
The Man Who Knew Infinity
A Life of the Genius Ramanujan
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Narrated by:
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Humphrey Bower
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By:
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Robert Kanigel
In 1913, an unschooled young Indian clerk wrote a letter to G. H. Hardy, begging that preeminent English mathematician's opinion on several ideas he had about numbers. Hardy, realizing the letter was the work of a genius, arranged for Srinivasa Ramanujan to come to England. Thus began one of the most remarkable collaborations ever chronicled.
With a passion for rich and evocative detail, Robert Kanigel takes us from the temples and teeming slums of Madras to the courts and chapels of Cambridge University, where the devout Hindu Ramanujan, "the Prince of Intuition", tested his brilliant theories alongside the sophisticated and eccentric Hardy, "the Apostle of Proof". In time, Ramanujan's creative intensity took its toll: he died at the age of 32, but left behind a magical and inspired legacy that today is still being plumbed for its secrets.
©1991 Robert Kanigel (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"Moving and astonishing." (Publishers Weekly)
"Extremely well-researched and well-written biography." (Library Journal)
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Fantastic story by an excellent narrator
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will delight you. hard to put down.
gripping accurate and most readable<br />
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Its hard to write a book on Ramanujan without the mention of mathematics but the author does a wonderful job to not put off non mathematicians while listening. One can appreciate the profound activity without getting into the details.
The nice thing to appreciate, other than Ramanujan's work is also the leadership shown by Hardy. The English mathematician could recognize and appreciate the genius in the man without any pride especially after other senior mathematicians like Baker and Hobson failing to do so. I wish we have more of such leaders in today's world who can recognize talent and encourage it. Think about the thousands of Ramanujan's that exists in this world today but go un-noticed cause they have not found their Hardy or vice versa.
On the other hand its amazing to see that such a gifted man was driven to a point in his life so as to contemplate suicide. The man not only suffered from tuberculosis but also the usual mother-in-law daughter-in-law conflicts that has plagued the society for centuries now. May be the world just does not deserve to have the gifts of such a genius. Just unfortunate he did not live long enough.
The book is quite long for me but thoroughly enjoyable.
well researched, excellent book, great narration
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Thorough and Captivating!
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Absolutely fantastic!
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Great Book
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Infinitely delightful
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Documentary, but not Entertainment
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Mathematical achievement is at the core of Ramanujan's story, and Kanigel does a good job of integrating it. A vague memory of high school math is required of the listener, and Kanigel uses that basis to explain both the directions and importance of Ramanujan's work, without trying to explain the specifics. The technical discussions are woven into the story, and do not at all get in its way.
While the book celebrates Ramanujan's improbable rise to success, overcoming tremendous obstacles, it also examines those obstacles, created by the British Raj and unfortunately persisting into the post-colonial Indian educational system.
While decrying the failings in Ramanujan's formal education, Kanigel also speculates on whether the broader South Indian culture, particularly the flexibility within Hindu religious traditions, allowed Ramanujan to approach mathematics less rigidly than could his English colleagues. No answers are attempted, but his questions are profound.
Thorough and Enjoyable
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A human who loved the Infinity
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