A few words on The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut. 

Every line, and I mean it, every line is a masterpiece. Even when the author picks apart something evil and dangerous, and looks where one shouldn’t (or rather not), it does so with extraordinary beauty and poeticism.

It also shines a light on humanity or, rather, the absence of it, and the the cross-roads at which Humanity sometimes meets Science. And all the ethical conundrums that come with it. It engages with very serious questions of science and ethics, but does so unassumingly, and wears its profound philosophical content lightly on its sleeves.

The questions, make no mistake, are huge: It’s about the forces of technology, the conquest over nature, and – most importantly – our survival as a species. Since it’s always more insightful to show than to tell, it delivers these messages by tracing John Von Neumann’s exceptional life and beautifully braids a tale through testimonies of various people who witnessed this intellectual giant and his life.

The message it drove home to me was : science, technology and intelligence (artificial or otherwise) has to be in the service of humanity and nature – as a whole, and there’s never been a more urgent need of philosophy and ethics giving us our moral compass. Especially in view of the oncoming wave of AI. 

The book also reminds me of some lines by one of my intellectual heroes – Will Durant (Story of Philosophy); they read:

and it continues:

and finally :

In short, I can’t recommend this book enough.

It would demand very little from you; it would give you a lot, and there are parts of the book that you’d possibly never – ever – forget.

You’d know what I’m talking about once you’ve read it, gentle reader!

Happy reading!

Warmly- Bharat