The Best of All Possible Worlds

Name: The Best of All Possible Worlds
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781805330868
Price: 49.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

A Life of Leibniz in Seven Pivotal Days

By Michael Kempe

0.0 (0 reviews)

Brief Description

A gripping portrait of the man considered the last universal genius that takes us on a mind-expanding journey through the history of ideas. The Best of All Possible Worlds by Michael Kempe is the Leibniz biography for our time. It is difficult to even begin to... Read More

Format: Hardback

$49⁹⁹

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

The Best of All Possible Worlds

$49⁹⁹

NEW ZEALAND 22 Sep 2026

Nicky Hager publishers new book on the Tax Payers Union

Nicky Hager has launched a new book tonight - and Book Hero will be shipping...

AMELIA'S CORNER 22 Sep 2026

What Actually Makes a Party Game a Party Game?

From clever clues and sneaky bluffing to trivia, creativity and complete chaos, party games come...

BIOGRAPHY 21 Sep 2026

Review of Home Again by Jon Toogood

When it was revealed that Jon Toogood was to release a memoir I pretty much jumped out...

BOARD GAME 18 Sep 2026

What I Read (and Played) in Bali

I always read more when I travel. There’s the flight over, the hotel breakfast where...

A Seven Sharp Visit and a Huge Thank You!

It's been a busy last week at Rawiri Place before our big move, with a...

Description

A gripping portrait of the man considered the last universal genius that takes us on a mind-expanding journey through the history of ideas.

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Michael Kempe is the Leibniz biography for our time. It is difficult to even begin to do justice to his rich spirit, but Kempe succeeds.' – Daniel Kehlmann, author of Measuring the World

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was one of history's most astounding thinkers, a universal genius akin to Leonardo da Vinci or Benjamin Franklin, but comparatively little known. In this mind-expanding biography, historian Michael Kempe charts a thrilling course through Leibniz's work, illuminating the continued impact of his unparalleled contributions to knowledge.

Recreating seven crucial days in Leibniz's life, Kempe shows us a great mind in action, surging with ideas that would change the course of mathematics and philosophy, even laying early foundations for modern digital culture. We find him in Paris, working from his bed amidst a sea of notes when he puts the basis for modern calculus to paper for the first time; and in Vienna, enjoying a coffee as he discovers unforeseen links between biology and mathematics.

Convinced that everything was profoundly interconnected, Leibniz was driven by an exhilarating optimism that allowed him to build bridges between faith and reason, physics and metaphysics - and to harness the endless potential of a single mind on a single day.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781805330868

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 07 November 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Pushkin Press

Contributors:

Translated by Marshall Yarbrough
Translated by Marshall Yarbrough

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 304

Collections

Biography & Memoir Michael Kempe Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies Non-Fiction

About the Author

Michael Kempe studied History and Philosophy in Konstanz and Dublin. He is head of the Leibniz Archives/Research Unit at the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities and Director of the Leibniz Archive in Hannover.

Marshall Yarbrough is a writer, translator, and musician. He has translated works by Ulla Lenze, Norman Ohler, and Wolf Wondratschek, among other authors.

Also by Michael Kempe

View all

The Best of All Possible Worlds

The Best of All Possible Worlds is described as 'the Leibniz biography for our time. It is difficult to even begin to do justice to his rich spirit, but Kempe succeeds,' according to Daniel Kehlmann, author of Measuring the World. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was one of history's most astounding thinkers, a universal genius akin to Leonardo da Vinci or Benjamin...

By Michael Kempe

Paperback

$29⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Biography & Memoir

View all

Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About

From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...

By Isabel Klee

Paperback

$32⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
Lizzy's Pick

Famesick

Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgun wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through her journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...

By Lena Dunham

Paperback

$32⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$35⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

Shirl's Pick

Home Again

Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...

By Jon Toogood

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
This Angry Pen of Mine

This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...

By Layne Staley

Hardback

$72⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$89⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

Swan Song

Beautiful. Beloved. Hunted. The extraordinary life and death of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles – available to pre-order now. ‘When asked, ‘What was it like, growing up with Diana?’, my first thought is always, But I don’t know what it was like not to grow up with her…’ In September 1997, Charles Spencer stood in Westminster Abbey before...

By Charles Spencer

Hardback

$54⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$65⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships today
Signed Copy

Shirl's Pick

Stakes

Read our interview with author Noelle McCarthy! A darkly funny, sparkling follow-up to the author’s bestselling memoir Grand. You have to invite him in. You have to want the vampire’s badness in the house with you. Growing up in Catholic Ireland, Noelle McCarthy is captivated by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The vampire is a risk-free fantasy, a suave alternative to the fraught realities...

By Noelle McCarthy

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$40⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships today
Built for This

Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform...

By Brad Poulter

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
Even the Good Girls Will Cry

Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and...

By Melissa Auf der Maur

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

(1)

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

An Ocean and a Day

An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...

By Hannah Richell

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
A Place to Stand

A Place to Stand by Clare Ward is a profound memoir that delves into the life of a country doctor living and working in the Hokianga Harbour area in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is sparsely populated and poses numerous health challenges. This thoughtful account details Clare’s thirty-year career, highlighting the people she works with and...

By Clare Ward

Hardback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

(1)

In Stock
Ships today
Rule of Lies

Written with all the pace and energy of a John Grisham novel … An incredible true story and a great read! BILL BROWDER, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order An American lawyer’s brilliant, propulsive story of witnessing and playing a part in the transformation of Russia under Yeltsin and Putin. A true tale of fascinating personalities, criminal intrigue, harrowing...

By Jamison R. Firestone

Paperback

$29⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

(1)

In Stock
Ships today
Rory

The New York Times bestseller The #1 Irish Times bestseller The definitive biography of Rory McIlroy, the most important, popular and confounding player of the post-Tiger era. Rory McIlroy contains multitudes. The child of a working-class family from a small town in a war-torn homeland now commutes to work in his own private jet and counts billionaires as confidants. He can overwhelm a golf...

By Alan Shipnuck

Paperback

$36⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$41⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.