A Beautiful Mind
by Sylvia Nasar
A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar holds a highly rated rating of 4.12 out of 5, based on 98.3K reader ratings. First published in 1998. The book spans 461 pages.
About A Beautiful Mind
Stories of famously eccentric Princetonians abound—such as that of chemist Hubert Alyea, the model for The Absent-Minded Professor, or Ralph Nader, said to have had his own key to the library as an undergraduate. Or the "Phantom of Fine Hall," a figure many students had seen shuffling around the corridors of the math and physics building wearing purple sneakers and writing numerology treatises on the blackboards. The Phantom was John Nash, one of the most brilliant mathematicians of his generation, who had spiraled into schizophrenia in the 1950s. His most important work had been in game theory, which by the 1980s was underpinning a large part of economics. When the Nobel Prize committee began debating a prize for game theory, Nash's name inevitably came up—only to be dismissed, since the prize clearly could not go to a madman. But in 1994 Nash, in remission from schizophrenia, shared the Nobel Prize in economics for work done some 45 years previously.Economist and journalist Sylvia Nasar has written a biography of Nash that looks at all sides of his life. She gives an intelligent, understandable exposition of his mathematical ideas and a picture of schizophrenia that is evocative but decidedly unromantic. Her story of the machinations behind Nash's Nobel is fascinating and one of very few such accounts available in print (the CIA could learn a thing or two from the Nobel committees).
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Sylvia Nasar |
| Published | 1998 |
| Pages | 461 |
| Genres | Biography & Memoir, Non-Fiction, Psychology, Science, History |
| Average Rating | 4.12 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 98,276 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is A Beautiful Mind?
A Beautiful Mind is categorized as Biography & Memoir, Non-Fiction, Psychology, Science. Its primary genre classification is Biography & Memoir.
Is A Beautiful Mind worth reading?
Based on 98.3K reader ratings, A Beautiful Mind has an average score of 4.12 out of 5.00, which is considered "Highly Rated." Its large number of reviews suggests broad reader appeal.
How many pages is A Beautiful Mind?
A Beautiful Mind has 461 pages.
Who wrote A Beautiful Mind?
A Beautiful Mind was written by Sylvia Nasar. It was first published in 1998.
What is the ISBN for A Beautiful Mind?
The ISBN-13 for A Beautiful Mind is 9780571212930.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
