Taming the Infinite [Hardcover]

Ian Stewart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2008

From ancient Babylon to the last great unsolved problems, Ian Stewart brings us his definitive history of mathematics. In his famous straightforward style, Professor Stewart explains each major development - from the first number systems to chaos theory - and considers how each affected society and changed everyday life forever. Maintaining a personal touch, he introduces all of the outstanding mathematicians of history, from the key Babylonians, Greeks and Egyptians, via Newton and Descartes, to Fermat, Babbage and Godel, and demystifies maths' key concepts without recourse to complicated formulae. Written to provide a captivating historic narrative for the non-mathematician, A Babylonian Made My Blackberry is packed with fascinating nuggets and quirky asides, and contains 100 illustrations and diagrams to illuminate and aid understanding of a subject many dread, but which has made our world what it is today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Cear and readable, [Taming the Infinite] is an essential title for math, science, and technology buffs and will be intriguing for all." —Library Journal  --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Professor Ian Stewart is a world renowned populariser of mathematics. In 1995 he was awarded the Royal Society's Michael Faraday Medal for furthering the public understanding of science. He has been awarded the 1998 Communications Award of the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics in the USA, the 2000 Gold Medal of the Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications, and the 2002 Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology. He is the author of over 20 popular science and mathematics titles including Does God Play Dice?, Nature's Numbers (shortlisted for the 1996 Rhone-Poulenc Prize), Life's Other Secret and Flatterland, which was in the top 20 Bestseller List in the USA. Professor Stewart is the mathematics consultant for New Scientist, and has been a consultant for Encyclopaedia Britannica. From 1990 to 2001 he wrote the 'Mathematical Recreations' column in Scientific American. He is an active research mathematician with over 160 published papers and is currently Professor of Mathematics at Warwick University where he is Director of the Mathematics Awareness Centre. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2001.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Quercus (September 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847241816
• ISBN-13: 978-1847241818
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,083,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Infinite and the The Infinitesimal, December 14, 2011

By 

Dale Truman (Storrs, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taming the Infinite: The Story of Mathematics from the First Numbers to Chaos Theory (Paperback)

Another gem by Stewart with delightful examples, a breathtaking perspective, and thoughtful considerations on where we have been, where we are, and where we may be going. This book should be read by anyone involved in the teaching or practice of mathematics and is a handy companion to James D. Bailey's equally thoughtful Mapematics [sic] books, which deal with infinitesimals: non-computational solution generators such as neural nets, computer learning by genetic algorithm recombination, and the solution of non-biological problems using protein folding techniques. Bailey's should also be read by anyone interested in the teaching of mathematics or in the design of mathematical curricula at any level from elementary school to graduate school.