Când nu mai înțelegem lumea

Benjamín Labatut shows how new work in physics and maths can help or harm people. He follows Fritz Haber and Alexander Grothendieck. He also follows Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schrödinger. Their work changed lives. At times, it caused pain they had not foreseen. Why do people still seek knowledge despite these risks?

This is a work of literary fiction with linked stories. Labatut draws on research into real lives and adds made-up scenes. The stories blur the line between fact and fiction. They look at pride and the limits of what we know. They also show how humans have the power to destroy themselves.

Labatut was born in Rotterdam in 1980. He lived in The Hague, Buenos Aires and Lima. At fourteen, he moved to Santiago de Chile. There, he studied journalism. His early work included short stories and essays about real lives. This was his third book. It came out in 22 countries. It earned a nomination for the 2021 International Booker Prize. It also earned one for the National Book Award. The New York Times Book Review chose it as one of its ten best books of 2021.

Marin Malaicu-Hondrari translated this edition from Spanish. Its original title is Un verdor terrible. This edition forms part of the Anansi series.