Rating: 
Summary: A most unbelievable story!
Review: Sylvia Nash chronicles the story of John Nash's descent from fame as a mathematician working in some of the most prestigious universities in the United States to the bizarre world of the schizophrenic and then back out into becoming a Nobel Prize in Economics recipient. With painstaking precision and tons of footnotes, she began with Nash's family history and proceeded through Nash's life up to the present, never thinking twice about presenting any fact which may be disagreeable to some readers in an effort to present Nash's life as clearly as possible. Her work is not only a credit to non-fiction writing but is also one step in the right direction to help the public see mental illness as something other than an affliction to be shunned. She shows that under the layers of a malfunctioning psyche, John Nash is a real human being. Although the book contains many facts about mathematics that are beyond my understanding, presenting them lends credibility to the fact that John Nash has, not only a beautiful, but also a great mind.
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Summary: The best biography ever written
Review: Mathematicians have received surprising attention in the last decade, some of this being negative and some positive. This book intends to give attention to a mathematician that is accurate as well as interesting. It succeeds in this in every way, and allows the reader an inside view of the mind of one of the most noted mathematicians of the twentieth century. It is now a cliche to say that when a book is good that one "cannot put it down", but this is what happened to me when I began to read it. It is a totally absorbing account of the life and mathematical discoveries of John Nash, and this is no doubt due to the fact that the biographer has solid technical competence. It would be very helpful to the entire mathematical community if the lives of the best of our mathematicians would be documented as well as Nash's is here. Even from a solely didactic point of view, the mathematics of the mathematician can be better understood when it is put in an organized, historical perspective. There are many interesting insights and anedotes throughout the book. JN was apparently labeled as an "underachiever" by his elementary school teachers, with his worse grades being in music and mathematics. It is no surprise to learn that books were his best friends as a child, but it is interesting to learn that he spent much of his childhood performing experiments in his home laboratory. Mathematics is not really an empirical science, and Nash's mathematical achievements rank more as pure than applied. Widely read, he also evidently preferred solving problems "in his head" rather than via the ubiquitous pencil and paper. The biographer also gives interesting insights into the kind of university Princeton was at the time JN entered. In the Princeton department of mathematics, "Grades meant nothing" she quotes Solomon Lefschetz as saying. Emily Artin, the famous algebraist at Princeton at the time, apparently did not like Nash, clashing with him frequently in the "common room", and recommended that Nash be thrown out of Princeton. Also, the reader learns that game theory was viewed as somewhat "declasse" at Princeton, which is even more interesting considering its importance now in business and in research in artificial intelligence. The formalist school of mathematics held center stage at the time, and the biographer labels Nash's paper on the topic "one of the first to apply the axiomatic method to a problem in the social sciences". John von Neumann apparently thought his results "trivial" though, says the biographer. A whole chapter is spent on Nash's determination to avoid military service, for reasons that entering the military would preclude the obtaining of a prominent academic position. Nash's bisexuality is perhaps a surprise, if compared to the rest of the mathematical community, who are in general heterosexual, then and now. Attitudes about homosexuality cost him a job according to the biographer. In the current age of political correctness and diversity-with-bias, this would be unheard of. With reference to his personal life, Nash's relationship with Alicia was delineated beautifully by the biographer. Even a mind so given to abstractions as Nash's needs the concreteness and warmth of human interaction. The perplexing age anxiety of mathematicians is also brought out in the book. A perusal of the brilliant work of the over-40 Edward Witten and Andrew Wiles should of course put this (crippling) anxiety to rest. Nash's decision to work on the Riemann Hypothesis would perhaps, if he had continued to work on it, brought him to middle-age and beyond. One could perhaps speculate on what Nash would have achieved mathematically if mental illness would not have crippled him. Such speculation is superfluous though, as the contributions he made are more than most individuals have or could have made. His life hitherto has been one of overwhelming success, and his mind to be viewed with quiet envy.
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Summary: Journey to and from madness
Review: The author gives a straightforward exposition of Nash's mathematical ideas and schizophrenia. Her story of the undercurrent behind Nash's Nobel is fascinating and one of very few such descriptions available in a book. If I had to sum up the book, it is about genius, journey, and the thin line between madness and genius.
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Summary: (Genius+Madness+Remission) X (Love+Support)= Nobel Prize
Review: .......................................................... This biography chronicles the life of John Forbes Nash Jr. (born: 1928). This book consists first of a prologue then five parts that make up the narrative. As a brief synopsis, part one details Nash's mathematical genius. This is, I feel, the most important part of the book. Part two gives us insight into Nash's relationships. Part three describes Nash's slipping into mental illness and his first hospitalization (around age thirty). Part four gives readers an account of Nash's full-blown mental illness, his several hospitalizations, the love and patience of his ex-wife who helps him cope, and the support, loyalty, and patience of the mathematical community. Lastly, part five tells us of his remission from mental illness (after thirty years) and his sharing of the 1994 Nobel Prize in economics (for his part in the pioneering analysis of equilibria in the theory of non-cooperative games). This book has a number of good features: (1) THE PROLOGUE. This is really a summary of the five parts discussed above. It prepares the reader for the detailed chapters that follow. I feel that this extremely well written prologue is a major feature of the book. (2) "MINI-BIOGRAPHIES." In the main narrative, the author does not only briefly mention important people (such as mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers) but in many instances gives a good description of who they are and what they accomplished. (3) VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OF PLACES. For example, the author's description of Princeton in the late '40s/early '50s made me feel that I was really there. Her description of what occurs behind the scenes before a Nobel Prize is given out is exquisite. (4) INFORMATION ABOUT SCHIZOPHRENIA. As the biography progresses, important up-to-date information about this disease that can shatter lives is given to us for our understanding. (5) NASH'S MATHEMATICS. The author introduces the reader to important mathematical concepts. Some of these include game theory, Prisoner's Dilemma, cooperative versus non-cooperative games, symmetric versus asymmetric games, bargaining, algebraic manifolds, and quantum mechanics. For those readers who want more information on these concepts, they can refer to the references included in the notes (footnotes at the back of the book) section and bibliography section. (6) PHOTOGRAPHS. There are twenty-six black-and-white ones located at the end of part one. These range from Nash's youth to when he won his shared Nobel Prize. (7) THE EPILOGUE. This is very brief but informative. It tells us about Nash's life after his Nobel Prize win. The main problem I had with this book is when the author attempts to explain the mathematical concepts that she introduces (as explained in (5) above). I think the problem here is that her mathematical descriptions are all written and thus difficult to follow. The use of diagrams and charts would have made these concepts more concrete. For example, the concept of the Prisoner's Dilemma can be explained very clearly with a chart. As well, a mathematical glossary would have been helpful. It should be mentioned that understanding these mathematical concepts is NOT necessary to follow this biography. This problem brings up the movie (which I saw after reading the book first). The movie has to condense a lifetime into a two-hour film. Thus, much of the book's content is not in the film. But the movie, being a visual medium, does illustrate the Prisoner's Dilemma well (near the beginning of the movie where Nash and his friends are attempting to pick up girls). And the movie is very creative in explaining Nash's mental problem. In conclusion, if you want to learn about a man who "ranks among the greatest mathematicians of the post-war era" and learn how genius can be cloaked in madness, then read this interesting and moving biography!! ...........................................................
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Summary: Exciting and engrossing
Review: This book had been sitting on my bookshelf for more than a year, more or less since the movie was released. I finally picked it it up this summer and I can't recommend it enough. Whoever said that biographies are boring? Sylvia Nash includes memories and opinions of a wide variety or people related to Nash's personal and academic life. The maths are difficult to understand, and sometimes I thought that the author went into too much depths to try to explain them, but still, I read these parts with interest. The book is simmering with tension, involving the Cold War, the fierce competition for permanent posts in reknown Amercian universities, and above all John's personal life. Nasar portays Nash as a person you admire but also despise. As for the portayal of Nash's mental illness, I was also pleased. I was specially surprised about how Nash's family coped with the situation and how his colleagues helped him out with research contracts, during his better periods. As for the movie, I enjoyed it a lot as well (I had seen it before reading the book), probably because the two are so different that the movie doesn't seem like an adaptation of the book. Don't be put off by the book's length!!! So far, this is my favorite book this year.
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Summary: Wow...This Book Stinks!
Review: This book was written by a journalist and is just further proof that journalists, much less economic journalists, SHOULD NOT WRITE BOOKS! The whole thing reads like something from a business journal. Nash is rarely presented as a person, but rather as someone we only glimpse through the recollections of others. Economic and mathematical theories and their importance are either presented as obvious (most of the time) or given such short explanations that they are worthless. An example is: "Algebraic varieties are, like manifolds, also geometric objects, but they are objects defined by a locus of points described by one of the more algebraic equations. Thus x2+y2=1 represents a circle in the plane, while xy=1 represents a hyperbola. Nash's theorem states the following: Given any smooth compact k-dimensional manifold (M), there exists a real algebraic variety (V) in R2k+1 and a connected component (W) of (V) so that (W) is a smooth manifold diffeomorphic to (M). In plain English, Nash is asserting that for any manifold it is possible to find an algebraic variety one of whose parts corresponds in some essential way to the original object. To do this, he goes on to say, one has to go to higher dimensions." Yes of course! Why any Joe off the street should be able to recognize the genius in that! Give that man Nobel Prize post haste, even before going to higher dimensions! The author has thrown everything in this book that she possibly could. Everyone that has even the faintest of contact with Nash is given several paragraphs and their own histories are presented back to birth. Chapters deal with Princeton before Nash even attended and also with Nash dodging the draft during Korea. All this is rigorously researched and references are given so it all must be true. The real problem is that the truth in this case is presented in an exceptionally boring way. If the book were about half the length and had an author that was able to EXPLAIN instead of RECITE why Nash is important, it might be worth reading. If you have a firm grounding in higher math or economic theory, you may find something useful in this book. Everyone else should avoid this wandering, emotionless piece of trash.
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Summary: Ignorant Fools Hate This Book
Review: John F. Nash is, in my opinion, the greatest mathematician living, today. The movie, A Beautiful Mind, was an incredible drama that brings tears to even the most insensitive people. This book was wonderfully written for the aspiring mathematician and anyone who wants to gain knowledge on the mathematics of the twenty-first century. It provides insight on his life, minor detail on his work (for more detail on his work read "The Essential John Nash"), and an understanding of the mathematic atmosphere of World War II and on. I shall end with a quote from the movie, "Man is capable of as much atrocity, as he is imagination".
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Summary: If you enjoy above average writing skip this book
Review: THIS IS A REVIEW, NOT A SYNOPSIS LIKE THE OTHER "REVIEWS". The writer's "style" is rambling like a pre-teen and pre-teens of not much intelligence are obvioulsly the audience Ms. Nasar seeks. You will never have to reach for a dictionary reading this hack job. Some writer's like Dickens, Twain, and Poe know how to tell a story in an entertaining fashion. Even many writers of non-fiction can make the subject fascinationg like some of your favorite university professors. Ms. Nasar is a writer on a par with John Nash's teaching abilities. Her "style" comes across as somewhere between Harlequin romance novels and Jerry Springer - but much more boring. The superlatives are droned on and on until you are asleep or nauseous. The author constantly repeats phrases like "handsome like a GOD" and "built like a Greek GOD" and when you see the pictures in the middle of the book the man was quite ordinary physically at best. Also I could not help but be totally put off by the evil of John Nash. This was a prima dona who abused most everyone around him as viciously as he could devise including not paying a nickel for his out-of-wedlock son's upbringing even when his son had to be put in foster homes. This is not a man... this is a monster. Of course, Ms. Nasar believes that masturbating in full view in a public restroom. among many other things, can be forgiven as she portrays John Nash as greater a homo sapiens than Jesus, Muhammad, and Buddha rolled into one. I read the book because, like John Nash, Sr., I am an electrical engineer and books on intellectuals are scarce in an american culture that only values CEOs, movie and sports stars, and various other wealthy people. What a disappointment that writing about an alleged genuis does not somehow make the writer also a genius as we are supposed to believe. I have read and enjoyed many books by good, competent writers. Ms. Nasar's book is the poorest written book I have ever read. I read better script on a daily basis by the average journalist or columnist.
Rating: 
Summary: A not-so-beautiful heart
Review: A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash by Sylvia Nasar. Recommended. The prologue to Sylvia Nasar's biography of Nobel Laureate John Nash, Jr., summarizes the mathematical marvel's life thus: genius, madness, reawakening. Nash, who was awarded the 1994 Nobel Prize for Economics in a controversy that would ultimately change the nature of the prize, is the child of mostly unremarkable parents. His father, John, Sr., held a middle-manager position with the Appalachian Power Company inspecting power lines, while his mother, Virginia, was a "public-school thinker." Despite his mother's efforts to push him, he remains socially isolated, without any close friends. In the fourth grade, he begins to demonstrate the original approach to problems that will become his hallmark as a genius. Interestingly enough, it will be an extensive network of friends and peers that helps to ensure Nash's place in academic and Nobel history. Nash may have a "beautiful mind" with a unique way of looking at difficult problems, but Nasar does not portray him as a likeable man in his pre-mental illness heyday. Lacking in social skills and graces but not in ego, he is a class snob. Like many boys and young men, he plays pranks-but many of his have pathological undertones. Some cause serious physical pain and embarrassment. Others have the potential to cause death (one person recounts how a Nash prank might have resulted in electrocution of the victim). As a student and young academic, he delights in one-upmanship and in the humiliation of less-gifted men. In a recurring theme, he will flirt romantically with other bright young men. Much is forgiven Nash by his mentors and peers, however, because of his unquestioned mathematical gifts and because such behavior (at least, to some extent) is expected of great mathematical minds. At the peak of his career, Nash succumbs to what is diagnosed as schizophrenia, which Nasar implies may have been the result of stress brought about by concerns about being drafted and Nash's insistence on tackling near-impossible problems and the resulting frustrations. Whatever the cause, Nash becomes delusional, thinking aliens are speaking to him through The New York Times and feeling a compelling need to renounce his U.S. citizenship and to become a world citizen. For the next 30 years, Nash-and his genius-will be lost to the world, which, if it thinks of him at all, thinks him dead. It is only a few years before he is nominated for the Nobel Prize in Economics (for his contributions to game theory) that Nash will slowly emerge from his illness. During this time, much of the mathematics community, including friends and rivals who were uncomfortable with his illness, rally behind him. Through most of his adult life, his wife, Alicia, is there to take care of him-even after marriage, divorce, and remarriage. To write A Beautiful Mind, Nasar read and interviewed dozens of mathematicians, physicists, economists, and other academics as well as psychiatrists and mental health experts, making the book more than just a biography of John Nash, Jr. It is also an insightful overview of the tightly knit mathematics worlds of Princeton, MIT, and RAND Corporation during the 1940s and 1950s. Nash's treatment at several private and public mental health institutions is revealing and sometimes horrifying, especially when he is treated with insulin shock therapy. The political climate-the draft for the Korean conflict, anti-Semitism, McCarthyism and its chilling effect on American academia, and the arms and space races with the Soviets-are all vivid parts of Nash's story. It is probably in the nature of biography that the author cannot be entirely subjective toward his or her subject; after all, he or she must have enough passion about that subject to research and write hundreds of pages about it. Nasar is clearly a fan of Nash's; she often excuses or glosses over his youthful bad behaviour, his capacious ego, his poor treatment of those he considers inferior (including his girlfriend Eleanor and their son John David Stier), and his obsessive competitiveness. She describes him repeatedly as "handsome" with an "Olympian body" and "finely modeled" or "chiseled" features. (The photos included show Nash to have an average face and body.) Nasar speeds through the 1970s and 1980s, no doubt because they were uneventful for the "Phantom of Fine Hall." This leaves the reader to wonder what Nash's official position was at Princeton (he tells a visitor he shouldn't go into the faculty club). At this time, he appears to have had an office and is tolerated by students and staff alike. I am always interested in genius, especially genius derailed by an enigmatic mental illness such as schizophrenia. A question (not to be answered) might be: Is Nash a genius despite schizophrenia, or is the schizophrenia an inherent part of what makes him a genius? Are the two conditions distinct, or are they inseparable? At any rate, while Nash may not have what I would consider a "beautiful mind," it is certainly a gifted-and cursed-one. Diane L. Schirf, 25 June 2003.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing in an Unintended Manner
Review: With this book, Sylvia Nasar has made a contribution the list of great books about mathematical ideas and their impact on the larger world (for others, see, for example, "The Making of the Atomic Bomb", "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers", and "Fermat's Last Enigma"). What struck me, besides the book's considerable merits, among them being a good story exhaustively researched, and well told, was how much of this will be overshadowed by the Oscar-winning movie adaptation.
How mamy members of the Academy had read this book before casting their Best Picture votes? I would submit, very few indeed. Although the movie has some fine points (the lovely Jennifer Connelly, a decent performance by Russell Crowe, and a nice visual look), it so distorts the story as to turn it into a work of fiction. Others have detailed these descrepancies in greater detail than I have the time, patience, or space for, but just to name two very obvious ones will suffice - the delusional fantasy of the college roommate and his daughter, a key, if not central, element of the movie, is a complete falsehood; and the hokey, if emotionally satisfying, speech at the Noble Prize ceremony is another Hollywood add-on that struck me as false even before I read this fine book. In any event, read the book - it has plot twists and turns enough, without fictional embellishments, and deserves its own audience, and for that matter, enjoy the movie, too - as a fictional work based very, very loosely on the truth.
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