Super Short Summary

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut, translated by Adrian Nathan West, is a work of historical fiction composed of five linked essay-style chapters that explore the profound and often devastating impacts of scientific advancements, such as the development of mustard gas and the atom bomb, through the stories of the scientists responsible for these breakthroughs and their personal struggles. The book discusses themes like death by suicide, mental health conditions, antisemitic violence, pedophilia, and sexual assault.