Who is the author of The Best Minds?

The author of The Best Minds is Jonathan Rosen.

Biography & Memoir

The Best Minds Book Summary - The Best Minds Book explained in key points

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The Best Minds summary

Name: The Best Minds
Author: Jonathan Rosen

Jonathan Rosen

A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions

21 mins

Brief summary

The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen delves into the intertwined lives of two friends, exploring themes of mental illness, ambition, and genius, while addressing broader societal concerns and the boundaries of the human mind.

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The Human Condition Culture Biographies Mental Health Memoirs Social Psychology

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The Best Minds
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What’s in it for me? An intimate look at genius and madness.

In the 1970s, the author Jonathan and his friend Michael, two gifted Jewish teenagers, bond over books, records, and big ideas about changing the world. Each intelligent in their own way, they both end up studying at Yale.

But their paths diverge when brilliant Michael is diagnosed with schizophrenia and makes national headlines. First, for graduating Yale Law School despite his affliction. Later, for killing his pregnant girlfriend during a psychotic episode.

This Blink chronicles the complex friendship between Jonathan Rosen and Michael Laudor, from the point of view of Jonathan Rosen himself. An empathetic exploration of intellectual promise, mental illness, and the failures of the healthcare system, it’s a reminder that the most gifted minds can be more fragile than we think.

Just two clever Jewish boys

Our story begins in 1973, when Jonathan Rosen’s Jewish family uproots from Boston to the New York suburb of New Rochelle. New Rochelle is a nice neighborhood with manicured lawns and top-rated schools. But the real reason for the move is Michael Laudor, whom the adults have deemed a “suitable playmate” for Jonathan.

Gawky and towering, with a forward-leaning gait that has earned him the nickname “Toes”, Michael instantly mesmerizes the shy, spectator-like Jonathan. He seems less a boy than an adult in disguise. Jonathan thrills at Michael’s intellect and barbed humor, although his confidence can border on arrogance.

The boys frequently wander New Rochelle’s leafy streets, Michael often with a tattered paperback in his pocket – novels by Aldous Huxley, Isaac Asimov, or Ray Bradbury. Jonathan struggles with his own reading, but listens raptly to Michael’s breathless book summaries. Michael sometimes boasts that his parent’s house is held up by stacks of books alone. It’s barely an exaggeration.

Michael and Jonathan both come from Jewish families who prize education and social justice. Both of their fathers are professors. But whereas Jonathan takes his Jewish identity gravely to heart, Michael dismisses his own bar mitzvah as a mechanical ritual endured for cash gifts. Micheal’s father Chuck is a rough-hewn and brawny man given to violent rages. His presence fills Michael’s household with a chaotic energy that both thrills and unsettles Jonathan.

As the 70s progress, Michael leaps into adolescence with hedonistic vigor. He blazes through paperbacks and girlfriends alike, picks up the guitar, and hones his contempt for authority as editor of the school paper. Jonathan follows timidly in Michael’s trail. He casually dates but also self-censors any behavior, such as drug use, that he fears might “break” his fragile mind.

At the end of the 70s, tales of violence and madness loom large in the public consciousness. A serial killer who calls himself the Son of Sam fills the tabloids, blaming his horrifying acts on talking dogs and demons. Horror movies like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby scandalize the nation. Like many teens at the time, Jonathan and Michael watch in horror and fascination. Although Jonathan has some rough physical encounters with bullies, violence and madness are mostly abstract fantasies to them.

But Jonathan and Michael’s friendship is soon put to the test. For several years, they’ve both worked for the nerdy school paper, the Herald. But in their senior year, it’s Jonathan, not Michael, who’s nominated as editor in chief. Michael abruptly resigns from the paper over this insult to his brilliance, leaving Jonathan desolate.

When they both get acceptance letters to Yale, Jonathan hopes to reignite their friendship at college. But Michael swiftly curbs his enthusiasm. He tells Jonathan he’s simply too slow to keep up with him.

Summa cum Laudor

In the early 1980s, Jonathan and Michael embark on their separate journeys at Yale. Jonathan settles into the Old Campus dorms, grappling with feelings of guilt at his privilege. He’s starkly aware of the contrast between the university’s opulence and the poverty and crime of the surrounding New Haven. Within the safe confines of the gated campus, Jonathan immerses himself in studying literature, attending lectures by celebrated authors like Norman Mailer and Elie Wiesel.

Meanwhile, Michael takes up housing at Silliman College, quickly convincing others of his brilliance. One of his first friends at college is PhD student Linus, who’s captivated by Michael's grasp of complex economic issues. Soon after, Michael makes his mark with a published letter in The New York Times, challenging a Harvard expert to defend forced busing for school integration.

Taking a break

Michael’s mental health spirals. He becomes obsessed with his former girlfriend Jo-Ann, even following her to a music festival in Germany. He writes convoluted, violent short stories that he gives Jonathan to read. He starts taping rejection letters from publishers to his bedroom walls. The Ferbers notice Michael’s struggle and refer him to a psychiatrist friend. Murray is so impressed by Michael’s brilliance that he starts referring to him as “my Michael”. But his intervention can’t stop the spiral. Michael succumbs to a state of total paranoia, believing his parents are Nazis out to get him and patrolling his home with a knife. Soon after, Michael is hospitalized in a psychiatric unit. He’s confined to a locked ward and needs medication to stay coherent.

Jonathan learns what happened from Michael’s father, Chuck, although Chuck leaves out some of the terrifying details of Michael’s delusions. When Jonathan calls Michael in the hospital, his old friend sounds robotic, weary and sedated. He speaks of the hospital as if it was a prison. He believes that the violent, bizarre novel he’s been working on has contributed to his current condition. But he also expresses glimmers of hope.

Crazy but not stupid

Michael got accepted into Yale Law School before his psychotic episode. The dean of the school, an empathetic man called Guido Calabresi, indicated that Michael’s acceptance would be honored despite his mental health struggles. He promised to be the “ramp” Michael needed to recover.

Although people like Jane Ferber raise concerns about how the pressure of law school will impact his mental health, Michael’s father assures him that law school is the way out. Despite ongoing delusions and hallucinations, he still believes that intelligence is a gateway to sanity and success. He clings to the notion that he’s “crazy, but not stupid”. It will become his motto at Yale Law School.

Michael’s big break

After graduating top of his Yale Law School class, Michael discovers that his job prospects are slim. He can’t explain the schizophrenia-induced gaps in his resumé and he can’t admit his condition to potential employers, given the stigma that surrounds the condition. His girlfriend Carrie, meanwhile, has taken a demanding new job at an education start-up. On top of it all, Michael’s father Chuck passes away unexpectedly.

At the funeral, Michael seems beside himself, concerning his friends from the “Network”. But just before things can get worse, Michael’s luck turns. The media has gotten wind of his unusual story. The New York Times runs a front page profile of him.

The unraveling

The pressure of fame wrecks Michael’s mental health. He stops taking his medication and his grip on reality unravels. He sinks into severe delusions, believing Carrie has been replaced by a lifeless replica. The “Network” is aware of these developments. But as per the law, they can’t force Michael into treatment until he displays outright dangerous behavior. Tragically, the warning signs are missed until it is too late.

In a psychotic rage, Michael brutally stabs Carrie to death in their apartment, driven by delusions that she is an imposter. The heinous murder devastates their friends and family, including Michael’s Rabbi Eddie, who considered Michael almost like a son. Investigators find Carrie's body along with evidence of a violent struggle. They also discover another layer of tragedy during examination – Carrie was pregnant.

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What is The Best Minds about?

The Best Minds (2023) tells the gripping true story of childhood friends Jonathan Rosen and Michael Laudor, who both end up attending Yale University in the 1980s. Their paths diverge after the brilliant Michael is diagnosed with schizophrenia, his illness later culminating in violent tragedy. Recounting their shared past, Jonathan is left to reckon with the genius, mystery, and maltreatment of his old friend.

The Best Minds Review

The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen (2003) explores the intellectual and literary impact of the Beat Generation. Here's why this book is worth reading:

It provides fascinating insight into the lives and works of Beat writers and their contributions to American literature and culture.
Drawing from extensive research and interviews, the book offers a comprehensive and insightful look at the Beat movement's influence and lasting legacy.
Through its exploration of the Beat Generation's rebellious spirit and innovative ideas, The Best Minds challenges conventional norms and offers a fresh perspective on American literary history.

Who should read The Best Minds?

True crime readers interested in the story of a brilliant man’s descent into mental illness
Fans of memoirs and stories of complex friendships
Anyone seeking a thought-provoking examination of identity, mental health, and psychiatric care in America

About the Author

Jonathan Rosen is an American author and editor who graduated from Yale before embarking on a writing career. Rosen gained notice as editorial director of the Forward's English edition for a decade and through novels like Joy Comes in the Morning. His critically-acclaimed memoir The Best Minds, a gripping and unsparing account of his tragic friendship with Michael Laudor.

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Biography & Memoir Psychology

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