Unended Quest

At the age of eight, Karl Popper was puzzling over the idea of infinity and by fifteen beginning to take a keen interest in his father's well-stocked library of books. Unended Quest recounts these moments and many others in the life of one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century. Popper witnessed two World Wars and the collapse of Communism in the Eastern bloc, and provides here an indispensable account of the ideas that influenced him most, in particular his early fascination with science and philosophy. He talks about aspects of his life rarely discussed elsewhere, such as his love of music, the mixed feelings about his Jewish background, and his debate with Wittgenstein and the now legendary 'poker' incident. Popper also corresponded with a range of intellectual figures, including Heisenberg, Schrödinger, Einstein and Russell. Yet it is as an introduction to Popper's philosophy that Unended Quest shines. Popper lucidly explains some of the central ideas in his work, making this book ideal reading for anyone coming to Popper's life and work for the first time.