When We Cease to Understand the World

By: Benjamin Labatut, Adrian West - translator

Narrated by: Adam Barr

When We Cease to Understand the World is a book about the complicated links between scientific and mathematical discovery, madness, and destruction. Fritz Haber, Alexander Grothendieck, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger - these are some of the luminaries into whose troubled lives Benjamín Labatut thrusts the listener, showing us how they grappled with the most profound questions of existence. They have strokes of unparalleled genius, alienate friends and lovers, descend into isolation and insanity. Some of their discoveries reshape human life for the better; others pave the way to chaos and unimaginable suffering. The lines are never clear. At a breakneck pace and with a wealth of disturbing detail, Labatut uses the imaginative resources of fiction to tell the stories of the scientists and mathematicians who expanded our notions of the possible.

©2021 Benjamin Labatut and Adrian West (P)2021 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Fake non-fiction

Reads like non-fiction history of science, and most of it is, but can’t tell which parts are fictionalized

Incredible

An incredible read: elaborate in its structure, disturbing in its subject, and daunting in its scope. A series of stories that straddle the line between fact and fiction as the reader is left to ponder their own understanding of the world.

My son told me to read this. I did not know it was fiction until I was almost finished. Fascinating story.

This book will really make you think. There are times when it’s hard to follow. But you will be glad you did at the end.

Fascinating story

Amazing stories about science and the tortured brilliant scientists behind them. Not easy listening and somewhat confusing ending. Deserves a second listen.

Worthy of Another Listen

There were a couple times I was interrupted. I’m going to listen again, because the subject matter is interesting—even important.