John von Neumann (Norman Macrae)
ISBN: 0-679-41308-1 Page 353: Johnny remained reasonably friendly with everybody during this, although he hated joint statements of any kind. Everyone came under pressure to sign them, including one or two of the younger staff who privately disagreed. One of Johnny’s personal definitions of a scholar was a person who did not sign manifestos that tabled joint emotions. In any complicated situation any thoughtful man should want to express his opinions in his own words, instead of baying in a pack like hounds. Page 369: Then comes the hour when people normally go to sleep. Johnny goes to sleep too. But to him sleep is part of his work. He believes much of mathematics is done sub-consciously. He will go to sleep serenely with an unsolved problem and wake at three in the morning with the answer: his mind has done it for him while he has slept. Then he goes to his desk and phones his associates. One of the requirements for an associate is that he not mind being awakened in the middle ...