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Title: An Elegant Solution

Author: Paul Robertson

Narrator: Jonathan Todd Ross

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-03-14

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

For young Leonhard Euler, the Bernoulli family have been more than just friends. Master Johann has been a demanding mentor, and his sons have been Leonhard's allies and companions. But it is also a family torn by jealousy and distrust. Father and sons are engaged in a ruthless competition for prestige among the mathematical elites of Europe, especially the greatest prize: the Chair of Mathematics at the University of Basel, which Johann holds and his sons want. And now, their aspirations may have turned deadly. Lured into an investigation of the suspicious death of Uncle Jacob 20 years ago, Leonhard soon realizes there's more at stake than even a prominent appointment. Surrounded by the most brilliant - and cunning - minds of his generation, Leonhard is forced to see how dangerous his world is. His studies in mathematics have always been entwined with his thoughts on theology, and now, caught in a deadly battle of wills, he'll need both his genius and his faith to survive.

Members Reviews:

Euler at 18

This unusual historical novel is set in Basel, Switzerland, in 1725 and is narrated by the 18-year-old Leonhard Euler.

Leonhard, who was then a student in Basel, would go on to become one of the greatest mathematicians of all time, known for both the tremendous quantity and great originality of his work. Paul Robertson's portrayal of Euler includes several qualities of character consistent with the young man's later success, including diligence and self-discipline; an active imagination; and a passion for mathematics fueled by the conviction that his work glorified his Creator.

As Malcolm Gladwell might point out, the success of an "outlier" like Euler also can be partially explained by the exceptional opportunities available to him, especially the chance to work under Johann Bernoulli during the time when the techniques and applications of calculus were being developed. The Bernoulli family, which was brilliant but divided by rivalry and jealousy, is also a major part of Euler's life and Robertson's story.

As the story begins, Johann's sons Daniel and Nicolaus come back home to Basel for a visit, and Euler finds himself in the middle of the family's strife. Shortly after their arrival a local man is murdered, and the body is found in a trunk that seems to have connections to the Bernoullis. While studying the mathematical and physical laws of the universe, Euler also searches for the truth about the murder, an investigation involving the complex dynamics of the Bernoulli family and the power structure of the local university.

Highlights of the novel include Robertson's depiction of Euler and the Bernoullis and his rich descriptions of Basel and its university life and politics. Those interested in the history of mathematics or the relationship between mathematics and faith should find this book especially compelling.

A truly elegant book

What an elegant book by Paul Roberston, a man whose other books I am going to search out. Paul writes about a time when men thought they could worship God by the study of math as well as they could sitting in a pew.

Let me quote a paragraph in the book where the main character is contemplating Newton's math of gravity:

The stars were vast, but their infinite sum still was only a finite portion of the sky.