A Mathematician's Apology (Canto) Reprint Edition

by G. H. Hardy (Author), C. P. Snow (Foreword)

50 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0521427067

ISBN-10: 0521427061

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G. H. Hardy was one of this century's finest mathematical thinkers, renowned among his contemporaries as a 'real mathematician ... the purest of the pure'. He was also, as C. P. Snow recounts in his Foreword, 'unorthodox, eccentric, radical, ready to talk about anything'. This 'apology', written in 1940 as his mathematical powers were declining, offers a brilliant and engaging account of mathematics as very much more than a science; when it was first published, Graham Greene hailed it alongside Henry James's notebooks as 'the best account of what it was like to be a creative artist'. C. P. Snow's Foreword gives sympathetic and witty insights into Hardy's life, with its rich store of anecdotes concerning his collaboration with the brilliant Indian mathematician Ramanujan, his aphorisms and idiosyncrasies, and his passion for cricket. This is a unique account of the fascination of mathematics and of one of its most compelling exponents in modern times.

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Product Details

Series: Canto
Paperback: 153 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Reprint edition (January 31, 1992)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0521427061
ISBN-13: 978-0521427067
Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #478,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #265 in Books > Science & Math > Mathematics > Mathematical Analysis
- #3240 in Books > Textbooks > Science & Mathematics > Mathematics

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45 of 48 people found the following review helpful

The Dark Side of �Be All You Can Be�

By James R. Mccall on May 14, 2001

Format: Paperback

I confess to a weakness for the Oxbridge culture of the early 20th century, so I'm a pushover for something like this. I'm not personally familiar with Hardy's work (my studies, such as they were, were in computability, provability, and the like), but it's enchanting to think of him sitting down with Housman or Russell at lunch and disputing or joking, so much shared tacit knowledge at the table.
The long foreward by C. P. Snow makes the subsequent text richer and more sad than it would otherwise be. Still, the most important point is made by Hardy: mathematics is a serious creative art, and is worth doing for that reason. Moreover, you should move heaven and earth to develop your abilities if you have the talent, and not bother with it otherwise.
More generally, Hardy places great value on the doing of something - anything! - supremely well, and has little interest in the lot of most people, which is to muddle through in their arbitrary careers. And there's the rub. Like a great athlete, a great mathematician is finished rather early. Yet he must contrive to live long after his powers have deserted him. Athletes often go to seed when their playing days are over, where less well-endowed people might remain physically active into old age. Hardy lost his math "legs" and never got over it. And here he's weighing in on Housman's side in the perennial problem of getting old: better to slip betimes away.
Anyway, it's a darn good read, and short, at that. And we must remember that it was written in those dark days when Germany was rolling over Europe. Can we blame Hardy for taking solace in the fact that his beloved number theory seemed to have no applications to war? (These days, of course, prime factorization methods constitute a strategic advantage...)

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41 of 44 people found the following review helpful

One of my top 20. Somewhat depressing but oh so true.

By Kersi Von Zerububbel VINE VOICE on July 7, 2006

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

This short book has long been one of my favorites. Hardy's philosophical musings may depress some but they ring so very true. Hardy is quite honest about life, art, mathematics, and his failing abilities. For example, his statement, that a very small minority of us are really good at what we do may sound depressing today. But the fact is true.

I can recall when words such as super, excellent, awesome etc. were used judiciously and very rarely to describe truly significant achievement. Today, doing one's job, albeit poorly, is described as excellent.

What I most like about Hardy's book is it's honesty and respect for the reader. A suggestion. Read the book proper BEFORE wading through C.P. Snow's forward. After about the second read tackle the forward.

A must have.

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52 of 58 people found the following review helpful

A classic of the mathematical literature

By Charles Ashbacher HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on February 18, 2001

Format: Paperback

Every discipline has a list of items that must be read if one is to be considered educated in that field. There is no doubt that this book should be required reading for any degree in mathematics. Most of the soul of mathematics is contained in the 91 pages of the `Apology' (the first 58 pages consists of the foreword by Snow). Written in his later years when Hardy knew his mathematical powers were failing, this is a superb exposition by a brilliant, eccentric personality. He not only captures the grandeur of mathematical discovery, but also clearly articulates the feelings of a man who knows that his time has passed. First published in 1940, the twin messages are timeless.
Clearly distinguishing between the real mathematician and the puzzle solver, Hardy is exceptional in declaring what the real beauty of mathematics is. Among all the beautiful things that exist, the percentage of individuals that can truly appreciate an elegant theorem is among the smallest. However, anyone who can read this work and not see at least some of the poetic qualities of mathematics has a blind spot in their soul. One of the masterpieces of literature, this book can be understood and appreciated by anyone with an eye for the beautiful things that life has to offer.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

A unique book, should be read by everybody

By A Customer on December 8, 2000

Format: Paperback

Hardy was a man that comes along rarely in life, and this book is an even rarer portrait of how men like him think. As a mathematician, Hardy was excellent, his collaboration produced much fruitful work, and he is perhaps most renowned for discovering the young protege Ramanujan. But this book is not really about his work, but about his views on life, and mathematics, as a whole. Considering how little people in American society know about mathematics and its practitioners, this book, which is emminently readable, will give all people a unique view of what some mathematicians think like. The book is short, but interesting from first page to last. Hardy was past his mathematical prime when he wrote this book, but this book probably is his most influencial he ever wrote.
The introduction by C.P. Snow is more like a short biography about Hardy, and it's about the same length as Hardy's actual text. It gives us insights into what one of Hardy's friends thought of him, and it also frames the life Hardy was living in as he wrote this book.
Hardy's opinions are strong, and undoubtedly every reader will disagree here and there with him. But he shows the reader some of the gems of mathematics, and perhaps the reader will be able to appreciate those even without formal mathematical training. He also talks about war and what he thinks of it. Whatever the reader thinks about Hardy's opinions, this book gives us the opportunity to glimpse into the mind of an artist - one different than the usual meaning attached to the word, but one nonetheless - and experience a part of human life not experienced by many - the wonders of mathematics.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Not the real, original text (keep searching)

This is not the actual version of the original GH Hardy book. It is a condensed and highly edited version, spanning only 51 pages (the real one is 154 pages long). Read more

Published 9 months ago by Pablo

A fine, small book for creative types of all stripes

I red this many years ago and was happy to find it again. I would not call myself even an amateur mathematican but it is a profound essay on creativity and the usefulness of... Read more

Published 10 months ago by Ellis D Vener

Underwhelmed

Disappointing as it doesn't include the worthwhile foreword by C.P. Snow that was available in the original edition.

Published 11 months ago by Upper Left Hand Corner

This was bought as a present for a granddaughter who ...

This was bought as a present for a granddaughter who appears to be a budding mathematician. I await to see how she likes it. Read more

Published 11 months ago by John

FANTASTIC BOOK, please look forward to an in-depth review ...

FANTASTIC BOOK, please look forward to an in-depth review of this enjoyable and informative book under the name D'Bogat (the review not the book)

Published 15 months ago by D'Bogat

Great content, but VERY cheaply made

This is in reference to the CreateSpace large-font edition. Great content, but VERY cheaply made. Has many publication errors and typos. The image on the cover is pixelated. Read more

Published 16 months ago by Chelsey

First, the typographical errors and misspellings are inexcusable. ...

First, the typographical errors and misspellings are inexcusable. Second, another version includes a fascinating foreword by CP Snow, but it is not included in this version. Read more

Published 16 months ago by Ron McRoberts

This large-print edition by CreateSpace is riddled with typos

Amazon, you should remove this edition from your inventory. It is chock full of typos. It is not published by a real publisher; someone clearly got it from the public domain and... Read more

Published 16 months ago by A consumer

Buy from a different publisher!

The text is interesting enough, but holy mathematics are there a lot of typos. I find it a little funny, but I also wish I had spent my money on something else.

Published 18 months ago by Phil

A classic defense of Mathematics and the life of the Mathematician

G.H. Hardy wrote this book at a time he considered himself to have already made whatever true creative contributions to his field of work, Mathematics that he would ever make. Read more

Published 18 months ago by Shalom Freedman