Review by Choice Review
Accomplished mathematician and expositor Stewart opens this wonderful little book by quoting from G. H. Hardy's 1940 classic A Mathematician's Apology: "It is a melancholy experience for a professional mathematician to find himself writing about mathematics." Stewart offers no apologies and shows no signs of melancholy while providing a modern update of many of the questions addressed in Hardy's book. What is mathematics and what is its relation to the "real world"? Who are mathematicians? What do they do, and how do they do it? Each chapter is written as a letter to "Meg," a developing mathematician. As well as discussing the questions above, these letters offer advice to Meg as she proceeds from high school to university to graduate school and, ultimately, an academic career. Among other things, Stewart offers advice on handling the transition from school to university, choosing a thesis adviser, teaching, and how to successfully advance as a professional in the academic world. Anyone interested in pursuing a career in mathematics will enjoy this book and find within it many insightful pearls of wisdom from one who has successfully traveled the mathematical road. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower- and upper-division undergraduates; graduate students. D. S. Larson Gonzaga University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This new entry in the Art of Mentoring series takes the form of letters from a fictitious mathematician to his niece. The letters span a period of 20 years, from the time the niece is thinking about studying mathematics in high school through the early years of her academic career. The format works wonderfully to introduce readers to the basics of the discipline of mathematics while providing a sense of what mathematicians actually do. Throughout, the prolific and talented Stewart (Does God Play Dice?), a British mathematician, entertains while educating. He explains how mathematics is so much more than mere calculations and how it's used in almost every facet of our lives. He also discusses the beauty mathematicians can find in the natural world, demonstrating that a focus on numbers and patterns can enhance rather than detract from an aesthetic appreciation of the environment. Stewart also does a superb job of examining the nature and value of both applied research and pure research, which, he shows, are not nearly as disparate as many think. Although the book must be read by anyone thinking about a career in mathematics, others simply interested in learning about the field and how mathematicians think will find it compelling reading. (Apr. 17) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Stewart (mathematics, Univ. of Warwick; director, Mathematics Awareness Ctr. at Warwick; The Annotated Flatland) has written yet another mathematics popularization, this time in the form of letters to a fictitious mathematician as she progresses from the level of secondary school student to tenured university faculty member. Stewart's purpose is to explain the nature of a mathematician's work, explore some of the many practical applications of "pure" mathematics, and discuss how to teach the subject. This he accomplishes in a set of highly enjoyable chapters without any equations to frighten off his more timorous readers. He sometimes draws on his own experiences as a researcher and teacher to further enliven the narrative, often to humorous effect. This excellent book for introducing lay readers to mathematics as a profession is highly recommended for public and academic libraries. [Letters is the first scientific entry in Basic Books's "Art of Mentoring" series.-Ed.]-Jack W. Weigel, formerly with the Univ. of Michigan Lib., Ann Arbor (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
