The Golem

Introduction: The Golem condition -- 1. The face of destruction: Paul Wegener's World War I Golem films -- 2. The Golem cult of 1921 New York: between redemption and expulsion -- 3. Our enemies, ourselves: Israel's monsters of 1948 -- 4. Supergolem: revenge after the Holocaust -- 5. Pacifist computers and Jewish cyborgs: fighting for the future

What is the golem? In Jewish mythology the Golem is an effigy or image brought to life. While not evil, it is a strong, clumsy and incomplete servant. Through a series of case studies, ranging from relativity and cold fusion to memory in worms and the sex lives of lizards, Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch debunk the traditional view that science is the straightforward result of competent theorization, observation and experimentation. Scientific certainty is the interpretation of ambiguous results. The very well received first edition generated much debate, reflected in a substantial new Afterword in this new edition, which seeks to place the book in what have become known as 'the science wars'.

Retold from traditional sources and accompanied by David Wisniewski's unique cut-paper illustrations, Golem is a dramatic tale of supernatural forces invoked to save an oppressed people. It also offers a thought-provoking look at the consequences of unleashing power beyond human control. The afterword discusses the legend of the golem and its roots in the history of the Jews. A Caldecott Medal Book.

This retelling of an ancient Jewish legend will capture a new audience with its powerful illustrations and timeless text.

‘One of only two novels I've ever loved whose main characters are not human’ BARBARA KINGSOLVER For fans of The Essex Serpent and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock. ‘By far my favourite book of of the year’ Guardian

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Alex Delaware novels and the award-winning #1 international bestselling author of The Genius combine their extraordinary talents for one of the most unusual—and unnerving—thrillers of the year. Detective Jacob Lev has awakened dazed and confused: it appears he picked up a woman the night before, but can’t remember anything about it. And then suddenly, she’s gone. Not long after, he’s dispatched to a murder scene in a house in the Hollywood hills. There is no body, only a head. And seared into a kitchen counter is a message: the Hebrew word for justice. Lev is about to embark on an odyssey—through Los Angeles, London, and Prague, through the labyrinthine mysteries of a grotesque ancient legend, and most of all, through himself. All that he has believed to be true will be upended. And not only his world, but the world itself, will be changed.

The Golem--a creature born of clay that looks like a man but is not a man, that is not exactly alive but neither is he dead.Stories of such nonhuman beings created by men appear again and again throughout the centuries. The Golem here is created by Rabbi Judah Loew to help the Jews of Prague, at a time when their enemies were many and their fate often a bloody one.Barbara Rogasky's version of the old Jewish tale is gripping and suspenseful. She has brought the Golem to dramatic and unforgettable life.Trina Schart Hyman's stunning illustrations make the Jewish ghetto of sixteenth century Prague as real as yesterday, and the Golem as possible as tomorrow.

The authors demonstrate that the imperfections in technology are related to the uncertainties in science described in the first volume.