Paul Strathern studied philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin. He has lectured in philosophy and mathematics. He is a Somerset Maugham prize-winning novelist; the author of two series of books - Philosophers in 90 Minutes and The Big Idea: Scientists who Changed the World; and, most recently, has written Mendeleyev's Dream (shortlisted for the Aventis Science Book Prize) and Dr. Strangelove's Game: A History of Economic Genius.
An excellent history...an entertaining, if ultimately dispiriting tale of the rise and fall of an ambitious banking family -- Ian Thomson * Sunday Times * Strathern has done his research thoroughly, and tells a good story well * Sunday Telegraph * A great overview of one family's centuries-long role in changing the face of Europe * Irish Independent *