The Impossible Man, Patchen Barss
The Impossible Man, Patchen Barss
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The Impossible Man
Roger Penrose and the Cost of Genius

Author: Patchen Barss

Narrator: Jonathan Beville

Unabridged: 11 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/19/2024

Synopsis

The first biography—“a stunning achievement” (Kai Bird, American Prometheus)—of the dazzling and painful life of Nobel Prize–winning physicist Roger PenroseWhen he was six years old, Roger Penrose discovered a sundial in a clearing near his house. Through that machine made of light, shadow, and time, Roger glimpsed a “world behind the world” of transcendently beautiful geometry. It spurred him on a journey to become one of the world’s most influential mathematicians, philosophers, and physicists.Penrose would prove the limitations of general relativity, set a new agenda for theoretical physics, and astound colleagues and admirers with the elegance and beauty of his discoveries. However, as Patchen Barss documents in The Impossible Man, success came at a price: He was attuned to the secrets of the universe, but struggled to connect with loved ones, especially the women who care for or worked with him.Both erudite and poetic, The Impossible Man draws on years of research and interviews, as well as previously unopened archives, to present a moving portrait of Penrose, the Nobel Prize–winning scientist, and Roger, the human being. It reveals not just the extraordinary life of Roger Penrose but asks who gets to be a genius and who makes the sacrifices that allow one man to be one.

About Patchen Barss

Patchen Barss is a Toronto-based science journalist who has contributed to the BBC, Nautilus magazine, Scientific American, and the Discovery Channel (Canada), as well as to many science and natural history museums. His previous books include The Erotic Engine: How Pornography Has Powered Mass Communication, from Gutenberg to Google, and Flow Spin Grow: Looking for Patterns in Nature.

About Jonathan Beville

Jonathan Beville is an audiobook narrator of suspense and thrillers, as well as historical fiction, science fiction, current affairs, and business titles. A classically trained actor, Jonathan has also enjoyed a successful career in the international business. He has had the privilege to live in both Europe and the Middle East, and has worked on projects taking him to more than eighty countries around the world. An avid SCUBA diver, Jonathan brings a spirit of adventure and a deep love for travel and exploration into the recording booth, and draws on people and experiences from his journeys around the world to inspire character voices in his narration. The father of two daughters, Jonathan resides in Maryland with his family.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Nick on November 24, 2024

too short, too much empty space, too little detail (The Road to Reality is given a single paragraph), too many unexplained references (who is "Vahe Gurzadyan"? he is mentioned once at the bottom of page 276 as an "alliance" and never mentioned otherwise), too much dazed summary of complex topics, v......more

Goodreads review by Brok3n on March 05, 2025

The Great Geometer If I were asked to name the greatest physicists of the second half of the twentieth century, I would probably choose three: Richard Feynman, Steven Weinberg, and Roger Penrose. (I am a neuroscientist and a mathematician with a long interest in physics. I'm not the best person to ch......more

Goodreads review by Rob on July 12, 2024

(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley). I enjoyed this book about Rodger Penrose. I didn't know a great deal about him but was aware of some of his work. I have never made it past the first few pages of any of Penrose's own books which are notoriously hard to re......more

Goodreads review by Tim on November 19, 2024

An excellent biography and an excellent exploration of how we think about geniuses. And especially about how at least one genius thought about his own genius.......more

Goodreads review by Brian on December 13, 2024

The second chapter of this clearly written and certainly accessible biography is called "Unexpected Simplicity". Chapter 1 is called "The Jungle". Though both chapters recount stories from Roger Penrose's youth, the juxtaposition of these two chapter titles give us a glimpse of the key the author us......more

Quotes

“This biography depicts Sir Roger in multiple dimensions; only a writer as psychologically astute as Barss could show us an impossible man in full.”  New York Times Book Review

“A fascinating biography…beautifully composed and revealing…[that] makes skillful and sensitive use of Penrose’s archive, plus interviews with Penrose himself.” Financial Times (London)

“A primer to the Penrose understanding of the cosmos and a remarkable study of the lengths one man has gone to avoid understanding himself.” The Telegraph (London)

“One of the greatest physicists and mathematicians of the past century receives his first biography…[with] superb insights into a flawed genius.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A penetrating, warts and all biography…Barss’s sensitive handling of Penrose’s tumultuous personal life puts this a notch above other ‘great minds’ biographies.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The focus of The Impossible Man is the life of an extraordinary mind, not its products.” Wall Street Journal

“The story of one of the true giants of twentieth-century mathematics and physics…A biography that reveals the complex and compelling character of the man alongside the importance of his contributions…The biography that Penrose deserves.” David N. Schwartz, author of The Last Man Who Knew Everything

Awards

  • Amazon.com Bestseller
  • Globe and Mail (Toronto) Best Books
  • Financial Times Best Book of the Year
  • Telegraph (London) Best Books
  • Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books
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