CAPITAL OF THE MIND (EDINBURGH)

In just fifty years, Edinburgh produced more philosophical landmarks from the likes of Smith, Hume and Hutton than any town of its size since the Athens of Socrates. James Buchan resurrects every aspect of eighteenth-century Edinburgh, and shows how a succession of disasters demolished old systems of thought and behaviour to set Edinburgh's men and women exploring in strange new directions. Capital of the Mind opens a fascinating window on a glorious time when Edinburgh was the most beautiful and intellectually significant city in Europe.