John Forbes Nash Jr. - John Nash (1928-2015) was an American mathematician and Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics. The book covers his life from childhood through his groundbreaking work in game theory at Princeton, his struggle with schizophrenia, and his later life and Nobel Prize win in 1994.

Alicia Larde (Alicia Nash) - Alicia is John Nash's wife, whom he met while working as an instructor at MIT. She is described as an undergraduate student studying physics. The book details their marriage and her support of Nash through his mental illness.

Eleanor Stier - Eleanor Stier was a nurse that Nash had a relationship with in 1952, resulting in the birth of their son John David Stier. Nash was unmarried to Stier at the time.

Other Characters
Martha Nash Legg - Nash's younger sister, described as "tall and striking" and "extremely intelligent"
John David Stier - Nash's son with Eleanor Stier, born in 1953.

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Nash's Genius and Mental Illness
The book examines how Nash's mathematical genius and schizophrenia may have originated from the same source. It raises the question of whether Nash could have been a genius without developing schizophrenia.

Nash's Personality and Relationships
The book portrays Nash as a complicated figure - highly intelligent but often cruel, uncaring and socially unaware in his relationships with friends, family and peers. It details his affairs, arrest for indecent exposure, and refusal to support his son.

Nash's Struggle with Schizophrenia
The book describes Nash's battle with schizophrenia starting at age 30, which severely disrupted his career for 30 years before he miraculously recovered. It examines how his delusional thinking mirrored the unconventional logic he used in his groundbreaking mathematical work.

The book was adapted into the 2001 Academy Award-winning film A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe as Nash. While the film dramatized the story, the book provided a more matter-of-fact portrayal of Nash's life based on extensive research by Nasar.

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The biography was widely acclaimed for its thorough research, narrative style, and balanced portrayal of Nash's life.

The book significantly increased public awareness about mental illness, particularly schizophrenia. It humanized the condition by presenting the life of an extraordinary individual who battled with it.

Academics and scholars appreciated Nasar's detailed exploration of Nash's contributions to mathematics and economics. The book provided valuable insights into the academic world and the pressures faced by geniuses.

Overall, "A Beautiful Mind" is regarded as a compelling and enlightening biography that offers a nuanced portrait of John Nash, balancing his intellectual triumphs with his personal struggles.

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