Some of us do our best thinking in the shower, others do it while on the toilet. Renee Descartes, he pondered most deeply while ensconced in a baker's oven. The man simply needed to be convinced of the oven's existence before climbing in. Such are the quirks of the most monumental minds humanity has to offer. In the hilarious and enthralling new book, Edison's Ghosts: The Untold Weirdness of History's Greatest Geniuses, Dr. Katie Spalding explores the illogical, unnerving, and sometimes downright strange behaviors of luminaries like Thomas "Spirit Phone" Edison, Isaac "Sun Blind" Newton, and Nicola "I fell in love with a pigeon" Tesla. Little Brown and CompanyExcerpted from Edison's Ghosts: The Untold Weirdness of History's Greatest Geniuses by Dr. Katie Spalding. Published by Little, Brown and Company. Copyright © 2023 by Katie Spalding. All rights reserved.When René Descartes Got BakedRené Descartes, like Pythagoras before him and Einstein after, occupies that special place in our collective consciousness where his work has become … well, essentially a short-hand for genius-level intellect. Think about it – in any cartoon or sitcom where one character is (or, through logically-spurious means, suddenly becomes) a brainiac, there are three things they’re narratively bound to say: ‘the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides’ – that’s Pythagoras; ‘E = mc2’ – thank you, Einstein; and finally, ‘cogito ergo sum’. And that is... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2023-05-28 14:30:30 UTC ]
Interviews Yasmine Seale is a writer and literary translator living in Istanbul. Her essays, poetry, visual art, and translations from Arabic and French have appeared widely, including in Harper’s, Apollo, Poetry Review, and the Times Literary... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2020-08-31 13:39:09 UTC ]
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Amid a shortage of puzzles, here are a number of book puzzles you can buy right now. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-05-20 10:34:22 UTC ]
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Interviews Veronica Esposito Emma Ramadan is a literary translator based in Providence, Rhode Island, where she is the co-owner of Riffraff, a bookstore and bar. She is the recipient of an NEA Translation Fellowship, a PEN/Heim grant, and a Fulbright... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2020-05-18 18:20:27 UTC ]
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If you're looking for the satisfaction of finishing a great book in a day or two, check out these short audiobooks under 5 hours. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-05-06 10:37:37 UTC ]
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5 books events in L.A. the week of Feb. 8, including Lidia Yuknavitch, Diane Ravitch, and surf photography Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-02-07 21:50:44 UTC ]
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You can make your reading experience *even better* with these great book reading accessories. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-15 11:38:51 UTC ]
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These bookish candles will make you want to curl up with a great book and never leave your home again. Take a deep breath! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-09-23 10:35:31 UTC ]
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Looking for great book events to get your brain going? We’ve got you covered with some great upcoming events including a tribute to the late Kevin Killian; two chances to catch the "Prince of Preschool Books” Hervé Tullet; a Gen X-themed reading; a book signing with Bobby Hundreds; and, last... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-21 14:30:00 UTC ]
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Anticipating the Apollo 11 anniversary, a bookseller appreciates the power of a great book about space for kids. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-21 12:00:33 UTC ]
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Poor working conditions for book editors are ingrained. It’s time for that to change – no matter how much we love our jobsBook editors love their jobs, perhaps more than the average worker. We work diligently with motivated and inspiring peers on projects we are proud of. You may not realise... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Black Country by Liz Berry and 40 Rules of Love by Elif ShafakAfter a wonderful trip to Berlin for the British Council Literature Seminar at the end of January, I am reading Liz Berry’s Black Country. Liz’s reading at the Literature Seminar was one of the highlights of the weekend and I’m really... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2019-02-14 09:49:28 UTC ]
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A second chance. A final act. A rebirth. For its founders, Jamie Raab and Deb Futter, Celadon Books is a chance to close out their careers on their own terms. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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India’s answer to Lear, a teen tale set amid the London riots and the first great book on grime. Experts pick 2017’s smartest, oddest and most overlooked readsCo-director, Tramp Press Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-12-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Like most audiobook buffs, I multitask; listening to a great actor read a great book is one of the rare things that makes regular workouts endurable. Still, there are always a few releases each year that are so transfixing they make any additional activity impossible. They might leave me... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2017-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three bodies in the WIRED Book Club talk religion and science in the final act of Liu Cixin's mind-bending book. The post WIRED Book Club: Picking Apart the Satisfying, Uncheesy End of Three-Body Problem appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2016-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As you enjoy the last of the summer sun, you need a great book to bring out to the lawn chair or for the weekend trip. Need some inspiration? These are the titles Amazon editors say are the best to be released this month. Here's the full list with thoughts from Amazon senior editor Chris Schluep. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Maya Angelou’s final act of love and compassion for her mother and how parents can help heighten religious tolerance are among the most-talked about topics online today. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Here is a book review of Randall Munroe's What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Questions. Overall, a great book. I recommend it. The post Book Review: What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From biographies to technical studies and step-by-step guides, here are 10 books that you should look for in the next few months.Of course, we think you can learn a lot online. But, if you're looking to take a deeper dive, there is often no substitute for the kind of thoughtful analysis you can... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is wasting time as productivity killing as we've always thought, or does it provide a creativity–enhancing escape from the chaos of the world? Stop dawdling and let's explore!Recently, I read a great book and promised to mail it to a friend overseas when I was done, about nine months ago. Today,... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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