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A Beautiful Mind

 by Sylvia Nasar

review by Andi Miller
     
     Initially, I was intimidated by the amount of mathematical theory and high-level concepts that this book presented alongside the life of John Nash, but how can a biography do a mathematical genius justice without it? For those who persevered through the heavily math-laden sections of the text, I think Nasar did a great job making it as accessible as possible for the average reader, like myself.

     The story of John Forbes Nash, Jr. is, without a doubt, an intriguing one. As I read along and discovered the difficulties and hurdles associated with schizophrenia I steadily began to wonder what it must feel like, first, to be a genius, second, to be a genius increasingly out of touch with what he loves most. Nash's life was one of isolation, first due to his incredible ability to think, and then because of his outrageous ideas and delusions. His odd little ways, along with his progressively more noticeable mental illness, took away many of the chances at greatness that Nash had always felt were just on the horizon.

     It's quite astounding that Nash was able to endure so many years of hellish mental turmoil and come out on the other side to receive one of the greatest of all honors...the Nobel Prize. Throughout the book, I constantly found myself pulling for Nash and longing to give his naysayers a good slap. His mind and his genius are truly beautiful, and I believe Dr. Nash is one of America's greatest treasures. I feel enriched by this story and reminded that all things are possible with determination, support, and perhaps a little good luck thrown in for good measure. Even though the book is difficult at times, give it a go...I don't think you'll regret it.