Rating: 
Summary: Great read
Review: Great read but found the section on Nash's theories was too heavy going and obscure. Still, if you can make it through this, the book is a wonderful insight into a truly amazing man. If you enjoy the movie, you must must read the book to see what more there is to the story. A little too detailed in places but I guess it shows the depth of research put into the book. Highly recommended. The lines between brilliance, eccentricity and madness are clearly very close sometimes...
Rating:
Summary: A Balanced View of a Complex Life
Review: I enjoyed the movie, but I wanted to know more about John Nash's work and genius, as well as his schizophrenia. Sylvia Nasar's book delivered on all counts. It also did so in an style that was neither a dry reporting of facts nor an annoying progression of overwrought metaphors. Nasar carefully wove together biography, the world of academia and mathematics in particular, and schizophrenia research findings. Unlike the movie, the book shows that Nash published several brilliant ideas in pure mathematics after the start of his insane delusions (which were much stranger than in the movie and much more well-known due to the bizarre rants he would mail to friends and world leaders). The book also gives credit to the mathematicians who helped Nash with job offers and research grants after he became ill. The only criticism I have is a lack of guidance at times through this long life. Nasar tells us when Mrs. Nash files for divorce but not when the divorce is finalized. Since they didn't quite go their separate ways, it was confusing. Sometimes it's hard to tell what year it is, since she often only gives months. But overall Nasar's book is a very readable, balanced account of a genius who was not only socially immature but psychologically and physically cruel at times. For those put off by this: he not only comes out of his delusions, he also seems to grow more aware and appreciative of other people over time.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic book - It reminds me of another Beautiful Mind!
Review: Thank God someone has the courage to write a hopeful and honest portrayal of someone who is a survivor of a severe mental illness. It is a rare thing indeed to read something at all positive about the mentally ill. Bravo to the courageous and skillful writer of this book and her subject of study, Mr. Nash. Another wonderful new book to read which also gives hope to the mentally ill and the survivors of mental illness is the beautifully written new autobiography by Tracy Harris entitled "The Music of Madness". I highly reccomend both books if you want to be inspired and enlightened.
Rating: 
Summary: Explanations are weak
Review: I wanted to understand some of the basic math, economics, and game theory. I think with just a few more words, the author could have made the concepts comprehensible. Instead, she opted for over-simplifed explanations that just didn't sound right and couldn't help the reader learn. A few times I wanted to throw the book against the wall due to its lack of comprehensible explanations. After doing some research, I think some of the technical material was over-simplifed to the point of being wrong. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book because of the characters.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful
Review: Mental illness not only affects the individual but can disrupt the whole family and extended family. This book helps one deal with it. As in 'Creating Extraordinary Joy' this book teaches one how to live a life of happiness and joy. I read this book together with "Creating Extraordinary Joy" by Chris Alexander and the combination is magical.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT
Review: I MUST ADMIT I HAVE NOT FINISHED THE BOOK AS OF YET.I'M TAKING MY TIME TO READ, BECAUSE IT IS SO MUCH INFORMATION I CAN NOT TAKE IT ALL IN WITHOUT GETTING EMOTION. I DID SEE THE MOVIE ON YESTERDAY(2-5-02)I WENT ALONE AND CRIED MOST OF THE WAY. I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR HIS WIFE WHO WAS THERE OR SHALL I SAY IS THERE BECAUSE OF THE LOVE. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO SUFFERS FROM MENTAL ILLNESS. I TRUST WE ARE STILL FRIENDS, BUT HE MAKES THINGS VERY DIFFICULT AT TIMES, BUT I PLAN TO STICK WITH HIM . BACK TO THE BOOK/MOVIE I CAN SAY NOTHING BUT EVERBODY SHOULD READ THIS. IF MY FRIEND SHOULD READ THIS I WANT HIM TO KNOW HE IS LOVED
Rating:
Summary: Courageous, Rare Insight and a tribute to the human spirit!!
Review: This is a book for everyone, as it is a rare life that is touched in some way by mental illness. Compassionately written, without omitting the harsh reality. I believe that by this book, we can truly learn something incredible about the human minds and hearts of John Nash, Alicia Nash and the author Sylvia Nasar.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful work on a difficult subject
Review: Having seen the movie and heard that the book is quite different, I read Nasar's biography of John Nash with great curiosity. I think it is among the finest biographies I have ever read, not least because Nash is perhaps one of the most difficult people about whom one could write for so many reasons. From his humble beginnings in West Virginia, to the controversy and anxiety that surrounded his winning the Nobel Prize, Nasar clearly conducted back-breaking research on her subject, which paid off immensely. Her study of Nash is comprehensive, interesting, and very fair. The background research that she must have conducted in game theory, mental illnesses, mathematics, and academia in general must have been exhausting, as it is reflected beautifully in her work. While I agree with many of the previous reviewers in their claim that Nash wasn't the nicest guy in the world, I don't see why that's any reason to fault Nasar- who, if anything, deserves even GREATER praise for not being biased by this troubled man's accomplishments. She effectively conveys the many, many sides of Nash's personal life, illness, recovery, and redemption. I definitely recommend it to anyone, especially to someone who's already seen the movie.
Rating:
Summary: So You Don't Know Math?
Review: One need know little or nothing of mathematics to be thoroughly involved in this fascinating, sad, intensely human story. It touches on the eccentricities of genius, the devastation of mental breakdown, and the accomplishments made in spite of (or because of?) all that. The respect and loving support of friends and colleagues throughout Nash's ordeals and his frequent nasty behavior is a story in itself. Sylvia Nasar herself must be some kind of genius and must have loved what she was doing. The astonishing amount of research that went into the book is well worth noting and is easily followed with the extensive end notes. The book very much brought to mind "The Double Helix" by James D. Watson - the story of his and Crick's search for the structure of DNA. It also shows how discovery in science can be art as well as science.
Rating:
Summary: Much more than the story of John Nash
Review: The movie is good and so is the book. But, they are quite different. The book describes what it was like to be a graduate student at Princeton in the 30's and 40's when this country became the scientific capital of the world. Nash rubbed elbows with many of the greats like Einstein, von Neumann, Oppenheimer, etc. There is also a very interesting description of the development of game theory and how it came into use at the Rand Corporation to fight the cold war.
There are a few problems with the book. For example, she gives John von Neumann credit for inventing the implosion method used in the plutonium bomb and says he was the top mathematician for the Manhatten Project. Neither is true. Von Neumann really had very little day-to-day involvement at Los Alamos. Hans Bethe was in charge of the math group. Von Neumann was called in as a consultant only when they needed special help with the math. They had already made the decision to use the implosion method and knew generally how the were going to do it when they brought von Neumann in. [The idea was to use a combination of two types of explosive material in which the shock waves traveled at different speeds. With the right geometry this could focus the shock wave sort of like a two-element optical lens focuses light. The seed of the idea came from someone in England who used it to design a shell for penetrating tank armor.] Von Neumann helped them work out the techniques for mathematically modeling the explosive shock wave. This was important, because it enabled them to design the geometry of the explosive lens with a minimum of testing and time. But, the only thing he invented was the numerical method for doing the math.
Occasional problems with the technological aspects don't do much harm, though, if you focus on her descriptions of the personalities and relationships. These are really the best parts and I think she does a much better job on this than any of the other authors I've read, including Richard Rhodes.
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