I was a mediocre undergraduate Math student, but I was perceptive enough to notice one thing. In every class of 30 or so, there was always one student who floated above all the others. Professors would be running through some theory in a language that was a mystery to me, but “the one” would be listening with the bliss of complete understanding on their face. Imagine being that person in every field you touched. Imagine discussing with Keynes the nature of probablity at 19, being chosen as the translator of Wittgenstein’s Tractus , at 22. Imagine laying the groundwork for decision theory in mathematics while tackling vexing problems in philosophy and economics. This was Frank Ramsey – “the one” to end all – and he died at 26. Read the book.