Book Review: "The Maniac" by Benjamin Labatut

I felt that "The Maniac" is a bold, intellectually charged novel that defies easy categorization. It traces the arc of scientific ambition, genius, and madness—centering on John von Neumann while weaving in a tapestry of other brilliant (and sometimes tormented) minds who have shaped the 20th and 21st centuries. This follows from his previous book "When we cease to understand the world" that followed the same pattern of "Fiction based on facts". I did not like this angle though.

The book is at once compelling and disturbing. The author's storytelling is masterful; he has a gift for turning abstract and technical concepts—game theory, quantum mechanics, AI—into vivid, human drama. His language is lyrical, often poetic, and he injects emotional depth into topics that might otherwise feel cold or cerebral. The psychological and philosophical weight of the subject matter—humanity’s increasing entanglement with machines of its own creation—is made hauntingly real.

The research behind the book is equally impressive. From early developments in computing to AlphaGo’s legendary 2016 match against Lee Sedol, the author touches on key moments in the scientific narrative with apparent fluency and insight. He draws connections across disciplines, eras, and personalities, and in doing so he brings the grandeur and cost of intellectual pursuit into sharp focus.

That said, the book walks a fine and often frustrating line between fact and fiction. The author has been clear that The Maniac is not a biography or a history, but rather a novel "inspired" by real events. The problem is, for a reader unfamiliar with the precise histories of von Neumann, Gödel, Turing, or even AlphaZero, it becomes difficult to know where the truth ends and imagination begins. The blending of fact with speculative detail is done seamlessly—but perhaps too seamlessly.

As someone interested in the real history of these towering figures and transformative technologies, I found myself frequently wondering: Did this really happen? Did they really say that? The author offers no notes, no disclaimers, no guidance. And while that’s a deliberate artistic choice, it may alienate readers looking for a clearer line between historical record and fictional elaboration.

All that said and done, The Maniac is a provocative and beautifully written book that asks big questions and paints a vivid portrait of minds that changed the world. But it leaves a lingering unease—especially for those of us who wish to distinguish the poetry of imagination from the precision of truth.

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Book Review: "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins

This book will interest those who are curious about the machinery of life and the forces that shaped us. My review contains spoilers. If you don’t want them, stop reading here itself and check out the next review.

I am aware that this book was originally published in 1976, its subsequent revisions prove that it (The Selfish Gene) remains a landmark in the field of evolutionary biology, offering a bold, gene-centred view of evolution that made me think from a different view of natural selection. With a clear and persuasive narrative style, Dawkins argues that evolution is best understood not from the perspective of the organism or species, but from that of the gene itself. I felt that the book is as intellectually rigorous as it is accessible, combining deep scientific insight with elegant prose.

One of the book’s most illuminating features is its introduction of game theory into biology, particularly through the "Doves vs Hawks" and “sucker-cheat-grudger”models. Borrowed from John Maynard Smith, this model demonstrates how different behavioural strategies (aggression vs. pacifism) or (selective altruism)can coexist in a population, depending on the cost-benefit payoff of each. Dawkins uses this to illustrate the concept of an evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS), showing how natural selection can maintain a balance between competing behaviours without one wiping the other out entirely. Cat and mice will always co-exist. Thugs and police will always co-exist.This blending of mathematics and biology offers a powerful explanation for the diversity and stability of animal behaviour in nature.

Equally compelling is Dawkins’ discussion of the origin of life, where he hypothesises that life may have begun with self-replicating molecules. His concise, lucid explanation makes the complex idea of molecular self-replication both comprehensible and fascinating, setting the stage for the gene-centred view that follows. He portrays these early replicators as the first "selfish genes," competing for survival in a pre-biological world, eventually giving rise to increasingly complex biological machinery.

Dawkins also clarifies important biological terms, such as "phenotype," which refers to the observable characteristics of an organism resulting from the interaction of its genes and environment. He introduces the idea of the "extended phenotype," arguing that the influence of genes can stretch beyond the body of the organism into its environment and behaviour—another innovative perspective that pushes readers to think beyond conventional definitions of heredity and evolution.

One of the most thought-provoking parts of the book, at least for me, is Dawkins’ exploration of how our evolutionary past still shapes modern humans. He argues that our hunter-gatherer genes, honed over hundreds of thousands of years, still drive much of our behaviour today—often in ways mismatched to the modern world. This idea offers a framework for understanding everything from social dynamics to dietary preferences and emotional responses.

Despite some controversy around its title it it early days and perceived implications of genetic determinism, The Selfish Gene is not a manifesto for selfishness, but rather a nuanced explanation of how genes that succeed in replication can influence behaviour. Dawkins takes care to distinguish between gene-level selfishness and organism-level cooperation, introducing the concept of "reciprocal altruism" and even cultural evolution through the term "meme", which he coined.

Now that you have gone through the spoilers, I would say that this was just the tip of the iceberg. I am sure you would enjoy reading the book in its entirety.