“[Herring] has a genius for condensing complex philosophical and scientific postulates into digestible bites.” John Banville, The Nation

“Herring's account is intellectual history at its finest" The New Criterion

A “lively and deft biography of Bergson.” The New York Times

“The most intellectually stimulating book I read this year.”John Banville, New Statesman’s Best Books of 2024

“Since the turn of this century, [Bergson] has begun to benefit from positive scholarly reassessment, of which Herring’s sensitive and compelling biographical study represents a welcome extension for the general reader.” The Times Literary Supplement

"Herring weaves together biographical detail with lucid accounts of [Bergson's] basic ideas. She has produced a much-needed reintroduction of Bergson to English-language readers." The Wall Street Journal

“Written in graceful prose and drawing a clear analogy with contemporary techno-optimism and its discontents, this captivates.”Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A solidly researched and earnestly accessible portrait of a creative, free-thinking intellect." Kirkus Reviews

“From perfumed ladies to end-of-life mud baths, this beautifully written book tells the story of a seemingly unassuming, bowler-hatted Frenchman whose philosophy would sweep the world. Its profound ideas—evolution, consciousness, time—are explored with depth and humor in a way that is, appropriately, creative and new. Emily Herring has captured the magic and the mystique of Bergson.”―Emily Thomas, author of The Meaning of Travel

“Henri Bergson thought nothing could be learned about a philosopher’s ideas by studying their life. Herring proves him very wrong in this engaging biography of the Parisian thinker who accidentally became an international celebrity.”―Nigel Warburton, author of A Little History of Philosophy

“With flair and verve, Herring unveils the life and philosophy of the enchanting and trailblazing icon of change and creativity: Henri Bergson. The result is a fascinating biography and magnificent revival of this brilliant thinker who was once the most influential philosopher in the world. Herring’s beautifully compelling narrative shows how Bergson’s ideas still hold the power to illuminate the human experience and the meaning of life.”―Skye Cleary, author of How to Be Authentic

“Thanks to Herring, Bergson is back—and it’s about time.”―Matthew Sweet, author of Operation Chaos