Descartes' Bones

A "New York Times" Notable BookSixteen years after Reneeacute; Descartes' death in Stockholm in 1650, a pious French ambassador exhumed the remains of the controversialphilosopher to transport them back to Paris. Thus began a 350-year saga that saw Descartes' bones traverse a continent, passing between kings, philosophers, poets, and painters. But as Russell Shorto shows in this deeplyengaging book, Descartes' bones also played a role in some of the most momentous episodes in history, which are also part of the philosopher's metaphorical remains: the birth of science, the rise of democracy, and theearliest debates between reason and faith. Descartes' Bones is a flesh-and-blood story about the battle between religion and rationalism that rages to this day. "Fromthe Trade Paperback edition."