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The Impossible Man

Roger Penrose and the Cost of Genius

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The Impossible Man

By: Patchen Barss
Narrated by: Mark Elstob
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About this listen

In 1937, Roger Penrose and his father discovered a sundial in a clearing behind their house in Colchester. In that machine made of light, shadow and time, six-year-old Roger discovered a 'world behind the world' of transcendently beautiful geometry. He had begun a journey that would make him one of the past century's most influential mathematicians, philosophers and physicists.

He received a Nobel Prize, a knighthood and dozens of other prestigious honours. He proved the limitations of general relativity and set a new agenda for theoretical physics. But success came at a price as he struggled to connect with friends, family and especially the women in his life. He has spent his final years alone with his research, intentionally cut off from the people who loved him.

Compelling and deeply moving, The Impossible Man intimately depicts the relationship between Penrose the scientist and Roger the human being. It reveals the tragic cost—to himself and those closest to him—for his extraordinary life.

©2024 Patchen Barss (P)2024 W. F. Howes Ltd Physics Professionals & Academics Science Science & Technology Mathematics Cosmology Black Hole

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A very thorough work on Penrose and his difficult ('impossible'?) personality. The science explanations are simple and lucid (though goggling a few pictures drawn by Penrose helps make the prose come to life). At the end it made me more melancholic than reading Godel's biography- and he starved himself to death! Clearly people liked and loved Penrose in spite of his personality. If you are a casual reader fan you might not like the picture that emerges- but kudos to Penrose for providing the information to the biographer 'warts and all'.

Penrose seems to be a multi-dimensioned man who tried to map all dimensions onto one- his research.

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A worthy account of an exceptional life skilfully rendered. It demands some rereading as there are chapters which deal with abstruse matters. It will not disappoint if your interests lie in this area.

An impressive biography

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