
The Man from the Future
The Visionary Life of John von Neumann
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Narrated by:
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Nicholas Camm
An electrifying biography of one of the most extraordinary scientists of the twentieth century and the world he made.
The smartphones in our pockets and computers like brains. The vagaries of game theory and evolutionary biology. Nuclear weapons and self-replicating spacecrafts. All bear the fingerprints of one remarkable, yet largely overlooked, man: John von Neumann.
Born in Budapest at the turn of the century, von Neumann is one of the most influential scientists to have ever lived. A child prodigy, he mastered calculus by the age of eight, and in high school made lasting contributions to mathematics. In Germany, where he helped lay the foundations of quantum mechanics, and later at Princeton, von Neumann’s colleagues believed he had the fastest brain on the planet—bar none. He was instrumental in the Manhattan Project and the design of the atom bomb; he helped formulate the bedrock of Cold War geopolitics and modern economic theory; he created the first ever programmable digital computer; he prophesized the potential of nanotechnology; and, from his deathbed, he expounded on the limits of brains and computers—and how they might be overcome.
Taking us on an astonishing journey, Ananyo Bhattacharya explores how a combination of genius and unique historical circumstance allowed a single man to sweep through a stunningly diverse array of fields, sparking revolutions wherever he went. The Man from the Future is an insightful and thrilling intellectual biography of the visionary thinker who shaped our century.
©2022 Ananyo Bhattacharya (P)2022 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"[Bhattacharya's] crystal-clear prose…mak[es] for a tour de force of enjoyable science writing….[A] marvelously bracing biography of the ideas of John von Neumann, ideas that continue to grow and flourish with a life of their own."—Stephen Budiansky, Wall Street Journal
"Vivid…[The Man From the Future is] devoted to exploring the ideas and technological inquiries [von Neumann] inspired."—Jennifer Szalai, New York Times
"Lucid and rewarding….Bhattacharya composes a rich intellectual map of von Neumann’s pursuits, shading in their histories and evolutions, and tracing the routes and connections between them."—Samanth Subramanian, The New Republic
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Amazing story of an amazing man!
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Of special interest is the author’s capacity to track the von Neumann (vN) shooting star, and this produces while passing through constellations of geniuses from Hilbert to Mandelbrot a new and novel line through 20th century scientific history which has been prematurely concretized. Russell was too influential in logic, and class theory is under-taught in logic. Taking QM through vN is fascinating and changes the common view of Dirac. Again, his mixup with the military and the failed GOFAI history are presented with critical nuance to break the caricatures of Dr. Strangelove and MIT’s failed AI program.
Brilliant Zelig bio traces a new mid-century history.
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outstanding book. Worth to read it and share
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excellent history of computer science
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