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Table of Contents

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Reviews

One of the most gifted minds of our time explains, through short stories and anecdotes, how individuals fundamentally transform human thought and perspective. Profoundly humane and smart, this short volume will become a classic for those who want to understand and practice leadership. One leaves this read far smarter and far more confident in the future of humans.

JUAN ENRIQUEZ, Author of Evolving Ourselves and As the Future Catches You

Here is a remarkable book with flashes of insight that will engage computer scientists, physicists, historians—but also fascinate a broader public as it weaves personal stories into the deep import of how and what they calculated.

PETER GALISON, Joseph Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University,
Author of Einstein’s Clocks, Poincaré’s Maps & coauthor of Objectivity

How could anyone resist? Stephen Wolfram writes with so much more clarity and eloquence than one could reasonably expect of any ground-breaking scientist, and with so much more humanity and accessible ease than one would ever dare hope for from any genius. I’ve followed Stephen now with constant admiration for the better part of a lifetime, and I’m thrilled to get his illuminating and tremendously enjoyable essays—on everything from Steve Jobs to his own life—all brought together in one hardcover delight.

PICO IYER, Author of The Art of Stillness

Stephen Wolfram is a quirky, groundbreaking genius, destined for the science pantheon. So novel are his seemingly simple ideas that it may take half a century before the public adopts them. In his lively collection of biographical essays, Wolfram takes the measure of his predecessors and peers—filtering their achievements though his unique worldview. A great read and thought-provoking fun.

RUDY RUCKER, Author of Infinity of the Mind and The Ware Tetralogy

A gem. Most scientists and engineers do not think of historical figures as interesting people whose life stories are relevant to their current careers. Stephen Wolfram proves that curiosity and a bit of voyeurism can help you think better today and imagine a different future for tomorrow. Even if you hate history or biographies, if you like science, you’ll like this book.

JAY WALKER, Founder of priceline.com | Curator of TEDMED & The Library of the History of Human Imagination

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About Stephen Wolfram

Stephen Wolfram has had a unique trajectory in science, technology and business. Widely known for his discoveries in basic science and his groundbreaking 2002 book A New Kind of Science, he has spent three decades building what is now the Wolfram Language: the knowledge-based computer language that powers Mathematica and Wolfram|Alpha and has contributed to countless inventions and discoveries, as well as to the education of several generations of students.

Wolfram was born in London and educated at Eton, Oxford and Caltech, earning his PhD in physics in 1979 at the age of 20. After a brief but distinguished academic career, he founded Wolfram Research in 1987 and as CEO has built it into one of the world’s most respected and innovative software companies, whose products are relied on by millions of people around the world.

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