Flawed Genius

Flawed Genius

Author: Stephen McGowan

Publisher: Birlinn

Published: 2011-10-04

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 0857901516

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As Rangers manager Walter Smith once put it, Scottish football supporters have always liked their footballing superstars to come complete with very human flaws. But what is it that makes the seriously flawed footballer so intriguing? From Hugh Gallacher, the Wembley Wizard who died of shame, to George Best, Hibernian's ageing lothario, to the Three Amigos - Celtic's trio of wayward overseas mercenaries - the great entertainers have always come with baggage. Never before have the individual stories of these mavericks of Scottish football's past been collated and told in one place. Flawed Genius does just that. Through the words of the men themselves - allied to testimonies from friends and close colleagues - McGowan recounts the in-depth stories of Gascoigne and Goram, Best and Baxter, Charnley and Cadette and the equally wayward figures of Paolo Di Canio, Andy Ritchie, Pierre van Hooijdonk and Willie Hamilton. Here, together for the first time, the colourful contributions of each and every player in the Scottish game's rich tapestry of flawed geniuses are brought vividly back to life.


Book Synopsis Flawed Genius by : Stephen McGowan

Download or read book Flawed Genius written by Stephen McGowan and published by Birlinn. This book was released on 2011-10-04 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Rangers manager Walter Smith once put it, Scottish football supporters have always liked their footballing superstars to come complete with very human flaws. But what is it that makes the seriously flawed footballer so intriguing? From Hugh Gallacher, the Wembley Wizard who died of shame, to George Best, Hibernian's ageing lothario, to the Three Amigos - Celtic's trio of wayward overseas mercenaries - the great entertainers have always come with baggage. Never before have the individual stories of these mavericks of Scottish football's past been collated and told in one place. Flawed Genius does just that. Through the words of the men themselves - allied to testimonies from friends and close colleagues - McGowan recounts the in-depth stories of Gascoigne and Goram, Best and Baxter, Charnley and Cadette and the equally wayward figures of Paolo Di Canio, Andy Ritchie, Pierre van Hooijdonk and Willie Hamilton. Here, together for the first time, the colourful contributions of each and every player in the Scottish game's rich tapestry of flawed geniuses are brought vividly back to life.


Billy Martin

Billy Martin

Author: Bill Pennington

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 565

ISBN-13: 0544022092

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From an award-winning New York Times sports columnist, the definitive biography of one of baseball's most celebrated, mercurial, and misunderstood figures--legendary manager and baseball genius, Billy Martin


Book Synopsis Billy Martin by : Bill Pennington

Download or read book Billy Martin written by Bill Pennington and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2015 with total page 565 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From an award-winning New York Times sports columnist, the definitive biography of one of baseball's most celebrated, mercurial, and misunderstood figures--legendary manager and baseball genius, Billy Martin


The Flawed Genius of William Playfair

The Flawed Genius of William Playfair

Author: David R. Bellhouse

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2023-07-26

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 1487545045

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A product of the Scottish Enlightenment, William Playfair (1759–1823) worked as a statistician, economist, engineer, banker, land speculator, scam artist, and political propagandist. It has been claimed – erroneously – that Playfair was a spy for the British government and ran a forging operation to print the paper money of the French Revolution. The Flawed Genius of William Playfair offers a complete account of Playfair’s life, richly contextualized in the economic, political, and cultural history of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. The book explores the many peaks and troughs of Playfair’s career, ranging from moderate prosperity to bankruptcy and imprisonment. Through careful analysis, David R. Bellhouse shows that Playfair was neither a spy nor a forger, but perhaps briefly a one-time courier for a government minister. Bellhouse pieces together as complete a picture as possible of the forging operations supported by the British government and illuminates Playfair’s lasting contributions in economics and statistics, where he is known as the father of statistical graphics. Disputing the misinformation about the man, The Flawed Genius of William Playfair highlights that the truth about Playfair’s life is often more intriguing than the fictions that surround him.


Book Synopsis The Flawed Genius of William Playfair by : David R. Bellhouse

Download or read book The Flawed Genius of William Playfair written by David R. Bellhouse and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2023-07-26 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A product of the Scottish Enlightenment, William Playfair (1759–1823) worked as a statistician, economist, engineer, banker, land speculator, scam artist, and political propagandist. It has been claimed – erroneously – that Playfair was a spy for the British government and ran a forging operation to print the paper money of the French Revolution. The Flawed Genius of William Playfair offers a complete account of Playfair’s life, richly contextualized in the economic, political, and cultural history of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. The book explores the many peaks and troughs of Playfair’s career, ranging from moderate prosperity to bankruptcy and imprisonment. Through careful analysis, David R. Bellhouse shows that Playfair was neither a spy nor a forger, but perhaps briefly a one-time courier for a government minister. Bellhouse pieces together as complete a picture as possible of the forging operations supported by the British government and illuminates Playfair’s lasting contributions in economics and statistics, where he is known as the father of statistical graphics. Disputing the misinformation about the man, The Flawed Genius of William Playfair highlights that the truth about Playfair’s life is often more intriguing than the fictions that surround him.


MacArthur's War

MacArthur's War

Author: Bevin Alexander

Publisher: Berkley

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780425261200

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Douglas MacArthur famously said there is no substitute for victory . . . As a United States general, he had an unparalleled genius for military strategy, and it was under his leadership that Japan was rebuilt into a democratic ally after World War II. But MacArthur carried out his zero-sum philosophy both on and off the battlefield. During the Korean War, in defiance of President Harry S. Truman and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he pushed for an aggressive confrontation with Communist China - a position intended to provoke a wider war, regardless of the cost or consequences. MacArthur's ambition to stamp out Communism across the globe was in direct opposition to President Truman, who was much more concerned with containing the Soviet Union than confronting Red China. The infamous clash between the two leaders was not only an epic turning point in history, but the ultimate struggle between civil and military power in the United States. While other U.S. generals have challenged presidential authority - from Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War and George B. McClellan in the Civil War to General Stanley A. McChrystal in Afghanistan - no other military leader has ever so brazenly attempted to dictate national policy. In MacArthur's War, Bevin Alexander details MacArthur's military and political battles, from the alliances he made with Republican leaders to the threatening ultimatum he delivered to China against orders - the action that directly led to his dismissal on April 11, 1951. 'Bevin Alexander's MacArthur's Waris a superbly written, blow-by-blow account of the most controversial civil-military clash in American history. His riveting narrative pulls no punches as it reveals how the feisty U.S. president confronted America's most revered military hero against the backdrop of brutal Korean War combat.' Colonel Jerry D. Morelock, PhD, U.S. Army (Ret.), and editor in chief of Armchair General 'When President Harry Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur of all his military commands at the height of the Korean War, it was a seminal moment in American history . . . Bevin Alexander's hard-hitting narrative captures in vivid detail the elements of that contest, as well as the chain of significant events that produced it . . . MacArthur's Waris a valuable account of a chapter in the Cold War that we must never forget.' Harry J. Middleton, founding director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library at the University of Texas, and author of LBJ- The White House Years 'Bevin Alexander has written a stirring and insightful account of General Douglas MacArthur's controversial role in the Korean War that culminated . . . Carlo D'Este, author of Patton- A Genius for War 'The last sentence of the introduction of MacArthur's War provides author Bevin Alexander's contention that 'Truman, in his quiet and unassuming way, saved the United States of America.' Thereafter the chapters build a very interesting account of Douglas MacArthur's initial brilliant Inchon assault, his strategy and tactics that led to rapid advances before his concepts for capturing and freeing North Korea collapsed in defeat, and finally his resort to political confrontation with the president. How and why he lost, tarnished his reputation, and justified the sweeping observation of Truman's impact is a fascinating, factual, and well-documented study. It is blunt, harsh, and critical of MacArthur's last year of service, more tolerant and understanding of Truman, but overall, a fair portrayal of history.' Generl Frederick J. Kroesen, former vice chief of staff of the U.S. Army and commander in chief, U.S. Army Europe Includes Photographs


Book Synopsis MacArthur's War by : Bevin Alexander

Download or read book MacArthur's War written by Bevin Alexander and published by Berkley. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Douglas MacArthur famously said there is no substitute for victory . . . As a United States general, he had an unparalleled genius for military strategy, and it was under his leadership that Japan was rebuilt into a democratic ally after World War II. But MacArthur carried out his zero-sum philosophy both on and off the battlefield. During the Korean War, in defiance of President Harry S. Truman and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he pushed for an aggressive confrontation with Communist China - a position intended to provoke a wider war, regardless of the cost or consequences. MacArthur's ambition to stamp out Communism across the globe was in direct opposition to President Truman, who was much more concerned with containing the Soviet Union than confronting Red China. The infamous clash between the two leaders was not only an epic turning point in history, but the ultimate struggle between civil and military power in the United States. While other U.S. generals have challenged presidential authority - from Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War and George B. McClellan in the Civil War to General Stanley A. McChrystal in Afghanistan - no other military leader has ever so brazenly attempted to dictate national policy. In MacArthur's War, Bevin Alexander details MacArthur's military and political battles, from the alliances he made with Republican leaders to the threatening ultimatum he delivered to China against orders - the action that directly led to his dismissal on April 11, 1951. 'Bevin Alexander's MacArthur's Waris a superbly written, blow-by-blow account of the most controversial civil-military clash in American history. His riveting narrative pulls no punches as it reveals how the feisty U.S. president confronted America's most revered military hero against the backdrop of brutal Korean War combat.' Colonel Jerry D. Morelock, PhD, U.S. Army (Ret.), and editor in chief of Armchair General 'When President Harry Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur of all his military commands at the height of the Korean War, it was a seminal moment in American history . . . Bevin Alexander's hard-hitting narrative captures in vivid detail the elements of that contest, as well as the chain of significant events that produced it . . . MacArthur's Waris a valuable account of a chapter in the Cold War that we must never forget.' Harry J. Middleton, founding director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library at the University of Texas, and author of LBJ- The White House Years 'Bevin Alexander has written a stirring and insightful account of General Douglas MacArthur's controversial role in the Korean War that culminated . . . Carlo D'Este, author of Patton- A Genius for War 'The last sentence of the introduction of MacArthur's War provides author Bevin Alexander's contention that 'Truman, in his quiet and unassuming way, saved the United States of America.' Thereafter the chapters build a very interesting account of Douglas MacArthur's initial brilliant Inchon assault, his strategy and tactics that led to rapid advances before his concepts for capturing and freeing North Korea collapsed in defeat, and finally his resort to political confrontation with the president. How and why he lost, tarnished his reputation, and justified the sweeping observation of Truman's impact is a fascinating, factual, and well-documented study. It is blunt, harsh, and critical of MacArthur's last year of service, more tolerant and understanding of Truman, but overall, a fair portrayal of history.' Generl Frederick J. Kroesen, former vice chief of staff of the U.S. Army and commander in chief, U.S. Army Europe Includes Photographs


Einstein's Greatest Mistake

Einstein's Greatest Mistake

Author: David Bodanis

Publisher: Hachette UK

Published: 2016-09-29

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 1408708086

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Widely considered the greatest genius of all time, Albert Einstein revolutionised our understanding of the cosmos with his general theory of relativity and helped to lead us into the atomic age. Yet in the final decades of his life he was also ignored by most working scientists, his ideas opposed by even his closest friends. This stunning downfall can be traced to Einstein's earliest successes and to personal qualities that were at first his best assets. Einstein's imagination and self-confidence served him well as he sought to reveal the universe's structure, but when it came to newer revelations in the field of quantum mechanics, these same traits undermined his quest for the ultimate truth. David Bodanis traces the arc of Einstein's intellectual development across his professional and personal life, showing how Einstein's confidence in his own powers of intuition proved to be both his greatest strength and his ultimate undoing. He was a fallible genius. An intimate and enlightening biography of the celebrated physicist, Einstein's Greatest Mistake reveals how much we owe Einstein today - and how much more he might have achieved if not for his all-too-human flaws.


Book Synopsis Einstein's Greatest Mistake by : David Bodanis

Download or read book Einstein's Greatest Mistake written by David Bodanis and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2016-09-29 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Widely considered the greatest genius of all time, Albert Einstein revolutionised our understanding of the cosmos with his general theory of relativity and helped to lead us into the atomic age. Yet in the final decades of his life he was also ignored by most working scientists, his ideas opposed by even his closest friends. This stunning downfall can be traced to Einstein's earliest successes and to personal qualities that were at first his best assets. Einstein's imagination and self-confidence served him well as he sought to reveal the universe's structure, but when it came to newer revelations in the field of quantum mechanics, these same traits undermined his quest for the ultimate truth. David Bodanis traces the arc of Einstein's intellectual development across his professional and personal life, showing how Einstein's confidence in his own powers of intuition proved to be both his greatest strength and his ultimate undoing. He was a fallible genius. An intimate and enlightening biography of the celebrated physicist, Einstein's Greatest Mistake reveals how much we owe Einstein today - and how much more he might have achieved if not for his all-too-human flaws.


First Transplant Surgeon, The: The Flawed Genius Of Nobel Prize Winner, Alexis Carrel

First Transplant Surgeon, The: The Flawed Genius Of Nobel Prize Winner, Alexis Carrel

Author: David Hamilton

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2016-09-14

Total Pages: 606

ISBN-13: 981469939X

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This is a new account, of how, in the early 1900s, the French-born surgeon Alexis Carrel (1873-1944) set the groundwork for the later success in human organ transplantation, and gained America's first Nobel Prize in 1912. His other contributions were the first operations on the heart, and the first cell culture methods. He was prominent in military surgery in WW1, and in the 1930s, gained further fame when collaborating with the aviator Charles Lindbergh on an organ perfusion pump.But controversy followed his every move, including concerns over scientific misconduct, notably his claim to have obtained 'immortal' heart cells, now shown to be fraudulent. In 1934, he authored a best-selling book Man, the Unknown based on his strongly-held conservative, spiritual, political and eugenic views, adding a belief in faith healing and parapsychology. He settled in Paris in WW2 under the German occupation, believing that the conditions would allow him to refashion the degenerate Western civilization. His extremist views re-emerged in the 1990s when they proved interesting to right-wing politicians, and in a bizarre twist, jihadist Islamists now laud his criticisms of the West.


Book Synopsis First Transplant Surgeon, The: The Flawed Genius Of Nobel Prize Winner, Alexis Carrel by : David Hamilton

Download or read book First Transplant Surgeon, The: The Flawed Genius Of Nobel Prize Winner, Alexis Carrel written by David Hamilton and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2016-09-14 with total page 606 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a new account, of how, in the early 1900s, the French-born surgeon Alexis Carrel (1873-1944) set the groundwork for the later success in human organ transplantation, and gained America's first Nobel Prize in 1912. His other contributions were the first operations on the heart, and the first cell culture methods. He was prominent in military surgery in WW1, and in the 1930s, gained further fame when collaborating with the aviator Charles Lindbergh on an organ perfusion pump.But controversy followed his every move, including concerns over scientific misconduct, notably his claim to have obtained 'immortal' heart cells, now shown to be fraudulent. In 1934, he authored a best-selling book Man, the Unknown based on his strongly-held conservative, spiritual, political and eugenic views, adding a belief in faith healing and parapsychology. He settled in Paris in WW2 under the German occupation, believing that the conditions would allow him to refashion the degenerate Western civilization. His extremist views re-emerged in the 1990s when they proved interesting to right-wing politicians, and in a bizarre twist, jihadist Islamists now laud his criticisms of the West.


A Flawed Genius

A Flawed Genius

Author: Marcel Stein

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781906033309

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Walter Model ranks among the foremost commanders of the German Wehrmacht during WWII. This book describes the stages of his career, beginning with his youth and ending with his suicide on April 21, 1945, when he finally woke up to his errors, dissolved his Army Group in the Ruhr Pocket and told his soldiers that they were free to go home.


Book Synopsis A Flawed Genius by : Marcel Stein

Download or read book A Flawed Genius written by Marcel Stein and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Walter Model ranks among the foremost commanders of the German Wehrmacht during WWII. This book describes the stages of his career, beginning with his youth and ending with his suicide on April 21, 1945, when he finally woke up to his errors, dissolved his Army Group in the Ruhr Pocket and told his soldiers that they were free to go home.


Shane Warne

Shane Warne

Author: Simon Wilde

Publisher: John Murray

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780719569418

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Shane Warne was the most glamorous and, arguably the best cricketer in the world for over ten years. He won a generation of followers by showing the fun to be had in bamboozling opponents. From the so-called 'ball of the century' that bowled Mike Gatting in 1993, to his single-handed defiance against England in the 2005 Ashes series and his key role in the 2006/7 whitewash. He is an enigma, a showman and a genius, but he is also a very human character with human frailties. Warne loves the limelight, but the limelight has also burned him. He's been in trouble over drugs, extra-marital affairs, and taking money from dodgy bookmakers, all of which have soured relations with his family and with his homeland. Ironically he is perhaps more loved by cricket fans in England than in his native Australia. This fascinating and well-researched biography draws on interviews with Warne and many of his teammates and opponents. On the heels of Warne's retirement from Test cricket with a record 706 victims to his name, this unique retrospective tells, for the first time, the whole story behind cricket's most flawed genius.


Book Synopsis Shane Warne by : Simon Wilde

Download or read book Shane Warne written by Simon Wilde and published by John Murray. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shane Warne was the most glamorous and, arguably the best cricketer in the world for over ten years. He won a generation of followers by showing the fun to be had in bamboozling opponents. From the so-called 'ball of the century' that bowled Mike Gatting in 1993, to his single-handed defiance against England in the 2005 Ashes series and his key role in the 2006/7 whitewash. He is an enigma, a showman and a genius, but he is also a very human character with human frailties. Warne loves the limelight, but the limelight has also burned him. He's been in trouble over drugs, extra-marital affairs, and taking money from dodgy bookmakers, all of which have soured relations with his family and with his homeland. Ironically he is perhaps more loved by cricket fans in England than in his native Australia. This fascinating and well-researched biography draws on interviews with Warne and many of his teammates and opponents. On the heels of Warne's retirement from Test cricket with a record 706 victims to his name, this unique retrospective tells, for the first time, the whole story behind cricket's most flawed genius.


When Genius Failed

When Genius Failed

Author: Roger Lowenstein

Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks

Published: 2001-10-09

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0375758259

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“A riveting account that reaches beyond the market landscape to say something universal about risk and triumph, about hubris and failure.”—The New York Times NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUSINESSWEEK In this business classic—now with a new Afterword in which the author draws parallels to the recent financial crisis—Roger Lowenstein captures the gripping roller-coaster ride of Long-Term Capital Management. Drawing on confidential internal memos and interviews with dozens of key players, Lowenstein explains not just how the fund made and lost its money but also how the personalities of Long-Term’s partners, the arrogance of their mathematical certainties, and the culture of Wall Street itself contributed to both their rise and their fall. When it was founded in 1993, Long-Term was hailed as the most impressive hedge fund in history. But after four years in which the firm dazzled Wall Street as a $100 billion moneymaking juggernaut, it suddenly suffered catastrophic losses that jeopardized not only the biggest banks on Wall Street but the stability of the financial system itself. The dramatic story of Long-Term’s fall is now a chilling harbinger of the crisis that would strike all of Wall Street, from Lehman Brothers to AIG, a decade later. In his new Afterword, Lowenstein shows that LTCM’s implosion should be seen not as a one-off drama but as a template for market meltdowns in an age of instability—and as a wake-up call that Wall Street and government alike tragically ignored. Praise for When Genius Failed “[Roger] Lowenstein has written a squalid and fascinating tale of world-class greed and, above all, hubris.”—BusinessWeek “Compelling . . . The fund was long cloaked in secrecy, making the story of its rise . . . and its ultimate destruction that much more fascinating.”—The Washington Post “Story-telling journalism at its best.”—The Economist


Book Synopsis When Genius Failed by : Roger Lowenstein

Download or read book When Genius Failed written by Roger Lowenstein and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2001-10-09 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A riveting account that reaches beyond the market landscape to say something universal about risk and triumph, about hubris and failure.”—The New York Times NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUSINESSWEEK In this business classic—now with a new Afterword in which the author draws parallels to the recent financial crisis—Roger Lowenstein captures the gripping roller-coaster ride of Long-Term Capital Management. Drawing on confidential internal memos and interviews with dozens of key players, Lowenstein explains not just how the fund made and lost its money but also how the personalities of Long-Term’s partners, the arrogance of their mathematical certainties, and the culture of Wall Street itself contributed to both their rise and their fall. When it was founded in 1993, Long-Term was hailed as the most impressive hedge fund in history. But after four years in which the firm dazzled Wall Street as a $100 billion moneymaking juggernaut, it suddenly suffered catastrophic losses that jeopardized not only the biggest banks on Wall Street but the stability of the financial system itself. The dramatic story of Long-Term’s fall is now a chilling harbinger of the crisis that would strike all of Wall Street, from Lehman Brothers to AIG, a decade later. In his new Afterword, Lowenstein shows that LTCM’s implosion should be seen not as a one-off drama but as a template for market meltdowns in an age of instability—and as a wake-up call that Wall Street and government alike tragically ignored. Praise for When Genius Failed “[Roger] Lowenstein has written a squalid and fascinating tale of world-class greed and, above all, hubris.”—BusinessWeek “Compelling . . . The fund was long cloaked in secrecy, making the story of its rise . . . and its ultimate destruction that much more fascinating.”—The Washington Post “Story-telling journalism at its best.”—The Economist


The Genius

The Genius

Author: Eliyahu Stern

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2013-01-08

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 0300179308

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Elijah ben Solomon, the "Genius of Vilna,” was perhaps the best-known and most understudied figure in modern Jewish history. This book offers a new narrative of Jewish modernity based on Elijah's life and influence. While the experience of Jews in modernity has often been described as a process of Western European secularization—with Jews becoming citizens of Western nation-states, congregants of reformed synagogues, and assimilated members of society—Stern uses Elijah’s story to highlight a different theory of modernization for European life. Religious movements such as Hasidism and anti-secular institutions such as the yeshiva emerged from the same democratization of knowledge and privatization of religion that gave rise to secular and universal movements and institutions. Claimed by traditionalists, enlighteners, Zionists, and the Orthodox, Elijah’s genius and its afterlife capture an all-embracing interpretation of the modern Jewish experience. Through the story of the “Vilna Gaon,” Stern presents a new model for understanding modern Jewish history and more generally the place of traditionalism and religious radicalism in modern Western life and thought.


Book Synopsis The Genius by : Eliyahu Stern

Download or read book The Genius written by Eliyahu Stern and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2013-01-08 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Elijah ben Solomon, the "Genius of Vilna,” was perhaps the best-known and most understudied figure in modern Jewish history. This book offers a new narrative of Jewish modernity based on Elijah's life and influence. While the experience of Jews in modernity has often been described as a process of Western European secularization—with Jews becoming citizens of Western nation-states, congregants of reformed synagogues, and assimilated members of society—Stern uses Elijah’s story to highlight a different theory of modernization for European life. Religious movements such as Hasidism and anti-secular institutions such as the yeshiva emerged from the same democratization of knowledge and privatization of religion that gave rise to secular and universal movements and institutions. Claimed by traditionalists, enlighteners, Zionists, and the Orthodox, Elijah’s genius and its afterlife capture an all-embracing interpretation of the modern Jewish experience. Through the story of the “Vilna Gaon,” Stern presents a new model for understanding modern Jewish history and more generally the place of traditionalism and religious radicalism in modern Western life and thought.