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Men of Mathematics (Touchstone Book) (Paperback) (平装)
by E.T. Bell
| Category:
Mathematics, Science |
| Market price: ¥ 198.00
MSL price:
¥ 178.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
This timeless classic mixes history with a taste different concepts and ideas of mathematics. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 8 items |
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Bertrand Russell (MSL quote), France
<2007-01-30 00:00>
Professor Bell has done his work well....Any [one] engaged in learning mathematics will profit by reading him, since he humanizes the subject and helps to a realization of the historical environment.
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The New York Times (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-30 00:00>
Extremely harmonious...a first text in the philosophy of mathematics....Bell's style is very enjoyable. |
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Nature (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-30 00:00>
Professor E.T. Bell has written a fascinating book. The amount of biographical details and of mathematics that he has compressed into a volume of 600 pages is extraordinary...he carries the reader along; he whets the appetite.
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Laurence Lazarus (MSL quote), Canada
<2007-01-30 00:00>
This book was published in the 1930's and therefore is not up-to-date with contemporary mathematicians.
That's OK though. Most of those who like Mathematics and particularly the writings of Lancelot Hogben and, more recently, Jan Gullberg have probably read later works anyway.
What I liked about this book is that is an easy to read history of the key men and women who developed Mathematics, going as far back as Aristotle and ending in the early part of the 20th century.
It brings out the characters that lived behind these great minds and the book almost reads like a novel, except that we can assume that it was all true. I know many people who find it hard to believe that mathematicians were actually living, breathing human beings, and actually did have other lives when they weren't preoccupied with their abacus.
A great read for math lovers and a great source of inspiration too.
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Ronald Gentile (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-30 00:00>
This is a superbly written collection of biographies. Mr. Bell was obviously a great writer-his ability shows in how he brings each mathematician to life, as well as in his witty sense of sarcasm. Each chapter is dedicated mainly to the life and career of the mathematician in question, and to a lesser extent to the substance of his mathematical work.
I decided to give the book four stars instead of five because I felt that it tackled too much in too little space. Not having any mathematical education beyond high school calculus (which I've completely forgotten), I found it very difficult at times to follow the technical discussions, despite Mr. Bell's assurance to the contrary in the Introduction. This is most likely, however, not something that the author could have remedied with a clearer explanation-let's face it, squeezing a mathematical genius's life work into three pages that a non-mathematician can (almost) comprehend is quite a challenge.
Overall, this book is well worth reading for anyone with an interest in mathematics and/or the sciences in general-keeping in mind, of course, that the focus of the book is the lives of great mathematicians and not an in-depth study of their work.
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P. Wung (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-30 00:00>
This was the book that piqued my interest in mathematics and the people who does mathematics for a living. Be aware that this book was written in the days when only caucasian western men did mathematics. Asian mathematics weren't considered and women mathematicians were considered to be novelties, not worthy of attention.
This book considered all of the heavy weights in mathematics at the time. From the Greeks onward until those mathematicians considered worthy at the time of Bell's writing. Bell's review of their lives are partly general biography, part assessment of their mathematics, and part psychological studies of why they did what they did. Bell is by no means an objective reporter of the facts. He definitely had his favorites and he had his not so favorites, and he was not shy about letting you know. That is partly why this is such a good book. He puts in his opinions of the foibles and genius of each of the men he is writing about and he puts their genius in a pecking order that he himself created. I found it informative and entertaining. Others may find it bothersome, but this is by far the most complete book of its kind for its day. I recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in mathematics and mathematicians.
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Stephen Mark (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-30 00:00>
Men of Mathematics is one of my favorite books. These mini-biographies of the greatest mathematicians give a concise version of their lives and a pretty thorough lay description of their contributions. Dryish material in the hands of most authors, but highly dramatic stuff for Bell, a florid writer with an intense love for math and scant tolerance for other pursuits. His opinions are so firm and his reasoning so quick and sure that contemporary academic or historical writing seems tepid and mushy by comparison. The genetic source of the brilliant mathematical ability is the first order of business in the biographical formula. With the scholarly ancestor or uncle located, we move on to the educational drama, where tension is derived from the obstacles, such as idiot examiners, poetry, women, drink, that lie between the subject and mathematical greatness. Bell is outraged by the amount of time little boy William Hamilton wastes learning Oriental languages and human-calculator type parlor tricks, rather than focusing on real mathematics. The author's opinionated interpretations are not that unreasonable and his rich style is entertaining though ludicrous. In spite of the snide amusement you may derive from the language and the author's unexamined biases, his rendering of the drama behind twenty truly brilliant careers can really be quite moving. The chapter on Galois is a classic. You'll laugh; you'll cry.
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Denis Powell (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-30 00:00>
I first read this book when I was thirteen years old, from the public library. I found it engrossing and never forgot the title and author. Now sixty years later I have my own copy and have enjoyed it even more - basically because the math that went over my head then sticks a little more after college math, also many years ago, in science and engineering. I expected to find many anachronisms in a book published that long ago, but apart from prescient references to the upcoming World War II, it could have been written now. Of course the subject matter does not date. The style of writing flows very smoothly and holds the attention of the reader. This book will be enjoyed most by those who enjoy, or have enjoyed doing math. It has some relatively elementary math presentation for those who want to dust off their gray matter and try to follow. But this is not essential. The lives of the math geniuses of the centuries are of a fascinating variety. All these years I could not remember which one, at the age of twenty one was shot in a stupid duel and left to die at the side of the road. Now I know.
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1 Total 1 pages 8 items |
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