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The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,129 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In 1913, a young, unschooled Indian clerk named Srinivasa Ramanujan wrote a letter to G. H. Hardy, begging that pre-eminent English mathematician's opinion on several ideas he had about numbers.
Hardy, realizing the letter was the work of a genius, arranged for 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 thirty-two but left behind a magical and inspired legacy that today is still being plumbed for its secrets.
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"The best biography I have read so far. Steve Jobs comes close too. While the story of this genius is widely known the author must be commended for provinding a fascinating account of the life in South India during the british rule. He has provided an indepth psycho analysis of Ramanujan and even Hardy. The incidents relating to ramanujan running away at the slightest affront were very revealing. A true genius whose life was tragically too short but whose fame will last forever."
— Nats (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Arithmetic equations in an audiobook? In Humphrey Bower’s eloquent reading…spoken numbers manage not to confuse…This is a classy production. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“A masterpiece.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“One of the most romantic stories in the history of mathematics…superbly evocative…thoroughly captivating.”
— New York Times -
“Ramanujan’s tale is the stuff of fable…an exquisite portrait…a compelling read.”
— Los Angeles Times Book Review -
“A brilliant study of one of the most remarkable and enigmatic minds of the century.”
— News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) -
“[A] moving and astonishing biography [and an] improbable story…Kanigel gives nontechnical readers the flavor of how Ramanujan arrived at his mathematical ideas, which are used today in cosmology and computer science.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“This extremely well-researched and well-written biography is a ‘must’ addition to any library collection.”
— Library Journal -
“[A] brilliantly realized biography...Kanigel’s particular interest in how primitive superstition, India’s bureaucratic mind-set, English spiritual asceticism, and a Western war combined to destroy the miracle of Ramanujan’s genius adds deeper dimensions to the already fascinating story of a difficult but astoundingly fruitful cross-cultural collaboration.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A New York Times Notable Book for Nonfiction
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
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Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize
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Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award
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A Staff of Publishers Weekly Pick of Best Backlist Books
The Man Who Knew Infinity Listener Reviews
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" There have been other books on Ramanujan that are romanticized. This book is journalistic (hence, a bit dry) and attempts to stick with the facts. One learns a lot about the life and times of Ramanujan in Southern India, G.H. Hardy, Trinity College Cambridge, and the extraordinary events that brought Ramanujan's mathematics to light. "
— Elaine, 2/17/2014 -
" A really fantastic book. I appreciated a biography that had a lot of equations. But even without the equations not only was Ramanujan a wonderfully drawn portrait but it also really conveyed collaboration and the very interesting story of Hardy as well. "
— Jason, 2/15/2014 -
" A warm account of the genius Ramanujan's love for the mathematics written with minute details. Must-read for every Indian! "
— Kirty, 2/6/2014 -
" Well researched and well written. Inspiring. "
— Vishesh, 1/25/2014 -
" good read for a math person...plus I met him.... "
— Lisa, 1/22/2014 -
" Hmmm...I like biographies and I am intrigued by math but I did not find his story interesting. Everyone else seems to have liked it and I'm left wondering what I missed. "
— Grumpus, 1/9/2014 -
" Srinivasa Ramanujan, mathematical god, one of my heroes :') "
— Nhat, 1/7/2014 -
" seriously, read this book. even if you aren't in to math, the things he went through, the turmoil via religious and cultural roots were intense. an amazingly well written book about an amazing mind out of india "
— Zac, 1/6/2014 -
" An excellent book on The life of the mathematical genius Ramanujan. The book is well written and a pleasure to read because of its fluidity. "
— Poonam, 12/22/2013 -
" I remember reading this book in high school. We love genius, and there are few mathematical geniuses like Ramanujan. Kanigel's work is a great biography of a very unusual mathematician, his collaborations with Littlewood and Hardy, and a little of his mathematics. "
— Michael, 12/18/2013 -
" started reading on Monday, finished on saturday. was pretty good, if not a bit flawed and overfilled with observations given simply to have an observation given. on the whole, worth reading. "
— erik, 12/10/2013 -
" Actually, this a double autobiography of both Ramanujan and G.H. Hardy. Interesting. "
— Poindextra, 11/30/2013 -
" Not very well-written (way too long and repetitive, some dated presentations of people from India-- especially for when it was published, very sentimental), but such a fascinating slice of history that I'd say it's worth reading. Now I need to read Hardy's A Mathematician's Apology. "
— Lisa, 6/29/2013 -
" A very inspiring story of a genius. A must read. "
— ideopreneur, 4/2/2013 -
" Fascinating. Written in too laborious of detail for my taste. Informative, entertaining and a remarkable character. "
— Yankey, 5/1/2011 -
" Outstanding. Among the best biographies I have read. "
— Anand, 11/23/2009 -
" Outstanding bio. One of the most interesting mathematicians who ever lived. "
— Robert, 10/5/2009 -
" Hmmm...I like biographies and I am intrigued by math but I did not find his story interesting. Everyone else seems to have liked it and I'm left wondering what I missed. "
— Grumpus, 9/10/2009 -
" I remember reading this book in high school. We love genius, and there are few mathematical geniuses like Ramanujan. Kanigel's work is a great biography of a very unusual mathematician, his collaborations with Littlewood and Hardy, and a little of his mathematics. <br/> "
— Michael, 7/9/2009 -
" "A rational mind is sometimes the queerest mixture of rationality and irrationality on earth." <br/>--- E. T. Bell "
— Shu, 4/12/2009 -
" Actually, this a double autobiography of both Ramanujan and G.H. Hardy. Interesting. "
— Poindextra, 3/5/2009 -
" both hardy and ramanujun are badasses. "
— lucas, 1/20/2009 -
" A lovely biography of Ramanujan. "
— David, 7/20/2008 -
" good read for a math person...plus I met him.... "
— Lisa, 2/12/2008 -
" Delightfull story of a math genius. :) "
— Rere, 2/12/2008
About Robert Kanigel
Robert Kanigal, the author of nine books, has received numerous awards, including a Guggenheim fellowship, the Grady-Stack Award for science writing and, for his biography of Milman Parry, a Public Scholar grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. His book The Man Who Knew Infinity was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was the basis for the film of the same name starring Jeremy Irons and Dev Patel. For more information, visit www.robertkanigel.com.
About Humphrey Bower
Humphrey Bower, winner of multiple Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for best narration, is a writer, actor, and director. He earned his BA in English literature from Oxford University and has worked extensively in theater, and television. He was a founding member of the Melbourne collective Whistling in the Theatre and the Perth independent company Last Seen Imagining. He is the artistic director of Night Train Productions.