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Figuring
- Narrated by: Natascha McElhone
- Length: 21 hrs and 27 mins
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Publisher's summary
Figuring explores the complexities of love and the human search for truth and meaning through the interconnected lives of several historical figures across four centuries - beginning with the astronomer Johannes Kepler, who discovered the laws of planetary motion, and ending with the marine biologist and author Rachel Carson, who catalyzed the environmental movement.
Stretching between these figures is a cast of artists, writers, and scientists - mostly women, mostly queer - whose public contribution have risen out of their unclassifiable and often heartbreaking private relationships to change the way we understand, experience, and appreciate the universe. Among them are the astronomer Maria Mitchell, who paved the way for women in science; the sculptor Harriet Hosmer, who did the same in art; the journalist and literary critic Margaret Fuller, who sparked the feminist movement; and the poet Emily Dickinson.
Emanating from these lives are larger questions about the measure of a good life and what it means to leave a lasting mark of betterment on an imperfect world: Are achievement and acclaim enough for happiness? Is genius? Is love? Weaving through the narrative is a set of peripheral figures - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Darwin, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Herman Melville, Frederick Douglass, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Walt Whitman - and a tapestry of themes spanning music, feminism, the history of science, the rise and decline of religion, and how the intersection of astronomy, poetry, and transcendentalist philosophy fomented the environmental movement.
Critic reviews
“The polymathic Popova, presiding genius behind brainpickings.org, looks at some of the forgotten heroes of science, art, and culture...she peppers thoughtful, lucid consideration of acts of the imagination with stories that, if ever aired before, are too little known.... Throughout her complex, consistently stimulating narrative, the author blends biography, cultural criticism, and journalism to forge elegant connections: Dickinson feeds onto Carson, who looks back to Mitchell, who looks forward to Popova herself, and with plenty of milestones along the way.... A lyrical work of intellectual history, one that Popova's many followers will await eagerly and that deserves to win her many more.” (Kirkus Reviews)
Featured Article: 55+ Quotes About Fear—of the Unknown, Change, Love, and More
Looking for a little confidence boost? These quotes about fear from some of literature’s greatest writers can help bolster your bravado. In moments of fear, it’s natural to turn to others—from loved ones to professional counsel—for comfort, encouragement, and advice. But sometimes, it’s most helpful to hear what people you’ve never met have written on the topic. These quotes offer a comprehensive, reassuring portrait of fear and ways to conquer it.
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Fascinating; tragic
- By Cineaste21 on 12-30-18
By: Sue Prideaux
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Hope in the Dark
- Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities
- By: Rebecca Solnit
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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With Hope in the Dark, Rebecca Solnit makes a radical case for hope as a commitment to act in a world whose future remains uncertain and unknowable. Drawing on her decades of activism and a wide knowledge of environmental, cultural, and political history, Solnit argues that radicals have a long, neglected history of transformative victories, that the positive consequences of our acts are not always immediately seen, directly knowable, or even measurable.
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Hope indeed!
- By Carolinebp on 04-21-17
By: Rebecca Solnit
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The Visionaries
- Arendt, Beauvoir, Rand, Weil, and the Power of Philosophy in Dark Times
- By: Wolfram Eilenberger, Shaun Whiteside
- Narrated by: Hannah Curtis
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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The period from 1933 to 1943 was one of the darkest and most chaotic in human history, as the Second World War unfolded with unthinkable cruelty. It was also a crucial decade in the dramatic, intersecting lives of some of history’s greatest philosophers. There were four women, in particular, whose parallel ideas would come to dominate the twentieth century—at once in necessary dialogue and in striking contrast with one another.
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Very pleased at the treatment of these 4 women
- By Amazon Customer on 10-04-23
By: Wolfram Eilenberger, and others
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The Fabric of the Cosmos
- Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
- By: Brian Greene
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 22 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past?
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Lucid, Revealing, Thorough
- By Matthew on 02-23-04
By: Brian Greene
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When We Cease to Understand the World
- By: Benjamin Labatut, Adrian West - translator
- Narrated by: Adam Barr
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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the true heir w.g. sebald
- By Thomas on 12-23-21
By: Benjamin Labatut, and others
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The Magic Mountain
- By: Thomas Mann
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 37 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Hans Castorp is, on the face of it, an ordinary man in his early 20s, on course to start a career in ship engineering in his home town of Hamburg, when he decides to travel to the Berghof Santatorium in Davos. The year is 1912 and an oblivious world is on the brink of war. Castorp’s friend Joachim Ziemssen is taking the cure and a three-week visit seems a perfect break before work begins. But when Castorp arrives he is surprised to find an established community of patients, and little by little, he gets drawn into the closeted life and the individual personalities of the residents.
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A Magical Journey
- By Paul on 08-20-20
By: Thomas Mann
What listeners say about Figuring
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jeff B.
- 12-02-19
Absolutely overwhelming
A beautifully told series of vignettes illustrating the author's sweeping vision of the human condition
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2 people found this helpful
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- bubble faerie
- 07-16-22
Diving Deep Into the Cosmic Connection
It’s rare when I finish reading or listening to a book and feel exquisitely exhausted. This remarkable book is so richly filled with interwoven relationships, historical facts, extraordinary prose and poetry and subtle nuances that it’s a lot to take in. Similar to a feast of your favorite foods, a few you have never seen or tasted, and some that imparted an entirely different flavor than what you expected. One must pause periodically to simply savor it.
While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my weekly dose of Brain Picking in my email, this takes us above and beyond, to the very depths of our human experience, it’s glories and tragedies.
You will come away likely questioning everything you “learned” in traditional education regarding these fascinating souls. And that, in my opinion, is a very, very good thing.
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- c.mcg
- 03-19-23
Learned a lot - great audiobook
Beautiful writing that introduced me to many new people and gave me more info about familiar ones. A bit slow at times but overall worth the time. It is a different structure but once I caught on, I liked how it kept me on my toes.
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- J. Downey
- 05-20-23
Unparalleled
What a book. What a treasure. I immediately subscribed to The Marginalian, the author’s blog, upon finishing this book. My reading list for the next several years is Fuller, Dickinson, Emerson, Carson. I’m so grateful to have been pushed back towards these giants as an adult.
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- Charles McBryde
- 03-11-19
A Symphony of Beauty, Wonder, and Truth
This book is a triumph. It is an offering of the author’s soul and a splendid expression of beauty, pain, and meaning. I have never felt peace knowing that we are fragments of stardust flung broadside against an unfeeling and uncaring universe, but this book is a celebration of the human spirit to flame and dance in the face of such wonderful annihilation. Maria Popova must write more, but even if this little volume remains the only testament to her empathy and brilliance, it is testament enough.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Rubin R. Naiman
- 12-06-19
Among the very best works I have ever read.
This is an exceptional work, an honest and heart opening reflection of human life. and more.
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1 person found this helpful
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- pseudar
- 03-23-19
Stream of higher consciousness
Maria popova delights and amazes with her integration of history, philosophy, science and human drama across four centuries. I’ve been a fan of her Brain Pickings newsletter for years. If each newsletter is a dip in the water, then this book is a voyage at sea. Makes for contemplative, thought provoking listening. Natascha McElhone’s sublime performance brings vivacity and depth. Thank you Maria for taking the time to make this book as meticulous and perfect as you did.
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- MSC7
- 06-20-22
One of the best!
This is one of the best audiobooks I have listened to and one of the best books I have read. I am a wondered and a wanderer and this book embodies my spirit I never could. Every day I find myself deviating from my tasks to find out more about thoughts that sprout in my head just like seeds sprouting after heavy rainfall. For some time I felt ashamed at my lack of “discipline”, after all, as a medical student and a mom there is not enough time in the day to go to clinics, do 100 questions, be a good mother and caring wife for me to spend two hours researching the cause of death of Lord Byron or if Anne Boleyn’s mouth could really move after decapitation… After reading this book it’s is clear to me that I am just “Figuring”. I like to think of it that way. It even helps me to move past the urge to know more and concentrate on what is it that I need to do. Anyhow, the way Ms. Popova has managed to weave seemingly random facts and events in the lives of great men and women is masterful. I didn’t read her blog or read much about her prior to listening to the book. I read it because the premise intrigued me and it had 5 starts. I must admit that at times I was lost. About halfway to the book I looked up more about it thinking I was missing the point, only to discover there is no point. With the book I could let my mind roam free. No notes to take, no ideas to uncover. I found that listening to it was a form of meditation. I am happy I listened to it. I even bought a physical copy to experience it differently and see what more I can yield from it. If you don’t need a clear idea and you are not bothered by loose threads (that eventually will be tied up) that meander to space, time, and LIVES, then this book will satisfy you. Listen to it slowly and enjoy the ride through the rabbit hole. It’s delightful!
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- Brad
- 06-20-19
An Amazing work
This is a truly inspired and beautiful book. Popova does a masterful job of weaving together the complex themes of science, art, genius and creativity amide the back drop of women’s and gender equality life and love.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Frank H
- 07-08-21
Superb
I read reviews very purposefully as I was completely unfamiliar with this author, Maria Popova, and knew nothing about the book. I selected it as each review described the subject with accolades and I was very interested in the arts, the early science of Kepler, the Philosophy and interactions of the Transcendentalists, the poet Emily Dickenson, and to know more about Rachel Carson. It exceeded all of my wishes and curiosities. It is a book of which I must have the hard copy - which is a rare in these times.
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1 person found this helpful