Product Description

This important work marks the first attempt to look at Khayyam's impact on the worlds of science, philosophy, and poetry. Uniting a personal journey with scholarly ambition, Aminrazavi's work debunks the myths surrounding the legend to uncover the real Khayyam.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #890410 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

Review
This is the most nuanced and balanced study of the elusive Omar Khayyam that I have yet encountered. Aminrazavi acknowledges the problems we face in reconciling the personas of the respected mathematician and natural scientist, the questing philosopher and metaphysician, and the skeptical, antinomian poet, and shows himself to be fully conversant with the scholarly arguments involved. He rejects those treatises and couplets which are obviously spurious, but concludes nevertheless that Khayyam the scientist and philosopher was indeed the author of the famous quatrains - more Buddhist or Epicurean at heart than Sufi - which resonated so strongly with like minds in medieval Persia, the later world of Islam, and the modern West. Khayyam is clearly a man for all ages, and Mehdi Aminrazavi does a fine job of introducing him anew to our insecure post-modern world. John Perry, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Chicago The English speaking public have now access to Dr. Aminrazavi's extensive account of Omar Khayyam's scientific and philosophical work, and will become acqauainted with the thinking of this unique Persian intellectual figure. Hossein Ziai, Professor of islamic and Iranian Studies, UCLA "It is the most important book published on Omar Khayyam during the past few decades. For the first time, it deals not only with Khayyam's poetry, but also with his philosophical and scientific works that have not received the treatment that they deserve in the West. It also debunks the myths about Omar Khayyam of having been either an Epicurean drunkard or a mystic. It provides one of the best and most comprehensive analyses of his philosophy and introduces Khayyam as a deep thinker with a rationalist philosophy that is as fresh today as when it was first enunciated. The discussion of the influence of the Ruba'iyyat on leading Western poets and writers such as Mark Twain, T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound and others is also very impressive. Farhang Jahanpour, University of Oxford

About the Author
Mehdi Aminrazavi is Professor of Philosophy and Religion and Co-Director of the Centre for Asian Studies at Mary Washington College in Virginia.

Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Treatise on Khayyam
I am a filmmaker who spent 7 years making a feature film about the legendary mathematician, astronomer, poet of Persia, Omar Khayyam. I cannot think of another book published in this world that gives a more complete and thorough understanding of Khayyam. Dr. Aminrazavi's book is a scholarly masterpiece that illuminates the reader's mind with well researched, solid facts debunking the myths surrounding Khayyam. Each chapter clearly lays out the author's own struggle with what is fact and what is fiction. The book also explores Khayyam's vast influence on literature in the West. If there is anyone out there who wants an encyclopedic look into the mind of the 11th Century genius with the soul of a poet, look no further...purchase Wine of Wisdom today!

enlightened reading
The seems to be a lot of redundancy in the first part of the book but the overall information, history and review of the philosophy is well presented.
A very interesting book and enjoyable to read.

A good overview
This book reviewed many writers/articles on these 13th Century poems and the mathamation/philosopher poet(or poets) who is (are)responsible for them. The information was interesting and helpful. Background into the times and traditions was included.