A Beautiful Mind is Sylvia Nasar's award-winning biography about the mystery of the human mind the triumph over incredible adversity & the healing power of love At the age of thirty-one John Nash mathematical genius suffered a devastating breakdown & was diagnosed with schizophrenia Yet after decades of leading a ghost-like existence he was to re-emerge to win a Nobel Prize & world acclaim A Beautiful Mind has inspired the Oscar-winning film directed by Ron Howard & featuring Russell Crowe in the lead role of John Nash