The Best of All Possible Worlds

A Life of Leibniz in Seven Pivotal Days

Michael Kempe, Marshall Yarbrough

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English

Pushkin Press
01 February 2025

Biography; Biography: general; Biography: arts & entertainment; Biography: historical, political & military

A gripping portrait of the man considered the last universal genius that takes us on a mind-expanding journey through the history of ideas

'The Leibniz biography for our time. It is difficult to even begin to do justice to his rich spirit, but Kempe succeeds' Daniel Kehlmann, author of Measuring the World

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was one of history's most astounding thinkers, a universal genius akin to Leonardo da Vinci or Benjamin Franklin, but comparatively little known. In this mind-expanding biography, historian Michael Kempe charts a thrilling course through Leibniz's work, illuminating the continued impact of his unparalleled contributions to knowledge.

Recreating seven crucial days in Leibniz's life, Kempe shows us a great mind in action, surging with ideas that would change the course of mathematics and philosophy, even laying early foundations for modern digital culture. We find him in Paris, working from his bed amidst a sea of notes when he puts the basis for modern calculus to paper for the first time; and in Vienna, enjoying a coffee as he discovers unforeseen links between biology and mathematics.

Convinced that everything was profoundly interconnected, Leibniz was driven by an exhilarating optimism that allowed him to build bridges between faith and reason, physics and metaphysics - and to harness the endless potential of a single mind on a single day.

By: Michael Kempe
Translated by: Marshall Yarbrough
Imprint: Pushkin Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781805330868
ISBN 10: 1805330861
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 01 February 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Michael Kempe studied History and Philosophy in Konstanz and Dublin. He is head of the Leibniz Archives/Research Unit at the Gottingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities and Director of the Leibniz Archive in Hannover.Marshall Yarbrough is a writer, translator, and musician. He has translated works by Ulla Lenze, Norman Ohler, and Wolf Wondratschek, among other authors.

Reviews for The Best of All Possible Worlds: A Life of Leibniz in Seven Pivotal Days

'This best of all possible biographies is endlessly informative, but at the same time it unfailingly puts you in a good mood' - Suddeutsche Zeitung 'Michael Kempe has written the Leibniz biography for our time. It is difficult to even begin to do justice to his rich spirit, but Kempe succeeds' - Daniel Kehlmann, author of 'Tyll' 'A great idea: to start from individual days on which Leibnizs life and work take a new turn, and ultimately unfold an entire world. A hugely successful biographical feat' - Rudiger Safranski, author of 'Goethe: Life as a Work of Art'