Passionate Minds

"In 1733 the poet and philosopher Voltaire met Emilie du Châtelet, a beguiling--and married--aristocrat whose scientific studies would pave the way for Einstein's theory of relativity. They immediately fell in love. Through the prism of their tumultuous fifteen-year relationship, we see the crumbling of an ancient social order and the birth of the Enlightenment. The two lovers conducted scientific experiments, entertained leading thinkers, and developed radical ideas about the nature of free will, the subordination of women, and the separation of church and state. They also survived court affairs that bent but did not break their bond. Along with its riveting portrait of Voltaire as a vulnerable romantic, 'Passionate Minds' at last does justice to the unconventional life and remarkable achievements of Emile du Châtelet"--Page 4 of cover.