No, this page is not about books I’ve written, it’s about favourite books that I own. I was inspired to write this when rummaging around at home and spotted my oldest book, The Complete Measurer. So that’s the book with which I’ll start.
1. The full title of this book, published in 1769 (or, rather, MDCCLXVI) is The Complete Measurer: or, the Whole Art of Measuring. It’s all about … hang on, I’ll leave it to the author, William Hawney, Philomath., to explain why he wrote it (click to read):
I love the book, partly because I’m keen on mathematics (especially its history), and also because it’s been in my possession for about four decades. When I first owned it, the front cover was missing. However, I was able to have it beautifully recovered in calfskin by a venerable old bookbinder at the University of Tasmania.
Further, if you’d like to read it, you’ll find a later edition completely available online at Google Books. It’s the American ‘revised and improved’ version of 1820, revealing that the kind of publishing antics we think are quite modern have a long and undistinguished history.
2. This is the BIG ONE! Pride of place in my shelves goes to The World of Mathematics, published in 1956 by Simon and Shuster at the princely price of US$20. With over 2,500 pages in four volumes, I am the proud owner of an original boxed set in excellent condition (no, it’s not for sale! But is available in paperback at a reasonable price). Fifteen years in the making, it’s understated subtitle is ‘A small library of the literature of mathematics from A’h-mosé the Scribe to Albert Einstein, presented with commentaries and notes by James R. Newman‘.
I’ve owned this set for so long that I can’t remember when I purchased it. It’s been decades, and over the years has brought me great joy and satisfaction. Just imagine being able to read the original writings (with informed and inspiring commentary) of Archimedes, Newton, Euler, Galileo, Bernoulli, Mendel, Heisenberg, Eddington, Galton, Shaw (yes, George Bernard!), Boole, Hardy, Russell, Whitehead and Turing, amongst others. And of course there’s Descartes:
Ah, the joys of geometry! Oh, but you prefer statistics? Then you will of course be familiar with Ronald Fisher, famous for his outstanding contributions to statistical science and the theory of evolution. One of my favourite chapters in the volumes is his engaging article Mathematics of a Lady Tasting Tea. And I can go on … and on!
You can read an early (1957) review from the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, or something more recent from Nature (1989).
James Newman didn’t just provide commentary. One of the chapters is his joint essay with Ernest Nagel, Gödel’s Proof, wherein they (successfully!) attempted to “explain to the nonspecialist what is generally regarded as the most brilliant, most difficult, and most stunning sequence of reasoning in modern logic” (p. 1616). And, coincidentally, Gödel’s Proof sewed the seeds of inspiration in Douglas Hofstadter, then a teenager, for his fabulous book Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, my next choice.
3. I first read Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid back in the early 1980s, when I borrowed it (multiple times, then extended loan) from the library at the college where I taught. It blew me away, as it clearly did many others – it won the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction.
It’s a book that’s almost impossible to explain, both in terms of contents and intent. I’m not alone in this inability, as the author Douglas Hofstadter explains in the Preface to the 20th Anniversary Edition (the 2000 edition I now own). Apparently he has been particularly chagrined over the years at the ‘utter hogwash’ (his words!) that has been written concerning what the book is all about. Again in his words, it’s “a very personal attempt to say how it is that animate beings can come out of inanimate matter” (p. xx).” It’s how it does this that makes it so magical, by delving “into so many motley topics – fugues and canons, logic and truth, geometry, recursion, syntactic structures, the nature of meaning, Zen Buddhism, paradoxes, brain and mind, reductionism and holism, ant colonies, concepts and mental representations, translation, computers and their languages, DNA, proteins, the genetic code, artificial intelligence, creativity, consciousness and free will – sometimes even art and music, of all things!” (p. xix) And of course there’s plenty about Gödel and his famous theorem:
It’s also a book that Hofstadter (wisely!) found impossible to update for the 20th Anniversary Edition, the only change being the addition of an engaging Preface. So, it might be decades old, but read it – it’s well worth the effort.
4. The next one has an exciting history and an engaging companion book – so exciting, in fact, that I wrote a blog post about its discovery, purchase and subsequent investigation. Basically, it’s an author signed copy of Adam Sisman’s biography of Hugh Trevor-Roper, along with a book from Trevor-Roper’s personal library. And the biography is absolutely wonderful – beautifully written in form and absolutely fascinating in content.
More to come …
Pingback: » Of Oxford, books and a theory of stupidity David Murphy's Occasional Blog
Pingback: » Me, the metre and MoMath David Murphy's Occasional Blog
Nice post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am inspired!
Very useful information particularly the last part :
) I deal with such info a lot. I was looking for this particular
info for a very long time. Thanks and best of luck.
My website: Roof Replacement Dandenong South
I read this piece of writing fully about the comparison of most recent and previous technologies, it’s remarkable
article.
Visit my site … power washing painting service painting power washing near me gutter cleaning
It’s going to be ending of mine day, except before end I am reading this impressive post to improve my knowledge.
Here is my blog post Roofing Industrial
A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment.
I believe that you should publish more about
this subject, it might not be a taboo matter but typically
people don’t speak about these topics. To the
next! Best wishes!!
Visit my web-site :: Commercial roofers near me
Unquestionably believe that which you said. Your favorite justification appeared to be on the
net the easiest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I certainly get irked
while people consider worries that they plainly
don’t know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out
the whole thing without having side-effects , people can take a signal.
Will likely be back to get more. Thanks
My site :: BMW Repairs Blackpool Lancashire
Fantastic goods from you, man. I have understand
your stuff previous to and you are just too great.
I really like what you have acquired here, certainly like what you’re stating and the
way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it
sensible. I can’t wait to read much more from you.
This is really a terrific website.
Also visit my homepage … mega888
Howdy, I think your web site could be having web browser compatibility problems.
When I take a look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine but
when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping issues.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Besides that, excellent blog!
my web page hire a table magician
Hi, i believe that i saw you visited my site thus i came to go back the prefer?.I am trying to in finding issues
to improve my web site!I assume its good enough to make use of some of your ideas!!
Feel free to surf to my web page :: best trump meme coin
Hey! Quick question that’s entirely off topic.
Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My
site looks weird when viewing from my apple iphone.
I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to fix this problem.
If you have any suggestions, please share.
Thank you!
my web site; Click here
I must thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this site.
I’m hoping to view the same high-grade content by you in the future as well.
In fact, your creative writing abilities has
motivated me to get my very own blog now 😉
Here is my web page – Garage Doors in Calgary
I needed to thank you for this fantastic read!!
I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it. I’ve got you
bookmarked to check out new things you post…
Also visit my blog :: Carmela
Howdy! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be ok.
I’m absolutely enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
Feel free to surf to my blog :: Learn more
Terrific work! This is the kind of info that should be
shared across the net. Shame on Google for now not
positioning this submit higher! Come on over and consult
with my website . Thank you =)
My blog post mattresses
Hello there, I found your web site via Google even as looking for a comparable topic,
your site got here up, it appears to be like good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hello there, simply became aware of your blog via Google, and located that
it is truly informative. I am gonna be careful for brussels.
I’ll appreciate if you happen to continue this
in future. Lots of people will probably be benefited
out of your writing. Cheers!
Stop by my blog – schiphol taxi
My family members every time say that I am wasting my time here at net, except I know I am getting know-how every day by reading
such good articles or reviews.
Feel free to visit my web site Matt Brown Extreme Performance
Definitely believe that that you said. Your favorite
justification seemed to be on the internet the easiest factor
to have in mind of. I say to you, I definitely get irked even as folks think about issues that they plainly do
not understand about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also
outlined out the whole thing with no need side-effects
, folks could take a signal. Will likely be again to get more.
Thank you
Feel free to visit my web blog :: concrete bucket for crane
I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your site.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a
developer to create your theme? Fantastic work!
Feel free to surf to my website: sedežne prevleke za stole
Wonderful blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo News.
Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
Thank you
My website – gutter replacement adelaide
Article writing is also a fun, if you know afterward you can write or else it is difficult
to write.
Have a look at my web page … rewiring camberley