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The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth Paperback – January 1, 1998

by Paul Hoffman (Author)

4.6 354 ratings

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"A funny, marvelously readable portrait of one of the most brilliant and eccentric men in history." --The Seattle Times

Paul Erdos was an amazing and prolific mathematician whose life as a world-wandering numerical nomad was legendary. He published almost 1500 scholarly papers before his death in 1996, and he probably thought more about math problems than anyone in history. Like a traveling salesman offering his thoughts as wares, Erdos would show up on the doorstep of one mathematician or another and announce, "My brain is open." After working through a problem, he'd move on to the next place, the next solution.

Hoffman's book, like Sylvia Nasar's biography of John Nash, A Beautiful Mind, reveals a genius's life that transcended the merely quirky. But Erdos's brand of madness was joyful, unlike Nash's despairing schizophrenia. Erdos never tried to dilute his obsessive passion for numbers with ordinary emotional interactions, thus avoiding hurting the people around him, as Nash did. Oliver Sacks writes of Erdos: "A mathematical genius of the first order, Paul Erdos was totally obsessed with his subject--he thought and wrote mathematics for nineteen hours a day until the day he died. He traveled constantly, living out of a plastic bag, and had no interest in food, sex, companionship, art--all that is usually indispensable to a human life."

The Man Who Loved Only Numbers is easy to love, despite his strangeness. It's hard not to have affection for someone who referred to children as "epsilons," from the Greek letter used to represent small quantities in mathematics; a man whose epitaph for himself read, "Finally I am becoming stupider no more"; and whose only really necessary tool to do his work was a quiet and open mind.

Hoffman, who followed and spoke with Erdos over the last 10 years of his life, introduces us to an undeniably odd, yet pure and joyful, man who loved numbers more than he loved God--whom he referred to as SF, for Supreme Fascist. He was often misunderstood, and he certainly annoyed people sometimes, but Paul Erdos is no doubt missed. --Therese Littleton

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Marvelous...vivid and strangely moving."―Oliver Sacks

"One of the most captivating books I have read in years...a completely absorbing, fast-paced memoir."―Kay Redfield Jamison, The Washington Post

"An affectionate if impressionistic portrayal of one of the century's greatest and strangest mathematicians....Though a biography, this book works like the best fiction, finding in a concrete universal to show what mathematics is and who the people are who uncover its truths.."―Kirkus Reviews

"This book opens doors on a world and characters that are often invisible."―The New York Times Book Review, James Alexander

About the Author

Paul Hoffman was president of Encyclopedia Britannica and editor-in-chief of Discover, and is the author of The Man Who Loved Only Numbers and The Wings of Madness. He is the winner of the first National Magazine Award for Feature Writing, and his work has appeared in the New Yorker, Time, and Atlantic Monthly. He is the President and CEO of the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; First Edition (January 1, 1998)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0786884061
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0786884063
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.34 x 5.24 x 7.91 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #169,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #93 in Educator Biographies
- #113 in Mathematics History
- #416 in Scientist Biographies

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4.6 354 ratings

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Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They appreciate the writing style for those who enjoy math, but also for non-mathematicians. The story is described as interesting and unique, with great anecdotes. Readers describe it as an important biography of a prolific mathematician.

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25 customers mention "Readability"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and entertaining. They say it's a good biography about one of the best mathematicians of the 20th century presented well. The book is described as interesting, insightful, and beautiful.

"...This book is a must read. This particular publication I find great! Some additional pictured and letters are included...." Read more

"...In any case, the book is a fine read. However, I have some nits that I've ranked them from most to least annoying:..." Read more

"What a delightful book on one of best mathematicians of the 20 century...." Read more

"...had hoped it to be, describing not only the eccentric, quirky, but loveable Erdos, but also some of the math with which he grappled...." Read more

20 customers mention "Writing quality"20 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's writing quality and find it entertaining. They appreciate the author's introduction to a mathematician and find the content helpful and interesting. The pictures are described as hilarious, insightful, and beautiful.

"...It is written for a broad audience so no previous mathematical knowledge is required to understand it, though if you are a mathematician, or are..." Read more

"...an abiding love for mathematical 'truths', and this book gives readers a brief introduction to some of the many ways that a sense of wonder &..." Read more

"...Hoffman did a good job introducing his readers to such a unique individual." Read more

"...The author captures in vivid terms the portrait of a one track mind-dedicated-mono maniacal giant in his quest of discovering truth in numbers...." Read more

14 customers mention "Story quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and engaging. They appreciate the anecdotes and fun math throughout. It's a touching biography of one of the most prolific mathematicians of the 20th century. The story gives readers insight into the mind of Paul Erdos, his life, and some of the problems.

"...Besides being a mathematical genius, Erdosh was a very unique person, who had his very outstanding ways of approaching life...." Read more

"This biography gave an important account of the mind of Paul Erdos, his life and some of the problems he worked on. Definitely recommended." Read more

"...Hoffman did a good job introducing his readers to such a unique individual." Read more

"...I feel honored to have caught a glimmer of his extraordinary, crazy life and better understand my daughter's passion." Read more

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Elen
Great book about incredible mathematician!
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
The book is written very well and depicts one of the greatest mathematicians fairly well. It is written for a broad audience so no previous mathematical knowledge is required to understand it, though if you are a mathematician, or are interested in it, probably would not be able to put the book down till you reach the last page. Incredibly easy and fast to read.

Besides being a mathematical genius, Erdosh was a very unique person, who had his very outstanding ways of approaching life. One would find his habits very interesting and the way he treats the money, unbelievably weird. Call it bravery or carelessness, he travelled from the US to Australia, UK, Hungary and so on with no money, no credit cards, nothing at all but his bag and his mind. He is the person who most likely published the most amount of joint papers with other mathematicians. Thats where Erdosh's number came from. (Will not spoil this part for the reader.) He invented his own terminology and his jokes would be understandable only to ones who would become familiar with it. Feels like I will never get tired talking or writing about him.

This book is a must read. This particular publication I find great! Some additional pictured and letters are included. Definitely recommend to everyone!

Read more

Elen

Great book about incredible mathematician!
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2017
The book is written very well and depicts one of the greatest mathematicians fairly well. It is written for a broad audience so no previous mathematical knowledge is required to understand it, though if you are a mathematician, or are interested in it, probably would not be able to put the book down till you reach the last page. Incredibly easy and fast to read.

Besides being a mathematical genius, Erdosh was a very unique person, who had his very outstanding ways of approaching life. One would find his habits very interesting and the way he treats the money, unbelievably weird. Call it bravery or carelessness, he travelled from the US to Australia, UK, Hungary and so on with no money, no credit cards, nothing at all but his bag and his mind. He is the person who most likely published the most amount of joint papers with other mathematicians. Thats where Erdosh's number came from. (Will not spoil this part for the reader.) He invented his own terminology and his jokes would be understandable only to ones who would become familiar with it. Feels like I will never get tired talking or writing about him.

This book is a must read. This particular publication I find great! Some additional pictured and letters are included. Definitely recommend to everyone!

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6 people found this helpful

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Giannis Chatzidiakos
An important biography of one of the most prolific mathematicians of the 20th century
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2024
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This biography gave an important account of the mind of Paul Erdos, his life and some of the problems he worked on. Definitely recommended.

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H R
It is very nice, thank you
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2024
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It is very nice, thank you

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Darby
An enjoyable book about an eccentric math genius
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2007
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This is a very interesting and enjoyable book about Paul Erdos, an eccentric math genius.

Speaking as a former college "Mathlete" (Kappa Mu Epsilon), I used to (and still do) have an abiding love for mathematical 'truths', and this book gives readers a brief introduction to some of the many ways that a sense of wonder & curiosity, focused on the universe through the prism of mathematics, can fire one's soul on many levels, both intellectual and spiritual.

As for myself - after a promising start, I peaked early back in undergrad school, and eventually left the field after finishing a minor degree, and moved on to other studies. However, my sense of wonder has remained ... and it was this book that helped me to recall some of my old joys, and to relive some of the might-have beens, had I been able to stay with it.

In any case, the book is a fine read. However, I have some nits that I've ranked them from most to least annoying:

1) MISSING PROOFS: The author, during his tale, mentions in passing many interesting mathematical problems and theorems that both Paul Erdos, and other mathematicians, helped to solve ... but in the vast majority of instances, the author anti-climactically fails to include the details of those proofs for the benefit of interested & proficient readers. IMHO, proofs of less than, say, 5 pages, could and should have been included in an appendix, and the author could have referred readers to appropriate AMS publications for those proofs that are longer and more involved. Instead, the author leaves the reader with nadda in all but a few trivial instances. It always irks me off when an author (or editor) dumbs down a book because they think readers can't keep up. Very annoying, and very anti-climactic. I mean come on - what's the point of spending pages and pages telling about the quest for a solution, only to finish lamely that yes, they solved it ... but omit all the details. Feh.

2) FOCUS: The author did a commendable job assembling and integrating a large array of verbal and historical accounts into a fairly coherent whole ... but he also has a mildly irritating tendency to meander around, in his focus, somewhat like a runaway horse cart. First forwards in time, then backwards, then sideways across various topics, then in the middle of nowhere we're talking about Fibonacci, Gödel, Gauss, then back to the present, and then to his childhood again, etc. In other words, the flow of the book is a bit uneven and fractured in places, and IMHO it could have benefited from some additional polishing and a bit of re-organization. I kept wanting to grab the reins and drag the book back on course. It's a fine ride, but it's a bit more rickety and bouncy then it could have been with some better editing.

3) ENDMATTER: The author/editor neglected to tie the "Acknowledgements and Source Notes" section in the rear of the book (p. 269- p.278) into the main text with some helpful endnotes or annotations ... thus rendering the section mostly useless to first time readers. Without notations to clue a reader in that that information is present in the back, then readers are left to finish the book unaware of it's existence until they reach the end ... by which time the information is of little or no value.

Highly enjoyable. Subtract a star if you're a math geek who prefers to see actual proofs, rather than simply taking solutions for granted, sans details.

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16 people found this helpful

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Maurice M. Mizrahi
In a class all by himself
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2012
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Every field has its share of eccentric geniuses. But I think it is fair to say that Paul Erdos was in a class by himself. Never has there been one like him, and no one on the horizon comes close to him. A mathematical prodigy, he spent his entire life doing nothing but mathematics, morning, noon and night, at a pace that humbled even his most frenetic (and much younger) followers. He had no romantic interests, no home, no car, no worldly possessions worthy of the name, and donated all his meager earnings to people and causes. He traveled the world incessantly with two old suitcases, seeding creative ideas left and right, leaving the task of writing things up to eager collaborators, not caring who got the credit as long as the work got done. As a result, he co-authored more papers than any other mathematician in history. He particularly encouraged children (or "epsilons", as he called them) to pursue math. He let others take care of him in all details, staying with them and engaging them in cutting-edge mathematical conversation without pause. He was funny in an irreverent sort of way. He was a people man: He needed to engage people all the time. Consider just this story: He went to a party where a lot of mathematicians were eager to meet him and talk to him, but upon learning there was an old blind grandfather upstairs, he went up and spent the entire evening alone with him. He may not have been religious, but Jewish values shine throughout his life. Hoffman did a good job introducing his readers to such a unique individual.

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13 people found this helpful

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NPS
From someone with Erdos number infinity
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2019
Verified Purchase
What a delightful book on one of best mathematicians of the 20 century. The author captures in vivid terms the portrait of a one track mind-dedicated-mono maniacal giant in his quest of discovering truth in numbers. The reader gets a glimpse of the most important developments in number theory over the last 300 years by Euler, Gauss, Fibonacci, etc. on whose achievements Erdos built.

Although I am not a mathematician, I had no trouble following all the analytics throughout the book. Kudos to the author who writes in lucid and clear terms.

Humanity needs people like Paul Erdos.

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11 people found this helpful

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Mauro
Hermoso libro
Reviewed in Mexico on January 20, 2022
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Una de las mejores recopilaciones de anécdotas vividas por un personaje tan célebre como es el gran Paul Erdos. Recomendadísimo.

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Bogdan
The Man Who Loved Only Numbers
Reviewed in the Netherlands on March 20, 2024
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Yet another book printed in an Amazon warehouse, somewhere in France.
Amazon is slowly destroying publishing houses and I have to stop ordering my books from here.

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Leonardo P.
Great!Super Great!
Reviewed in Italy on November 15, 2021
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This is one of the best books for any math lover. It is not only a biography, but also a deep text that touches many mathematicians and problems. This was awesome!

And this printed paper is so good!

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Marcelo
Erdos. Se vc sabe que é, deve ler este livro.
Reviewed in Brazil on November 11, 2019
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Uma história fantástica, de um matemático fantástico e um ser humano singular.

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Frederic Dubois
PAssionnant
Reviewed in France on March 15, 2020
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Très bien écrit on découvre ce génie des maths..de façon précise

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The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth Paperback – January 1, 1998

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Great book about incredible mathematician!

Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great book about incredible mathematician!

5.0 out of 5 stars An important biography of one of the most prolific mathematicians of the 20th century

5.0 out of 5 stars It is very nice, thank you

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable book about an eccentric math genius

5.0 out of 5 stars In a class all by himself

5.0 out of 5 stars From someone with Erdos number infinity

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Hermoso libro

1.0 out of 5 stars The Man Who Loved Only Numbers

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!Super Great!

5.0 out of 5 stars Erdos. Se vc sabe que é, deve ler este livro.

5.0 out of 5 stars PAssionnant

Great book about incredible mathematician!

An important biography of one of the most prolific mathematicians of the 20th century

It is very nice, thank you

An enjoyable book about an eccentric math genius

In a class all by himself

From someone with Erdos number infinity

Hermoso libro

The Man Who Loved Only Numbers

Great!Super Great!

Erdos. Se vc sabe que é, deve ler este livro.

PAssionnant