Books like The Man Who Knew Infinity by Robert Kanigel

xn + yn = zn, where n represents 3, 4, 5, ...no solution "I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain." With these words, the seventeenth-century French mathematician Pierre de Fermat threw down the gauntlet to future generations. What came to be known as Fermat's Last Theorem looked simple; proving it, however, became the Holy Grail of mathematics, baffling its finest minds for more than 350 years. In Fermat's Enigma--based on the author's award-winning documentary film, which aired on PBS's "Nova"--Simon Singh tells the astonishingly entertaining story of the pursuit of that grail, and the lives that were devoted to, sacrificed for, and saved by it. Here is a mesmerizing tale of heartbreak and mastery that will forever change your feelings about mathematics.

A biography of mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr., detailing his brilliance, his 31‑year battle with schizophrenia, and his eventual remission.

Ruth Allington, penniless and caring for two nephews, secretly restores a mural at Sir Brian Chandler’s estate, falling in love with his son Gordon while battling the League of Jewelled Men.

Claude Shannon’s life—from small‑town Michigan to MIT and Bell Labs—unfolds in this biography, revealing how his research forged the Information Age, influencing computers, email, video, and the internet.

A graphic biography of Alan Turing, the pioneering mathematician and gay father of modern computing, exploring his breakthroughs, battle with legal persecution, and lasting impact on artificial intelligence and telecommunications.

In 1944, a pioneering heart surgery cured a child’s blue‑baby syndrome, proving that open heart operations were possible. The breakthrough hinged on the skill of Dr. Vivien Thomas, an African‑American lab assistant whose work was often overlooked.

A thrilling tale of racial politics and presidential succession, set against the backdrop of the 1960s and focusing on a black candidate for the presidency who is unexpectedly elected.

Richard Holmes charts the groundbreaking scientific adventures of the late eighteenth century, spotlighting figures such as Joseph Banks, William Herschel, and Humphry Davy, whose discoveries ignited Britain’s Romantic Age of Science.

Robert Hooke—engineer, architect, and pioneering scientist—rebuilds post‑Fire London, writes *Micrographia*, invents the balance‑spring watch, and navigates a tumultuous career and personal life in 17th‑century Britain.

Rise of the Rocket Girls chronicles the trailblazing women who, as Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s early human computers, calculated trajectories that launched America's first satellites and opened the path to space exploration.

The Box: Re-creating the Golden Age of Television Interviews

A wide-ranging collection of Isaac Asimov essays that examine science, philosophy, technology, and society, tackling questions from religious radicalism to space exploration and the future of humanity.

In 17th-century Holland, natural philosopher Anton van Leeuwenhoek and artist Johannes Vermeer uncover hidden depths of sight, reshaping science and art as they explore what lies beyond ordinary perception.

Biography of Srinivasa Ramanujan Aiyangar, 1887-1920, mathematician from India.

Newton Arvin, a Smith College professor known for groundbreaking literary studies, struggled with McCarthyism and betrayed his friends after a raid on his apartment.

John R. Brinkley, a 20th‑century medical quack, rose from selling worthless patent remedies to becoming a famous surgeon in Kansas, while battling physician authority and regulators, in a tale of ambition and controversy.

Thomas Francis Meagher, a fiery Irish orator, escaped a Tasmanian prison to become New York’s revolutionary hero and commander of the Irish Brigade in the Civil War, dreaming of a liberated Ireland.

"The compelling story of an acclaimed journalist and New York Times bestselling author's ongoing struggle with epilepsy--his torturous decision to keep his condition a secret to avoid discrimination, and his ensuing decades-long battle to not only survive, but to thrive. Written with brutal and affecting honesty, Kurt Eichenwald, who was diagnosed with epilepsy as a teenager, details the abuses he faced while incapacitated post-seizure, the discrimination he fought that almost cost him his education and employment, and the darkest moments when he contemplated suicide as the only solution to ending his physical and emotional pain. He recounts how medical incompetence would have killed him but for the heroic actions of a brilliant neurologist and the friendship of two young men who assumed part of the burden of his struggle. Ultimately, Eichenwald's is an inspirational tale, showing how a young man facing his own mortality on a daily basis could rise from the depths of despair to the heights of unimagined success"--