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 enlarge | Author: William Dunham
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
Buy Used: $6.44
You Save: $9.56 (60%)
New (29) Used (32) Collectible (1) from $6.44
Rating:  68 reviews
Sales Rank: 16891
Media: Paperback
Pages: 320
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.4
ISBN: 014014739X
Dewey Decimal Number: 510.9
EAN: 9780140147391
Publication Date: August 1, 1991
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: ** Possible marking on cover. 100% Satisfaction guaranteed on all purchases.
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| Customer Reviews:
Sublime beauty August 25, 2003
Michael P. McGarry (San Francisco, CA United States)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Rarely is it properly appreciated that mathematics is one of the arts, and --- like all the other arts --- has created monuments of surpassing beauty through the centuries. Dunham does a wonderful job in this whirlwind tour of the past two thousand years of mathematics. He presents math as a story of triumph after triumph. Each chapter highlights one "great" theorem, and in every chapter he makes clear the context of the theorem by discussing preceding work, the life of the mathematician who proved the theorem, and the applications it opened up. He is masterful at mentioning tidbits in historical context that will be logically necessary to understand a few chapters further. No advanced knowledge of math is necessary, but I will caution: one must be at least reasonably fluent in both geometry and second year algebra in order to get the most out of this book. The more rusty one's algebra skills are, the more burdensome the proofs will be. For someone comfortable with that level of math, the book is breathtaking in the panoply of intellectual vistas it opens up. For anyone doing any kind of work in any technical field, I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Just a pleasure to read. Truly inspiring. May 31, 2005
Kersi Von Zerububbel (San Diego, CA USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is my third read of Dunham's Journey Through Genius and I am still learning new stuff from this book. The author has hit upon just the right blend of math and history to make this a gem. There is enough mathematical rigor here to not render the work banal and as just another "popular math" book. Reading this book I am reminded of Kline's Mathematics And The Physical World except that this text is less wordy and more focussed on seventeen landmarks of mathematics.
Some theorems and proofs I have to read four or five times to really get the ideas behind them but the effort is worthwhile.
If you want to make your 2005 summer reading more rewarding and challenging than usual get this book. I have had this volume since 1992 and feed upon it at least twice a year. My guess is this book will become a classic if it has not already. A jewel that will become a true friend.
Makes maths vibrant December 14, 2006
Mike (CA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Mathematics can seem dry and mechanical when reading the typical expositions found in many books of axioms, corollaries and methods. This can often make the student forget that it is the product of very creative and and often interesting people. Dunham's historical narrative adds this extra dimension. This has the benefit of holding the readers attention and therefore improving learning for those students who are not captivated by the patterns exposed through the power of reason (unfortunately many students). Because these are great theorems, it implants a good bedrock.
A good read even for the mathematical among us. A definite buy.
Proof Without Tears January 1, 2007
CubeBoy (Los Angeles CA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
There are a lot of books about mathematical discoveries, and most fall into two categories: the mostly non-mathematical, historical treatment of the personalities involved; and the authentic, rigorous treatment, working through the original proofs, which typically requires significant mathematical background.
This book of Dunham's fits in neither category. It certainly does cover enough of the history and personality to set the context, but the book is really about the mathematical proofs. It clearly conveys the essence of what a mathematical proof is -- both in general, and specifically in the twelve examples presented in this book.
Dunham's own genius, I think, is in being able to do this without resorting to higher mathematics. It uses only high school math; there's nary a derivative or integral symbol anywhere in the book, even though most of the original proofs he covers involved some pretty sophisticated mathematics.
If "proof" for you is something that raises dim and possibly uncomfortable memories of high school geometry, I think this book will open your eyes, and mind. People tend to think of a proof as something arid and stuffy. Actually, the great mathematical proofs are among the most creative achievements of the human mind, and Dunham allows you to re-live the "rush" the mathematician must have felt when the pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place.
You'll likely find, as I did, that this is not a book to speed read or complete at one sitting. You do have to think a little -- the ideas are profound, and deserve some time and reflection.
Fascinating blend of history and mathematics March 24, 2000
Joseph Kim (Mountain Lake, MN USA)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
As a high school math teacher, I found Dunham's book perfectfor filling what is sadly lacking in math textbooks--the idea thatreal people have contributed to the progress of mathematics. Dunham makes it clear that mathematics is not simply calculation, but an exciting journey of discovery. I have included the book in my Advanced Mathematics courses for several years now, and my students always name it as one of the best parts of the class. The other day, one of my calc students corrected an underclassman's pronunciation of Euler, commenting, "he was great enough that we should pronounce his name correctly." Journey Through Genius is where he encountered Euler's greatness.
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