What I Thought About It, Really

Sigh. I really want to write a lot of good things about this book, What is Mathematics, Really?, and I believe I can (someday…) but there are just these things that are way extreme for my learning capacity to appreciate at such short notice. 

To be brutally honest, the first time I skim read through the book I hated it; despised it right then and there. I declared it would be the last book I will pick out of a book shelf and heard my mind’s mouth cursing and yelling “Not a bloody teenager would read this freaking book!” My temper was flaring because it was one of my red days. Forgive me.

So on a better day, I tried reading a few paragraphs in some chapters, and guess what? I find something good in it. Cliché. Yeah.

I know this should be a 900 word review of some sort, and I am expected to write something that is comprehensive and not subjective but I can no further admire the book than this: the author, Reuben Hersh, is a man completely devoted to giving mathematics its due credit and that his way of writing is sophisticated with obvious critical analysis of the nature of math and careful arrangement of his thoughts and that of others with a clear ambition of changing the mindset of majority of people about math being difficult. He has a deep motivation in wanting to communicate his philosophic understanding of the nature of mathematics and humanist side of it.

Let me try to get you around the book as quick and as best as I can because some of the technical stuff in the book really beat me up.  So the book is generally divided into two major parts. On the first part, he wrote pretty much about the philosophy of mathematics, talks about myths and intuition and wrong conception of math. He also often shoots questions here and there which will surely bug your mind and make you think twice.

On the second part of the book, he writes about much of the historic events (with special mention of great mathematicians along the way) intertwined with more philosophy of math that led to what he calls, The Crisis –or the vain effort of understanding the nature of math; which is pretty much the aim of the book.

I believe for someone who has the same mindset as the author has, it would be a work of art. Total respect here dude, but, the thing is? We don’t totally share the same outlook and so I don’t share the same intensity of appreciation for the book. I totally recommend it to people who want to know math more than meet the equations and those who are into debunking the myth of math being dull and . . . just plain pain in the ass.

I would really want to write a lot of good things about the book, but right now I’m just not capable of appreciating it that much. And I don’t want to be that immersed with my emotions as to giving it a critique. Maybe with enough courage and perseverance I would be able to read the book, understand it clearly and hopefully, victoriously finish it. Maybe soon if my future with math would be that bright. But I highly doubt it.

Write me off then or not; but this is what I thought about it, really.