Reviews
"Provocative. . . . This thoroughly entertaining book highlights vitally important issues." ---Tony Mann, Times Higher Education, Wisely used, the book could infuse the important issue of students' emotions into debates about mathematics education . . . -- Lynn Arthur Steen, Science, " Loving and Hating Mathematics discusses subjects that are not normally addressed at all'e"the human, psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of math. The book contains a wealth of stories and anecdotes that together humanize mathematics, support a different way of thinking about its nature, and break down the barriers between math and the wider world. This is an interesting and important book." 'e"William Byers, author of How Mathematicians Think, "[ Loving and Hating Mathematics ] . . . is easy to read; one does not need a degree in mathematics to make sense of the content. A major strength is the attention given to mathematicians of different nationalities, genders, and ethnicities. . . . I recommend this book to all mathematicians and mathematics educators." -- Mathematics Teacher, "[A] provocative new book. . . . This thoroughly entertaining book highlights vitally important issues [in mathematics]." --Tony Mann, Times Higher Education, "This book reminds me of James Gleick's Chaos . The ideas and stories in Loving and Hating Mathematics are timely, interesting, and sometimes even profound. The authors, writing for nonspecialists, take pains to explain technical ideas in nontechnical language, and the book should interest general readers as well as a large mathematical audience." --Steven G. Krantz, Washington University in St. Louis, I do recommend the work to the interested mathematics observer . . . especially if you already love mathematics., [A] provocative new book. . . . This thoroughly entertaining book highlights vitally important issues [in mathematics]., "The inner circle of pure mathematicians will respond to the book with delight."-- Philip J. Davis, SIAM News, "This is a book for everyone who ever loved or hated mathematics. It shows mathematics as it really is: emotional, imaginative, beautiful, terrifying, deeply spiritual, metaphorical, and very political'e"anything but the dry, computational, right-or-wrong manipulation of symbols that is all too often taught as 'mathematics.'" 'e"George Lakoff, University of California, Berkeley, This is a marvelous book. . . . On the pages of this book there is always something more to keep one from putting it down. . . . [T]his deftly written exploration of the strengths and foibles of mathematicians we see that on the whole mathematicians may not be all that different from those who have intellectually gone in other directions. Doing mathematics, like many other professional endeavors, is a human activity. Reading this book is unfailingly informative--it's also a lot of fun to read., " Loving and Hating Mathematics , by Reuben Hersh and Vera John-Steiner: Mathematicians also happen to be full of emotion." --Tyler Cowen, New York Times Magazine 's Very Short Reviews, The book is heady with mathematical aha moments and will serve brilliantly as a virtual support group for mathematicians who feel isolated by the false notion that mathematicians are isolated. -- Santa Fe New Mexican, "Wisely used, the book could infuse the important issue of students' emotions into debates about mathematics education." --Lynn Arthur Steen, Science, " Loving and Hating Mathematics , by Reuben Hersh and Vera John-Steiner: Mathematicians also happen to be full of emotion."-- Tyler Cowen, New York Times Magazine 's Very Short Reviews, Wisely used, the book could infuse the important issue of students' emotions into debates about mathematics education . . ., "The descriptions in Loving and Hating are sympathetic and understandable. The lives that Hersh and John-Steiner have led have allowed them to get up-close and personal with a species (mathematicians, and more generally people whose work is creative thinking) whose world many people don't ordinarily get to see, and may welcome a window into." --Jonathan M. Borwein and Judy-anne Osborn, Mathematical Intelligencer, Mathematics gets a bad press. Its practitioners are often portrayed as aloof hyper-rationalists with oodles of logic but no emotional intelligence. Not so, say mathematician Reuben Hersh and linguist Vera John-Steiner. Focusing on the emotional side of the discipline, they reveal mathematicians' passions, collaborations and love affairs. The stories range from those who sought solace in equations to some who were driven to murder by a maths obsession., "The book is heady with mathematical aha moments and will serve brilliantly as a virtual support group for mathematicians who feel isolated by the false notion that mathematicians are isolated." -- Santa Fe New Mexican, " Loving and Hating Mathematics discusses subjects that are not normally addressed at all--the human, psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of math. The book contains a wealth of stories and anecdotes that together humanize mathematics, support a different way of thinking about its nature, and break down the barriers between math and the wider world. This is an interesting and important book." --William Byers, author of How Mathematicians Think, "Mathematics gets a bad press. Its practitioners are often portrayed as aloof hyper-rationalists with oodles of logic but no emotional intelligence. Not so, say mathematician Reuben Hersh and linguist Vera John-Steiner. Focusing on the emotional side of the discipline, they reveal mathematicians' passions, collaborations and love affairs. The stories range from those who sought solace in equations to some who were driven to murder by a maths obsession." -- Nature, "Wisely used, the book could infuse the important issue of students' emotions into debates about mathematics education . . ." --Lynn Arthur Steen, Science, Loving and Hating Mathematics , by Reuben Hersh and Vera John-Steiner: Mathematicians also happen to be full of emotion., Loving and Hating is a book filled with gems. We could open it on any page and find something interesting. It is imbued with the authors' love of mathematics and respect for people. The message that mathematics is a fundamentally human activity, in which people can find meaning and joy, is clearly conveyed. . . . This book may be of special interest to graduate students in mathematics as part of an introduction to the stories and culture of the community that they are joining. -- Jonathan M. Borwein and Judy-Anne Osborn, Mathematical Intelligencer, "[A] provocative new book. . . . This thoroughly entertaining book highlights vitally important issues [in mathematics]."-- Tony Mann, Times Higher Education, The descriptions in Loving and Hating are sympathetic and understandable. The lives that Hersh and John-Steiner have led have allowed them to get up-close and personal with a species (mathematicians, and more generally people whose work is creative thinking) whose world many people don't ordinarily get to see, and may welcome a window into. -- Jonathan M. Borwein and Judy-anne Osborn, Mathematical Intelligencer, "The authors explore a fascinating topic in colorful and compelling ways." 'e"Howard Gardner, Harvard Graduate School of Education, [T]he volume is quite entertaining, surprising in parts, and mostly convincing in its myth-demolition assignment. -- Library Journal, There's material for a thousand movie scripts in the vignettes--warm, funny, tragic or horrifying--that stud the pages of Loving and Hating Mathematics . . . . [The authors] aim to put a human face on the impulses that drive us to--or from--math. . . . The book offers insights into an important world invisible to many of us., "[ Loving and Hating Mathematics ] . . . is easy to read; one does not need a degree in mathematics to make sense of the content. A major strength is the attention given to mathematicians of different nationalities, genders, and ethnicities. . . . I recommend this book to all mathematicians and mathematics educators."-- Mathematics Teacher, "One can expect this book to become a classic. We can be thankful the octogenarian authors didn't believe Hardy."-- Robert E. O'malley, Jr, SIAM Review, One can expect this book to become a classic. We can be thankful the octogenarian authors didn't believe Hardy. -- Robert E. O'malley, Jr, SIAM Review, "There's material for a thousand movie scripts in the vignettes--warm, funny, tragic or horrifying--that stud the pages of Loving and Hating Mathematics . . . . [The authors] aim to put a human face on the impulses that drive us to--or from--math. . . . The book offers insights into an important world invisible to many of us." -- Albuquerque Journal, "This is a perceptive and compassionate book on the joys and terrors that learning mathematics often produces. It is also a rich example of the kinds of insights that come from the collaboration of a mathematician and a psychologist." --Jerome Bruner, author of The Process of Education, " Loving and Hating is a book filled with gems. We could open it on any page and find something interesting. It is imbued with the authors' love of mathematics and respect for people. The message that mathematics is a fundamentally human activity, in which people can find meaning and joy, is clearly conveyed. . . . This book may be of special interest to graduate students in mathematics as part of an introduction to the stories and culture of the community that they are joining." --Jonathan M. Borwein and Judy-Anne Osborn, Mathematical Intelligencer, "The book is heady with mathematical aha moments and will serve brilliantly as a virtual support group for mathematicians who feel isolated by the false notion that mathematicians are isolated."-- Santa Fe New Mexican, Loving and Hating is a book filled with gems. We could open it on any page and find something interesting. It is imbued with the authors' love of mathematics and respect for people. The message that mathematics is a fundamentally human activity, in which people can find meaning and joy, is clearly conveyed. . . . This book may be of special interest to graduate students in mathematics as part of an introduction to the stories and culture of the community that they are joining., "When it comes to the culture of mathematics, there are a few books by mathematicians, aimed at a general audience, that are extremely popular with mathematics faculty. As these books have aged, dozens more have appeared that reproduce some of their best quotes and anecdotes. Fortunately, Hersh and John-Steiner have gone beyond these classic sources and made use of many others. They have also included their own insights so that even an interested individual with a broad background will find much that is new in this up-to-date volume--enough to easily justify purchasing the work. For someone with a more limited exposure to popular mathematics, their book is even better."-- Choice, "The authors explore a fascinating topic in colorful and compelling ways." --Howard Gardner, Harvard Graduate School of Education, "Mathematics gets a bad press. Its practitioners are often portrayed as aloof hyper-rationalists with oodles of logic but no emotional intelligence. Not so, say mathematician Reuben Hersh and linguist Vera John-Steiner. Focusing on the emotional side of the discipline, they reveal mathematicians' passions, collaborations and love affairs. The stories range from those who sought solace in equations to some who were driven to murder by a maths obsession."-- Nature, "The inner circle of pure mathematicians will respond to the book with delight." --Philip J. Davis, SIAM News, The descriptions in Loving and Hating are sympathetic and understandable. The lives that Hersh and John-Steiner have led have allowed them to get up-close and personal with a species (mathematicians, and more generally people whose work is creative thinking) whose world many people don't ordinarily get to see, and may welcome a window into., "[T]he volume is quite entertaining, surprising in parts, and mostly convincing in its myth-demolition assignment." -- Library Journal, "This is a perceptive and compassionate book on the joys and terrors that learning mathematics often produces. It is also a rich example of the kinds of insights that come from the collaboration of a mathematician and a psychologist." 'e"Jerome Bruner, author of The Process of Education, There's material for a thousand movie scripts in the vignettes--warm, funny, tragic or horrifying--that stud the pages of Loving and Hating Mathematics . . . . [The authors] aim to put a human face on the impulses that drive us to--or from--math. . . . The book offers insights into an important world invisible to many of us. -- Albuquerque Journal, "Wisely used, the book could infuse the important issue of students emotions into debates about mathematics education . . ."-- Lynn Arthur Steen, Science, [A] provocative new book. . . . This thoroughly entertaining book highlights vitally important issues [in mathematics]. -- Tony Mann, Times Higher Education, "[A]n entertaining, useful, and provocative book. . . . I recommend this book for school and university libraries, and for prizes. It is priced to be affordable by the public, and worth owning."-- Anthony G. O'Farrell, Irish Mathematical Society Bulletin, "When it comes to the culture of mathematics, there are a few books by mathematicians, aimed at a general audience, that are extremely popular with mathematics faculty. As these books have aged, dozens more have appeared that reproduce some of their best quotes and anecdotes. Fortunately, Hersh and John-Steiner have gone beyond these classic sources and made use of many others. They have also included their own insights so that even an interested individual with a broad background will find much that is new in this up-to-date volume--enough to easily justify purchasing the work. For someone with a more limited exposure to popular mathematics, their book is even better." -- Choice, The book is heady with mathematical aha moments and will serve brilliantly as a virtual support group for mathematicians who feel isolated by the false notion that mathematicians are isolated., I do recommend the work to the interested mathematics observer . . . especially if you already love mathematics. -- Math-Frolic blog, "I do recommend the work to the interested mathematics observer . . . especially if you already love mathematics." -- Math-Frolic blog, "An entertaining, useful, and provocative book." ---Anthony G. O'Farrell, Irish Mathematical Society Bulletin, " Loving and Hating is a book filled with gems. We could open it on any page and find something interesting. It is imbued with the authors' love of mathematics and respect for people. The message that mathematics is a fundamentally human activity, in which people can find meaning and joy, is clearly conveyed." ---Jonathan M. Borwein and Judy-Anne Osborn, Mathematical Intelligencer, The volume is quite entertaining, surprising in parts, and mostly convincing in its myth-demolition assignment., One can expect this book to become a classic. We can be thankful the octogenarian authors didn't believe Hardy., "This is a marvelous book. . . . On the pages of this book there is always something more to keep one from putting it down. . . . [T]his deftly written exploration of the strengths and foibles of mathematicians we see that on the whole mathematicians may not be all that different from those who have intellectually gone in other directions. Doing mathematics, like many other professional endeavors, is a human activity. Reading this book is unfailingly informative--it's also a lot of fun to read."-- Gerald L. Alexanderson, American Mathematical Monthly, "This is a marvelous book. . . . On the pages of this book there is always something more to keep one from putting it down. . . . [T]his deftly written exploration of the strengths and foibles of mathematicians we see that on the whole mathematicians may not be all that different from those who have intellectually gone in other directions. Doing mathematics, like many other professional endeavors, is a human activity. Reading this book is unfailingly informative--it's also a lot of fun to read." --Gerald L. Alexanderson, American Mathematical Monthly, "[T]he volume is quite entertaining, surprising in parts, and mostly convincing in its myth-demolition assignment."-- Library Journal, [T]he volume is quite entertaining, surprising in parts, and mostly convincing in its myth-demolition assignment., [ Loving and Hating Mathematics ] . . . is easy to read; one does not need a degree in mathematics to make sense of the content. A major strength is the attention given to mathematicians of different nationalities, genders, and ethnicities. . . . I recommend this book to all mathematicians and mathematics educators., Mathematics gets a bad press. Its practitioners are often portrayed as aloof hyper-rationalists with oodles of logic but no emotional intelligence. Not so, say mathematician Reuben Hersh and linguist Vera John-Steiner. Focusing on the emotional side of the discipline, they reveal mathematicians' passions, collaborations and love affairs. The stories range from those who sought solace in equations to some who were driven to murder by a maths obsession. -- Nature, "A Noah's Ark of mathematicians, their lives, loves, hard times, and madnesses, Loving and Hating Mathematics shows our community with all its warts as well as its triumphs. I especially liked the chapter on much-hated school mathematics, 'Almost All Children Left Behind.'" --David Mumford, former president, International Mathematical Union, "I do recommend the work to the interested mathematics observer . . . especially if you already love mathematics."-- Math-Frolic blog, "[A]n entertaining, useful, and provocative book. . . . I recommend this book for school and university libraries, and for prizes. It is priced to be affordable by the public, and worth owning." --Anthony G. O'Farrell, Irish Mathematical Society Bulletin, The inner circle of pure mathematicians will respond to the book with delight. -- Philip J. Davis, SIAM News, [ Loving and Hating Mathematics ] . . . is easy to read; one does not need a degree in mathematics to make sense of the content. A major strength is the attention given to mathematicians of different nationalities, genders, and ethnicities. . . . I recommend this book to all mathematicians and mathematics educators. -- Mathematics Teacher, " Loving and Hating is a book filled with gems. We could open it on any page and find something interesting. It is imbued with the authors' love of mathematics and respect for people. The message that mathematics is a fundamentally human activity, in which people can find meaning and joy, is clearly conveyed. . . . This book may be of special interest to graduate students in mathematics as part of an introduction to the stories and culture of the community that they are joining."-- Jonathan M. Borwein and Judy-Anne Osborn, Mathematical Intelligencer, When it comes to the culture of mathematics, there are a few books by mathematicians, aimed at a general audience, that are extremely popular with mathematics faculty. As these books have aged, dozens more have appeared that reproduce some of their best quotes and anecdotes. Fortunately, Hersh and John-Steiner have gone beyond these classic sources and made use of many others. They have also included their own insights so that even an interested individual with a broad background will find much that is new in this up-to-date volume--enough to easily justify purchasing the work. For someone with a more limited exposure to popular mathematics, their book is even better. -- Choice, "The descriptions in Loving and Hating are sympathetic and understandable. The lives that Hersh and John-Steiner have led have allowed them to get up-close and personal with a species (mathematicians, and more generally people whose work is creative thinking) whose world many people don't ordinarily get to see, and may welcome a window into."-- Jonathan M. Borwein and Judy-anne Osborn, Mathematical Intelligencer, [A]n entertaining, useful, and provocative book. . . . I recommend this book for school and university libraries, and for prizes. It is priced to be affordable by the public, and worth owning. -- Anthony G. O'Farrell, Irish Mathematical Society Bulletin, "This book reminds me of James Gleick's Chaos . The ideas and stories in Loving and Hating Mathematics are timely, interesting, and sometimes even profound. The authors, writing for nonspecialists, take pains to explain technical ideas in nontechnical language, and the book should interest general readers as well as a large mathematical audience." 'e"Steven G. Krantz, Washington University in St. Louis, "One can expect this book to become a classic. We can be thankful the octogenarian authors didn't believe Hardy." --Robert E. O'malley, Jr, SIAM Review, "This is a book for everyone who ever loved or hated mathematics. It shows mathematics as it really is: emotional, imaginative, beautiful, terrifying, deeply spiritual, metaphorical, and very political--anything but the dry, computational, right-or-wrong manipulation of symbols that is all too often taught as 'mathematics.'" --George Lakoff, University of California, Berkeley, "A Noah's Ark of mathematicians, their lives, loves, hard times, and madnesses, Loving and Hating Mathematics shows our community with all its warts as well as its triumphs. I especially liked the chapter on much-hated school mathematics, 'Almost All Children Left Behind.'" 'e"David Mumford, former president, International Mathematical Union, "Wisely used, the book could infuse the important issue of students' emotions into debates about mathematics education . . ."-- Lynn Arthur Steen, Science, "There's material for a thousand movie scripts in the vignettes--warm, funny, tragic or horrifying--that stud the pages of Loving and Hating Mathematics . . . . [The authors] aim to put a human face on the impulses that drive us to--or from--math. . . . The book offers insights into an important world invisible to many of us."-- Albuquerque Journal, [A]n entertaining, useful, and provocative book. . . . I recommend this book for school and university libraries, and for prizes. It is priced to be affordable by the public, and worth owning., "This is a marvelous book. . . . On the pages of this book there is always something more to keep one from putting it down. . . . This deftly written exploration of the strengths and foibles of mathematicians we see that on the whole mathematicians may not be all that different from those who have intellectually gone in other directions. Doing mathematics, like many other professional endeavors, is a human activity. Reading this book is unfailingly informative--it's also a lot of fun to read." ---Gerald L. Alexanderson, American Mathematical Monthly, Loving and Hating Mathematics , by Reuben Hersh and Vera John-Steiner: Mathematicians also happen to be full of emotion. -- Tyler Cowen, New York Times Magazine
