a first rate mathematician and a first rate writer, what was new to me was his public life; his countless battles for women's rights, disarmament, justice for war crimes and a number of other issues fills one with awe. Russell was blessed with a long life, ninety-eight years in which he retained all his mental faculties almost to the end, and more importantly, continued utilizing them. Almost all the leading intellects of the era were in his touch, and sought his counsel. A curious feature of the book is that after each chapter, letters from and to Russell from that time are also printed, which make for great reading. Some are personal, some seek counsel, some even heap scorn on Russell, and all in all make the book a lot more interesting. On a personal note, I tend to read more books about facts, because I like to know them. On that count, I learned very little from this large book. But there is also a kind of learning, shaping of thought that I don't think I can express in words, and I learned a lot on that count (I think). Just one concluding observation now, Russell's clarity makes (almost) all others seem like schoolboys. I haven't been able to read anything since last night (when I finished his book) because of it :).
Enjoy!!
So begins the autobiography of Bertrand Russell. We have met Mr.Russell before, and the chief reason for me picking up this book (apart from a general curiosity about the life of Mr.Russell), was that I wanted to know how Principia Mathematica came about. I wanted to know the intellectual milieu that fuelled its creation, the decade long effort that went into making it and so on. OK, so on that one count the book disapppointed me. There is not a lot about the things I mentioned above in the book. But the book on the whole is so good, and so important (so it seems to me) that that one particular point dimineshes into insignificance. I knew Russell as a first rate mathematician and a first rate writer, what was new to me was his public life; his countless battles for women's rights, disarmament, justice for war crimes and a number of other issues fills one with awe. Russell was blessed with a long life, ninety-eight years in which he retained all his mental faculties almost to the end, and more importantly, continued utilizing them. Almost all the leading intellects of the era were in his touch, and sought his counsel. A curious feature of the book is that after each chapter, letters from and to Russell from that time are also printed, which make for great reading. Some are personal, some seek counsel, some even heap scorn on Russell, and all in all make the book a lot more interesting. On a personal note, I tend to read more books about facts, because I like to know them. On that count, I learned very little from this large book. But there is also a kind of learning, shaping of thought that I don't think I can express in words, and I learned a lot on that count (I think). Just one concluding observation now, Russell's clarity makes (almost) all others seem like schoolboys. I haven't been able to read anything since last night (when I finished his book) because of it :).
Enjoy!!
2 comments:
Awesome! As always, you are my guide to the world of books! :)
Thanks man.. :) I recently noted your Russell-Einstein Manifesto post.. The book has quite some details about it..
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