Mind and Matter

A Life in Math and Football

De: John Urschel, Louisa Thomas

Narrado por: Sullivan Jones

A New York Times bestseller

John Urschel, mathematician and former offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, tells the story of a life balanced between two passions

For John Urschel, what began as an insatiable appetite for puzzles as a child developed into mastery of the elegant systems and rules of mathematics. By the time he was thirteen, Urschel was auditing a college-level calculus course. But when he joined his high school football team, a new interest began to eclipse the thrill he felt in the classroom. Football challenged Urschel in an entirely different way, and he became addicted to the physical contact of the sport. After he accepted a scholarship to play at Penn State, his love of math was rekindled. As a Nittany Lion, he refused to sacrifice one passion for the other. Against the odds, Urschel found a way to manage his double life as a scholar and an athlete. While he was an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, he simultaneously pursued his PhD in mathematics at MIT.

Weaving together two separate narratives, Urschel relives for us the most pivotal moments of his bifurcated life. He explains why, after Penn State was sanctioned for the acts of former coach Jerry Sandusky, he declined offers from prestigious universities and refused to abandon his team. He describes his parents’ different influences and their profound effect on him, and he opens up about the correlation between football and CTE and the risks he took for the game he loves. Equally at home discussing Georg Cantor’s work on infinities and Bill Belichick’s playbook, Urschel reveals how each challenge—whether on the field or in the classroom—has brought him closer to understanding the two different halves of his own life, and how reason and emotion, the mind and the body, are always working together. “So often, people want to divide the world into two,” he observes. “Matter and energy. Wave and particle. Athlete and mathematician. Why can’t something (or someone) be both?”

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Captivating. . . . Urschel’s brilliant memoir explores the challenges of making difficult choices and the rewards of following one’s passions in life.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“[Mind and Matter] follow[s] Urschel through the academic and athletic rigors that expose the sharp contrasts and surprising connections between the two passions that shape his life—one taxing his brain with proofs and calculations, the other toughening his muscles with gridiron competition. The candid narrative conveys both the intellectual excitement of mathematically formulating the irregularities of an asteroid’s orbit and the physical trauma of sustaining a concussion in blocking a blitzing linebacker. A piquantly improbable memoir.”—Booklist

“The most creative people are those who can embrace very different disciplines: Einstein loving music and physics, Leonardo da Vinci with his art and engineering. John Urschel, in this delightful memoir written with Louisa Thomas, describes his passion for both football and mathematics. He makes Joe Paterno’s fall and Newton’s three-body problem of moving objects equally interesting. But this book is about something much deeper: the importance of grit and determination in all fields of endeavor. Urschel has mastered that in his life, and he can inspire all of us to do so as well.”
—Walter Isaacson, author of Leonardo da Vinci

“A charming memoir on the joys of solving puzzles and pushing yourself past your so-called limits. It’s not every day that you read a book by an NFL lineman who’s working on a math PhD at MIT, and John Urschel reminds us that a full life depends on exercising both your brain and your body.”
—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take

“John Urschel’s charming autobiography-so-far about his journey through the highest levels of football and mathematics will give you some hope that the ideal of the student-athlete is still alive; and you’ll learn some math, too.”
—Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not to Be Wrong

“Meet ‘The Most Interesting Man in the World’: John Urschel. Having reached the highest level in football, he’s on his way to doing the same in math. His beautifully written memoir is a fun, fast-paced look at the route to excellence, and a tribute to old-school virtues like hard work, determination, and curiosity.”
—Steven Strogatz, professor of mathematics at Cornell University and author of The Joy of x

Awesome and Inspiring Book!

This is not a book you keep for yourself. This is a book you share with other loved ones and buy many times over. One day this book will be familiar and known by most people and in almost every household.

you can have it all, up to a point!

loved this book! compelling story about the simultaneous pursuit of two incredibly difficult professions. if you love either math or football you'll love this book.

A wonderful book 

As a former teacher and coach, it gave me insights that I wished I had when I was working with kids. I continue to work with kids. Therefore, I got better insights from this book. It is unique but people that hate math. Will love the book.

Inspiring

Inspiring and remarkably unique perspective with impactful potential. Grateful for the many take-away points and relatable life lessons.

A Great Story

I loved the way the story was framed as the pending intersection of 2 different passions that might on the surface seem very different. It’s a nice work to show that you can be an elite athlete and highly skilled in an additional area, whether it’s math or something else.

So good.

I enjoyed this book more than I’d thought I would.
I listened to the book as an Audible book over a 2-day period of time. When people would talk to me I'd pause but was anxious to get back to it. I drove; I listened. I exercised at the gym; I listened.
The book seemed like a conversation with someone I admired and wanted to know more about.
When I was finished I sent a copy to a relative.

Love the book

Keep helping and inspiring as many people as you can John to have passion for themselves

Fascinating blend of math and football

We often hear the term dumb jock. John Urschel was certainly no dumb jock. This book is an odd blend of football and mathematics. If you are not interested in both math and football, then this book may not be for you. I am an engineer who loves some theoretical mathematics, and I am a football fan, so this book intrigued me. John does go into some brief descriptions of high-level theoretical mathematics, so you definitely have to have an interest in math to enjoy this book. I think it is wonderful that someone could give up the potential to earn millions of dollars in order to pursue his love of mathematics.

Back and Forth

The book goes back-and-forth from his story about football to his story about Math and as a sports fan it keeps you interested and at the same time it wants you to educate yourself and start problem solving great book I love that the author is the actual player who is reading a book to you so good job

A true gentleman and mathematician

Gem and also inspiring tale of heroic overcoming. He is beyond amazing. This was the smoothest listening experience. But he is what legend inspires to be