PASSIONATE MINDS

Through the prism of their tumultuous 15-year relationship we see the crumbling of an ancient social order and the birth of the Enlightenment. Together the two lovers rebuilt a dilapidated and isolated rural chateau at Cirey, where they conducted scientific experiments, entertained many of the leading thinkers of the burgeoning Scientific Revolution, and developed radical ideas about the monarchy, the nature of free will, the subordination of women, and the separation of church and state. Based on a rich array of personal letters, as well as writings from houseguests, neighbors, scientists, and even police reports, the book is an unforgettable love story and a vivid rendering of the birth of modern ideas.