The Swerve: How the World Became Modern

One of the books read by Thomas Frank, quite engaging, it is a story of obsessive research by a certain Poggio, a 15th-century figure who served as a papal “secretary” and traveled across Europe in search of Latin manuscripts.

It presents very well the remarkable story of Lucretius’s manuscript, which was revolutionary in its way of thinking (hedonistic, I would say, and very pragmatic) and introduced concepts like atoms and free thought outside religion. In the Middle Ages it was almost lost, but fortunately some monasteries copied it, and it was later found by Poggio.

I do not quite feel the importance of Lucretius; perhaps I should read him. That said, I really liked how the author described the context and the passion of Poggio and many others who were struck by the work, as well as the misadventures of the popes of the time. It was good to see such an interesting figure given his due.

Toward the end I grew bored and I am not sure how to assess the book; it almost reads like a tale. Fair enough, I would not reread it.