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Steven H. Strogatz
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The Calculus of Friendship: What a Teacher and a Student Learned about Life while Corresponding about Math Hardcover – August 23, 2009

by Steven Strogatz (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 81 ratings
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The Calculus of Friendship is the story of an extraordinary connection between a teacher and a student, as chronicled through more than thirty years of letters between them. What makes their relationship unique is that it is based almost entirely on a shared love of calculus. For them, calculus is more than a branch of mathematics; it is a game they love playing together, a constant when all else is in flux. The teacher goes from the prime of his career to retirement, competes in whitewater kayaking at the international level, and loses a son. The student matures from high school math whiz to Ivy League professor, suffers the sudden death of a parent, and blunders into a marriage destined to fail. Yet through it all they take refuge in the haven of calculus--until a day comes when calculus is no longer enough.


Like calculus itself, The Calculus of Friendship is an exploration of change. It's about the transformation that takes place in a student's heart, as he and his teacher reverse roles, as they age, as they are buffeted by life itself. Written by a renowned teacher and communicator of mathematics, The Calculus of Friendship is warm, intimate, and deeply moving. The most inspiring ideas of calculus, differential equations, and chaos theory are explained through metaphors, images, and anecdotes in a way that all readers will find beautiful, and even poignant. Math enthusiasts, from high school students to professionals, will delight in the offbeat problems and lucid explanations in the letters.


For anyone whose life has been changed by a mentor, The Calculus of Friendship will be an unforgettable journey.

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  1. Print length
    184 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Princeton University Press
  4. Publication date
    August 23, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0691134936
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0691134932
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"An intimate view of mentorship is revealed by US mathematician Steven Strogatz in The Calculus of Friendship, a compilation of letters exchanged with his high-school math teacher over 30 years. Through their correspondence they share problems in calculus, chaos theory and major life events, from professional and sporting successes to family bereavements and divorce. The book touchingly charts their changing roles and relationship, from student to professor, teacher to retirement." ― Nature

"The spring of his freshman year in college, Strogatz began to exchange letters with his high school calculus teacher, Don Joffray. At some point, their amiable correspondence about math problems led to a true friendship. In The Calculus of Friendship, Strogatz weaves their letters into reflections on the philosophical similarities between calculus and human relationships and portrays a friendship firmly founded on a love of dreaming up and solving calculus problems . . . . One can also feel the personality and humor of these pen pals emerging through their symbol-sprinkled sentences." ― Science

"Part biography, part autobiography and part off-the-beaten-path guide to calculus, this quick read details 30 years of correspondence between Strogatz and Joffray. Calculus, Isaac Newton's ingenious invention for modeling change mathematically, serves as both text and subtext for the letters that pass between Strogatz and Joff. Focusing almost exclusively on questions of mathematics, these brief notes frame the unlikely friendship of a teacher and his star student. With the precision of an award-winning mathematician and the clarity of a best-selling science author, Strogatz leads us on an excursion through some of the lesser-known mathematical sights--the ones usually reserved for the 'members only' tour. . . . The mathematics covered in these letters is impressive for such a short volume." ― American Scientist

"There is no better English-language explicator of complex quantitative concepts than Steven Strogatz. His work is a model for how mathematics needs to be popularized."---Michael Schrage, Harvard Business Review

"This story will draw in both the novice and the veteran. Teachers of mathematics will appreciate the long-term effect their teaching can have on students. The included mathematics can be related to both high school and undergraduate calculus sequences to demonstrate some interesting, thought-provoking, and 'big picture' connections to these courses." ― Mathematics Teacher

"[A] beautiful book, bound to become a classic in the mathematical literature. . . . Like Hardy's A Mathematician's Apology, you don not have to know any mathematics whatsoever to read this book. It is a candid and all-too-human story told with brutal honesty, warts and all, sharing with the reader the elation and sincere regrets bound up in the relationship--but in the end, the victories, too. With some beautiful mathematics throughout!"---Lawrence S. Braden, Notices of the American Mathematical Society

"You wouldn't guess it from the title, but The Calculus of Friendship is a genuine tearjerker. I defy anyone to follow the correspondence between mathematician Steven Strogatz and his high school teacher Don Joffray (affectionately nicknamed 'Joff') without getting just a little lachrymose. If you don't, check to see if there is a heart in your chest. If there is, ensure that it's not just a cold slab of stone." ― Bookslut

"The story of the correspondence between these two men is at once charming and subtly powerful. Strogatz writes directly and honestly, telling the story of a slow-growing friendship that was at once somewhat stilted and yet deep and sustaining. The immediacy and intimacy of Strogatz's writing transform the pleasures and tragedies of normal life into the elements of a compelling narrative, and because the book works so well on this human level, it also very effective in presenting some important lessons about education and about mathematics." ― Mathrecreation blog

Review

"As these two men find truer, deeper friendship through an exchange of letters on math, you may be surprised to find yourself, as I was, moved by powerful emotions. I never thought I'd get choked up by an equation―but these guys are plotting out the hardest kind of change to track: the movement from Me to Us."―Alan Alda

"The Calculus of Friendship is an intriguing journey that casts mathematics in a most unusual light. Through thirty years of correspondence between student and teacher, we enter a private world where the rigors of logic are the last defense against the vagaries of life."―Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe

"In this delightfully inspired account of a thirty-year correspondence, two mathematicians discover even deeper things than theorems that are fundamental. A math book for the mind and for the heart."―Larry Zimmerman, winner of the 1986 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching

"Steven Strogatz has written an unpretentious, charming, original, and inspiring book. In a disarmingly personal depiction, Strogatz leads us through a story of friendship between understated mentor and virtuosic student. The mathematical excursions are as much a pleasure to read as the moving narrative of the unusual friendship that the mathematics inspires."―Janna Levin, author of A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines

"It is unusual for mathematicians to write in such personal terms and with such candor. Readers with any mathematical background will find this book intriguing and fascinating."―John Adam, coauthor of Guesstimation

"The gentle but unremittingly honest account of this friendship utterly absorbed me. Also, some of the calculus is hilarious."―John Cleese

"Containing many mathematical morsels, this decades-long correspondence tells the story of a very special student-teacher relationship. These men have taught each other more than they could ever have envisioned."―Adrian Banner, author of The Calculus Lifesaver

"Mathematics speaks to the transcendental, as does this extraordinary friendship. A beautiful book!"―James Tanton, founding director of the St. Mark's Institute of Mathematics

"This is a lovely book. Strogatz succeeds in producing a sincere tribute to teachers, and he emphasizes in a direct way the human element of mathematics."―Barry Cipra, author of Misteaks...and How to Find Them before the Teacher Does: A Calculus Supplement

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton University Press; First Printing edition (August 23, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0691134936
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0691134932
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 81 ratings

About the author

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Steven H. Strogatz

Steven H. Strogatz

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STEVEN STROGATZ is the Winokur Distinguished Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Mathematics at Cornell University. A renowned teacher and one of the world’s most highly cited mathematicians, he has blogged about math for the New York Times and The New Yorker and has been a frequent guest on Radiolab and Science Friday. He lives in Ithaca, New York.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
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81 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

BHB
5.0 out of 5 stars The elegance of math, teaching, and friendship
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2012
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I'm familiar with Steven Strogatz from being an avid Radiolab listener, so I anxiously awaited The Calculus of Friendship. It's a beautiful, poignant story of the intense, special, and evolving relationship between student & teacher. It is also an amazing writing accomplishment that successfully combines math and memoir. While I can't say that I completely understand all the math, the mathematics only adds to this story rather than detracting from it. It shows the true elegance & beauty of calculus, along with the elegance & beauty of working together as student and teacher to solve the calculus. Mr. Joffray is truly an extraordinary teacher, one that allows his students to teach him. I honestly wish that I could learn math from both of these men, and they are portrayed so well through their letters that I would also like to share an interesting dinner & discussion with them. Maybe they could (attempt to) further explain "differentiating under the integral sign" to me! I'm going to insist that my son read this book as he has already had some exemplary math (and chemistry!) teachers that have greatly influenced his life, and is embarking on his college career where I fervently hope he meets more of the same.
8 people found this helpful
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Mycroft
5.0 out of 5 stars Bringing humanity to mathematics
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2022
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A superb teacher of mathematics tells the story of his lifelong epistolary friendship with his high school Calculus teacher. A pleasure to read, it fills a much-needed void by bringing humanity to mathematics. If you like this, I would also recommend “Apologies of a Mathematician” by GH Hardy.
2 people found this helpful
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Thoughtful Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting book
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2009
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This is a very interesting book about the relationship between a high school student and teacher that extends long after the student has graduated. Because both student and teacher are math teachers, the correspondence between them frequently revolves aroung math problems that interest them, but it includes much more than that. Not being mathematically inclined whatsoever, I skipped over all the math, and found it a touching story. For those interested in the math too, it will be a double treat.
22 people found this helpful
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Virginia Norris Exton
5.0 out of 5 stars Goind home
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2010
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Full disclosure: Don Joffray, about whom this book was written, was a great friend of my parents so I knew him as much more than a teacher. The great thing about this book is that the author, Steve Strogatz, paints an accurate, empathetic picture of Joff the man & Joff the teacher, and also weaves a compelling story about the enduring friendship between two math geeks (I say this with admiration). I am not a math major so some of the calculations went beyond my meager understanding, but that didn't matter. Even the math conversations replicated in the book were glimpses into the continuum of a student/teacher realtionship. Very cool!- V. Norris
22 people found this helpful
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Michael R. Steele
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book.
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2009
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This is an absolutely beautiful book about the relationship through letters of a high school math teacher and one of his students who becomes a world class mathematician. It's about their lives and the mathematics that bound them together. I have read quite a few memoirs and don't recall any that choked me up like this one did, I want to thank Dr. Strogatz for being so open. Also, the math in the book is very interesting and well explained, if I could give if more than five stars I would.
37 people found this helpful
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paparon3
3.0 out of 5 stars Special Friendship; Math beyond recognition
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2013
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It was a fascinating relationship between a (brilliant) teacher and a (brilliant) student. I also got a kick out breezing
through the most complicated calculus problems since I did not understand one damn thing about them! No wonder
I didn't major in Math!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Please read, so worth it
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2015
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This is one of the most beautiful books I've read in a long time. It's the story of a teacher and student and the influence they had on each other. The student and teacher have some very powerful moments and it's just a really great story. It's good for people who love math (my engineer partner read and loved it) and it's good for those who are less inclined to mathematics (me).
4 people found this helpful
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Carlos
4.0 out of 5 stars Calculus Autobiography
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2010
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A touching collection of letters between a high school math teacher and a former student which explores the role of mentoring over many decades. Although the letters contain lots of calculus, it is a truly moving story of a friendship between student and teacher that moves ever so slowly from a purely professional exchange of information into more personal territory.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Carlos Vázquez
3.0 out of 5 stars Más o menos
Reviewed in Mexico on October 6, 2019
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Es un libro acerca de la amistad de un alumno y su maestro y los temas de la vida que realmente importan (matrimonio, enfermedad, mortalidad).
Aunque me pareció que estos temas se trataron en forma breve. Me hubiera gustado que se hubieran tratado un poco más. Me pareció que se terminó muy rápido. Me quedé ganas de más.
Está más o menos el libro.
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Prabuddha Ghosh
5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Story
Reviewed in India on March 21, 2019
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Wish we had many more teachers like Don Joffray in our schools. A Poignant tale of two brilliant minds moving through life. To add to it , the Math exchanged is insightful and mesmerizing.
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Benoit
5.0 out of 5 stars Histoire d'une amitié entre un professeur et son élève devenu professeur
Reviewed in France on March 19, 2017
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Ouvrage qui se lit très facilement. Le style est simple et sans prétention. La relation epistulaire entre l'élève et son professeur sur plusieurs décennies est touchante. Livre accessible à tous.
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J S Dhaliwal
5.0 out of 5 stars Touching story of friendship
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2016
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Firstly the mathematics presented in this book is really fun stuff and will transport many mathematicians, physicists and engineers to their high school days. The communications between teacher and student through their evolving lives is wonderful, at times quite touching, and comes across as being honest rather than candy coated. I read the book cover to cover over two days, and I can't remember the last time a book drew my attention like this. Hats off to a great book and even greater story.
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Prof Dr Thomas Sonar
2.0 out of 5 stars Ein seltsames Buch
Reviewed in Germany on September 8, 2010
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das mich enttäuscht hat. Der Autor kann sich nicht entscheiden: Will er uns sagen, dass er selbst ein toller Hecht ist? Geschenkt! Will er eine Aufgabensammlung von witzigen Denksportaufgaben geben? Geschenkt! Will er seinem Lehrer ein Denkmal setzen? Das genau schafft er nicht! Schade. Eine verpasste Chance.
3 people found this helpful
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