Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
Selected Book Details
- Paperback
- Edition: Advance Reader's Edition
- Author: Apostolos Doxiadis, Christos Papadimitriou
- Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
- Release Date: September 2009
- ISBN-10: 1596914521
- ISBN-13: 9781596914520
- List Price: $22.95
Price Comparisons
E-mail these Cheap Book Prices to a friend!
| Store | Price | Condition | Free Shipping? | Online Coupons and Deals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $12.00 as of 11/21 7pm EST | Used | NO, $3.99 |
| |||
| Amazon | $13.97 as of 11/21 7pm EST | New | YES, spend $25+ |
| |||
| Amazon | $13.97 as of 11/21 7pm EST | New | NO, $3.99 |
| |||
| Half.com | $14.50 as of 11/21 7pm EST | New | NO, $3.49 to $3.99 |
| |||
| Half.com | $14.89 as of 11/21 7pm EST | Used | NO, $3.49 to $3.99 |
| |||
| TextbookX | $16.52 as of 11/21 7pm EST | New | YES, spend $49+ |
| |||
| Alibris | $17.34 as of 11/21 7pm EST | New | NO, $3.99 |
| |||
| Alibris | $17.55 as of 11/21 7pm EST | Used | NO, $3.99 |
| |||
| button not working? Click Here | |||||||
Summaries and Customer Reviews provided by Amazon
SummaryBook Description Take a Look Inside
|
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Nice effort
Rating: 
I was expecting to understand the philosphy of Russel Bertrand through this book , major portion of this book is devoted to the life of Russel , his personal struggles etc rather than his work and philosophy and places where his phlosophy is explained it looked vague, probably i lack the maturity to understand it, some day i would give it one more try , though the Art and graphics are above average overall a nice and bold effort.
Nice Try
Rating:
I gave this 4 stars for the attempt--though more like 2 or 3 stars for the execution. It is amazing to me that someone tried to do a graphic novel on this subject, and I want to celebrate that. And some of the issues were handled pretty well. But some were just odd. It never became clear why Russell's speech in 1939 made a useful pivot for the story line. While it seemed to be trying to integrate his logic and his politics, it never worked. While I appreciate the interest in life and work together, it didn't seem to amount to much here. The craziness of logicians seemed to be much exaggerated--Turing was quite sane (until persecuted for his homosexuality), as was Church, and many others. The oddest part of the "plot" was the use of the Oresteia. While I am quite familiar with Greek tragedy and with modern Logic, I saw no useful connection between them here.
a fascinating work
Rating:
A novel and entertaining story of the development of logic, presented in comic book format and told in terms of the personal lives of its main characters. I would enjoy seeing other philosophical themes treated in this manner. KN
Entertaining, Enlightening, Sublime
Rating:
Doxiadis and Papadimitriou (the latter already a giant in the field of theoretical computer science) have pulled off the seemingly impossible: they have provided an entertaining, informative, and beautifully executed introduction to and exploration of some of the greatest problems in Western philosophy. Unlike the many other popular treatments of these historical figures (Russell, Wittgenstein, Goedel, et al.), this one is inflected by the authors' Greek heritage, with a sub-plot about the creators' involvement in a production the Oresteia in their native Athens (where the plays were of course created and first performed). It all comes together in the end in a way that ties the intellectual themes to agonizing moral issues faced by all human beings, not just logicians and philosophers. Readers already familiar with these topics will be delighted by the subtle ways in which they are linked together (a young Kurt Goedel playing in the mud while Russell and Wittgenstein discuss set theory); other readers will benefit from an introduction difficult material that somehow manages not to oversimplify it. Logicomix is a triumph of humanistic scholarship and insight that will benefit readers young and old.
You don't have to be a mathematician or a logician to appreciate this book
Rating:
Quick--how much do you know about the life of Bertrand Russell? His childhood, his life, his loves...well, you're about to find out a lot more, in the form of a great new work called Logicomix. It's an intense journey, one that's filled with the huge allure of mathematics and logic, and it's--believe it or not--actually not dry or boring. And did I mention that for the most part, it's presented as a lecture given in a college hall? Really, I'm serious here--it's compelling, not dry.
It is, however, a little too twee in points. The creators--four of them--break into their own story quite often, and while it might seem somewhat charming to break the fourth wall this way at first, it gets old rather quickly. Aside from that overused device, though, Logicomix is a rather thorough biography of Russell and several of the other greatest thinkers of the 20th century.
A quite long afterword called "Logicomix and Reality" explains all the places in which the book differs from the real world (there are several, but don't let that put you off). The afterword is actually so long and thorough that it further informs the reader on a wider array of facts. Terms and definitions are explored, along with other great minds. It's fascinating, even if your head does start to spin after a while.
You don't have to be a mathematician or a logician to appreciate this book, which was a big bestseller in Greece last year. It begins in 1939, with Russell, on his way to speak to a group of university students, intercepted by war protestors who fully expect this man of peace to join their cause. Russell surprises them and invites them to attend his lecture as means of explanation. (That these rabid protestors, so angry and verbal, would sit quietly through such a long lecture is a little hard to believe, but it's beside the point.)
I was immediately drawn into the fun little world of Logicomix. If it doesn't take history too seriously, it certainly does mind its Ps and Qs when it comes to science. And if you thought a comic could never teach you just what the incredible world of logic holds for you, think again. You'll be drawn in too.
-- John Hogan
BROWSE BY SUBJECT
- Audiobooks
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Health, Mind & Body
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel