A Certain Ambiguity Book Review

A Certain Ambiguity: A Mathematical Novel, was written by Gaurav Suri and Hartosh Singh Bal.

So far, of all the books I’ve read for our book review requirement in our Math 1 class, “A Certain Ambiguity” is the best. Maybe because I’m in the Humanities department and mathematics was introduced into a novel form. I wish all math books are written this way. *smiles*

I really understood the story. It was fun reading it, and you can’t stop reading chapter after chapter. But unfortunately, I didn’t finish reading it. Much as I wanted to finish reading this book, lack of time and many requirements in other subjects were the hindrances. I was able to read up to chapter 3 which is a bit longer compared to other books, that I only reached chapter 1 then jumped to the last chapter. (A confession *smiles*) If Mathematics in Life is easy to understand because it’s just like reading a textbook, “A Certain Ambiguity” is easier to understand. I believe young people are more interested in reading novels than reading their textbooks in school. I commend the authors of this book by coming up with a mathematical novel, a new approach to mathematics. With this approach, it seems not so heavy to comprehend the mathematical concepts. Illustrations and figures were helpful, even the dialogues.

The story, personally, for me is interesting. Based on what I’ve read, Chapters 1 to3, the story about Ravi’s grandfather, grandfather’s belief and Ravi’s journey in America were something to look forward to with anticipation.

But what I looked forward to the most was the time Ravi’s grandfather, Vijay, stayed in New Jersey, especially when he was imprisoned. It was interesting for me because Vijay was an atheist, who didn’t believe that God exists. Even though he came from a religious country, India, and grew up in a religious family, his belief was contrary to his family background. He started to stray away from what his family believed the time he figured out that the one people believed was a hoax.

News spread all over their village that there was a girl who has a snake’s body and can do a miracle. People began going to the house of the half-girl-half-snake-creature to witness the miraculous signs of the creature and then they began to believe in that creature. But Vijay was observant. He noticed that there was a glass in front of the girl and also at the back of the girl, symmetrical to each other. When he threw a pebble toward the girl, the pebble bounced back. Then he realized that there was a mirror that gave illusion that the girl had a snake’s body. Starting that day, Vijay stopped believing that there is God.

It interests me not because I am an atheist, actually I am a follower of Jesus Christ, but because I want to understand where do the atheists’ beliefs come from. Why such beliefs apart from God? What lead them to their conclusion? It is so sad that because of just one incident, he generalized it and shifted his belief 180 degrees. I do not defend that the girl-snake creature was real, that was not, let me say, religion- part of their practices and beliefs but it was a hoax. I, neither believe in mystical creatures nor idols who cry or whatever. I believe in God. Too bad I didn’t finish reading “A Certain Ambiguity.” I should have known what happened to Vijay after their first talk with Judge Taylor. I wanted also to know how it affected Ravi’s belief. I’m not against mathematics either, but I believe that God created mathematics.

On the other hand, Ravi’s journey in Stanford was full of suspense. He narrates every detail of his daily activities. Like the “inside the classroom setting”, I feel like I am part of their class and sometimes I get insights and learning from the class discussion that I read. They have brilliant minds. They think so deep. But most of the time I can’t catch up with their amazing minds. I thought if I would be in that class, day 1, I will drop the subject. It only shows that I’m not really good in math.

Anyway, I like this book. It can easily be understood and it has made me to really appreciate math.