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A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash
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A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash
Author: Sylvia Nasar

Book Information
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Book Type: Paperback
Rating:

ISBN-13: 9780743224574 - ISBN-10: 0743224574
Publication Date: 12/4/2001
Pages: 464


Other Versions of this Book: Hardcover, Paperback, Audio Cassette (Abridged), Audio CD (Abridged), Audio Cassette (Unabridged), Audio CD (Unabridged), Hardcover

Book Description:

How could you, a mathematician, believe that extraterrestrials were sending you messages?" the visitor from Harvard asked the West Virginian with the movie-star looks and Olympian manner.

"Because the ideas I had about supernatural beings came to me the same way my mathematical ideas did," came the answer. "So I took them seriously."

Thus begins the true story of John Nash, the mathematical genius who was a legend by age thirty when he slipped into madness, and who -- thanks to the selflessness of a beautiful woman and the loyalty of the mathematics community -- emerged after decades of ghostlike existence to win a Nobel Prize and world acclaim. The inspiration for a major motion picture, Sylvia Nasar's award-winning biography is a drama about the mystery of the human mind, triumph over incredible adversity, and the healing power of love.


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Top Member Book Reviews

Glenda W. (Mixitup) wrote on 6/6/2007...

3 member(s) found this review helpful.

Outstanding book! A little slow starting because of the background detail Nasar includes, but worth the perseverance. An incredible story about Nobel prize-winner John Nash and his struggle and eventual victory over the incurable disease of schizophrenia.

Esther H. P. (estar) wrote on 10/19/2006...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Dense, rich biography of a fascinating person. Reveals much more than the great movie did.

Emma C. (palamas) wrote on 8/22/2006...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

A great book! More true and more tough that the movie made of it.

Susan D. wrote on 3/25/2006...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Engrossing, tragic and ultimately uplifiting -- particularly for one who parented a child that shares much with subject John Nash. The movie does not touch the depth of his story. This is a compelling book.

Valerie F. wrote on 1/23/2006...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

I became interested in this book after having seen the movie. I was not disappointed. John Nash was an unconventional Nobel Laureate, suffering from mental illness while still making significant contributions to science. A moving read.

Monty F. wrote on 1/14/2006...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Reading this award-winning biography was a can't-put-it-down experience for me, and I generally don't like biographies. A very interesting portrait of a brilliant, complex person. It's much better than the movie.

Cindy D. (sojourner) wrote on 12/31/2005...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Beware, lots of technical background in science and math. However this information is essential in order to gain a real understanding of this man. Includes contemporary and up to date information on mental illness. I very much enjoyed this book.

Eleni P. (justleni) wrote on 3/18/2005...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

A good book.Good character developement. Gets tedious towards the end.

Michelle P. (Michelle) wrote on 3/9/2005...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Love this one!!! I believe it is one of my absolute favorites of all time. Great for all you Psych majors out there!

Marilyn O. wrote on 5/20/2009...

1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Spectacular and well-documented account of Nash's life. It is scholarly in approach but adds so much more to an understanding of Nash than the movie did. Difficult reading when explaining economic theory, but SO worth the effort. I keep buying copies to give away!


Please Rate these Book Reviews

Brooke S. (KatyUerry) wrote on 7/7/2008...


I thought this was a very difficult book to read, especially in the first 100 pages or so. The parts I had the most trouble with were the passages almost all about these theorem's and describing them, and how so and so got to them, how they work, what they do, ect... I know this is a book about a mathematical genius and obviously is going to have text about math, but since I am not a genius and I like to read into every paragraph, it was difficult for me to get try to grasp what she was saying. Maybe I just read into everything too much and should focus on the bigger picture, move on and leave it as that, but I don't. After you get past these rough passages though the book really is wonderful. I would read it again. I have never seen the movie but it can't possibly beat the book. Sylvia Nasar has done a fine job of letting us glimpse into the extraordinary life of John Nash.

Amy R. (dandelion) wrote on 5/23/2008...


I wanted to see this film when it came out but I have a personal rule to read "the book" first, even if I know the movie doesn't exactly follow the story. In this case I did enjoy both, though the movie left out some very important facts about the brilliant Nash's life. Read the book, don't assume you know it all after the film. I believe these were important facts involving the realities behind his mathematical genius. He changed the way we look at fields such as sociology, international negotiations, business...A truly human story with all the beautiful blemishes.

Jill H. wrote on 11/15/2007...


amazing snapshot of one man's attempt to fix the broken part of his powerful mind

Opal H. wrote on 6/8/2007...


John Nash was a legend by age thirty when he slipped into madness but, thanks to the selflessness of a beautiful woman, he emerged after decades to win the Nobel prize and world acclaim. this is a drama about the mystery of the human mind, triumph over incredible adversity and the healing power of love.

Nicole L. wrote on 4/22/2007...


A great book, great movie.

Muriel C. wrote on 12/21/2006...


The Award-Winning Bestseller is the true story of John Nash, the mathematical genius who was a legend age thirty when he slipped into madness, and who - thanks to the selflessness of a beautiful woman and the loyalty of the mathematics community - emerged after decades of ghost-like existence to win a Nobel Prize and world acclaim. The inspiration for a major motion picture, Sylvia Nasar's award-winning biography is a drama about the mystery of the human mind, triumph over incredible adversity, and the healing power of love.

I saw the movie and loved it-however I did not choose to read the book having already seen the movie of his story.

Lynn M. (officerripley) wrote on 4/15/2006...


The true story of John Nash, the mathematical genius who was a legend by age 30 when he slipped into madness, and who--thanks to the selflessness of a beautiful woman and the loyalty of the mathematics community--emerged after decades of ghostlike existence to win a Nobel Prize and world acclaim. The inspiration for a major motion picture, a drama about the mystery of the human mind, triumph over incredible adversity, and the healing power of love.

Maryann H. (MaryannLovesBooks) wrote on 3/14/2006...


Fascinateing book that reads like a novel. True story of Mathematical genius John Nash who came to believe he was communicateing with extraterestrials. An amazing saga of genius and maddness.

Vincent L. (Vince) wrote on 2/19/2006...


Like new condition, very interesting story of math genius.

Suze U. (A-Z) wrote on 1/25/2006...


Once again, ended up with two copies of this book~


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