A.C. Grayling is one of Britain's leading intellectuals. He is the author of the best-selling The Meaning of Things, The Reason of Things and most recently The Mystery of Things. He is a columnist for The Times and a regular contributor to the Financial Times, The Observer, Independent on Sunday, Economist, Literary Review, New Statesman and Prospect, and a frequent and popular contributor to radio and television. He was a Man Booker judge in 2003, is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum and an advisor on many committees. He is the author of Descartes: The Life and Times of a Genius.