Man From The Future - The Visionary Life Of John Von Neumann

The smartphonesin our pockets and computerslikebrains. The vagaries of game theory and evolutionary biology.Nuclear weaponsand self-replicating spacecrafts. All bear the fingerprints of one remarkable, yet largelyoverlooked,man: John von Neumann.

Born in Budapest at the turn of the century,von Neumannisone ofthe most influential scientists to have ever lived.A child prodigy, he mastered calculus by the age of eight,andin high schoolmade lasting contributions to mathematics.InGermany, where he helped lay the foundations of quantum mechanics,and laterat Princeton, von Neumann'scolleagues believed he had the fastest brain on the planet-bar none.Hewas instrumental in the Manhattan Projectand the design of the atom bomb; hehelped formulate the bedrock of Cold War geopolitics and modern economic theory; he created the first ever programmable digital computer; heprophesized the potential of nanotechnology; and, from his deathbed,heexpounded on the limits of brains and computers-and how they might be overcome.

Taking us on an astonishing journey,AnanyoBhattacharya explores how a combination of genius and unique historical circumstance allowed a single man to sweep througha stunninglydiverse array offields, sparking revolutions wherever he went.The Man from the Futureis an insightful and thrillingintellectual biography of the visionary thinker who shaped our century.