Robert Kanigel ist ein Autor, dessen Werke tief in das Leben und die Auswirkungen einflussreicher Persönlichkeiten eintauchen. Er verwebt gekonnt biografische Details mit breiteren Themen menschlichen Erfindergeistes und gesellschaftlichen Fortschritts. Kanigel ist für seine akribische Recherche in Verbindung mit fesselnder erzählerischer Gestaltung bekannt. Seine Schriften erforschen die Schnittstelle von persönlichen Reisen und ihrer größeren Bedeutung.
In 1913, a young unschooled Indian clerk wrote a letter to G H Hardy, begging the pre-eminent English mathematician's opinion on several ideas he had about numbers. Realising the letter was the work of a genius, Hardy arranged for Srinivasa Ramanujan to come to England. Thus began one of the most improbable and productive collaborations ever chronicled. With a passion for rich and evocative detail, Robert Kanigel takes us from the temples and 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 he died at the age of thirty-two and left behind a magical and inspired legacy that is still being plumbed for its secrets today.
'One of the finest, best-documented biographies ever published about a modern
mathematician' - Martin Gardner In 1913, a young unschooled Indian clerk wrote
a letter to G H Hardy, begging the pre-eminent English mathematician's opinion
on several ideas he had about numbers. Realising the letter was the work of a
genius, Hardy arranged for Srinivasa Ramanujan to come to England. Thus began
one of the most improbable and productive collaborations ever chronicled. With
a passion for rich and evocative detail, Robert Kanigel takes us from the
temples and 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 and left behind a magical and inspired legacy
that is still being plumbed for its secrets today. Biographical Notes Robert
Kanigel is the author of six other books, including The Man Who Knew Infinity.
After 13 years as professor of science writing at MIT, he has returned to
full-time writing in Baltimore.
A biography of the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. The book gives a detailed account of his upbringing in India, his mathematical achievements, and his mathematical collaboration with English mathematician G. H. Hardy. The book also reviews the life of Hardy and the academic culture of Cambridge University during the early twentieth century.
From the acclaimed biographer of Jane Jacobs and Srinivasa Ramanujan comes the first full life and work of arguably the most influential classical scholar of the twentieth century, who overturned long-entrenched notions of ancient epic poetry and enlarged the very idea of literature. In this literary detective story, Robert Kanigel givers us a long overdue portrait of Milman Parry, an Oakland druggist's son who became known as the "Darwin of Homeric studies." So thoroughly did he change our thinking about the origins of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey that scholars today refer to a "before" Parry and an "after." Before Parry's trailblazing work in the 1930s, centuries of readers took it for granted that the Homeric epics were "written," like any other literature; today, after Parry, we realize that they evolved out of a long and winding oral tradition. Parry made it his life's work to develop and prove this revolutionary theory, and Kanigel brilliantly tells his remarkable story--cut short by Parry's mysterious death by gunshot wound at the age of thirty-three. From UC Berkeley to the Sorbonne to Harvard to Yugoslavia--where he traveled to prove his idea definitively by studying its traditional singers of heroic poetry--we follow Parry on his idiosyncratic journey, observing just how his early notions blossomed into a full-fledged theory. Kanigel gives us an intimate portrait of Parry's marriage to Marian Thanhouser and their struggles as young parents in Paris, and he explores the circumstances of Parry's tragic death at the Palms Hotel in Los Angeles. Tracing Parry's legacy to the modern day, Kanigel shows how what began as an attempt to understand the Homeric epics evolved into a new field altogether, "oral theory," which today illuminates everything from Beowulf to jazz improvisation, from the Old Testament to hip-hop. -- From dust jacket
Focusing on personal transformation, Robert Kanigel's memoir recounts his evolution from a conventional engineer to a celebrated writer, all set against the backdrop of Baltimore's vibrant culture. Through a reflective narrative, he shares the challenges and triumphs of his unconventional journey, emphasizing the importance of love and work in shaping his identity. This memoir serves as an inspiring testament for aspiring writers, highlighting the potential for creativity to emerge from unexpected paths.
