Mathematica, David Bessis
Mathematica, David Bessis
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Mathematica
A Secret World of Intuition and Curiosity

Author: David Bessis, Kevin Frey

Narrator: Mike Lenz

Unabridged: 9 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/28/2024

Categories: Nonfiction, Mathematics


Synopsis

Math has a reputation for being inaccessible. People think that it requires a special gift or that comprehension is a matter of genes. Yet the greatest mathematicians throughout history, from René Descartes to Alexander Grothendieck, have insisted that this is not the case. Like Albert Einstein, who famously claimed to have "no special talent," they said that they had accomplished what they did using ordinary human doubts, weaknesses, curiosity, and imagination.

David Bessis guides us on an illuminating path toward deeper mathematical comprehension, reconnecting us with the mental plasticity we experienced as children. With simple, concrete examples, Bessis shows how mathematical comprehension is integral to the great learning milestones of life, such as learning to see, to speak, to walk, and to eat with a spoon.

Focusing on the deeply human roots of mathematics, Bessis dispels the myths of mathematical genius. He offers an engaging initiation into the experience of math not as a series of discouragingly incomprehensible logic problems but as a physical activity akin to yoga, meditation, or a martial art. This perspective will change the way you think not only about math but also about intelligence, intuition, and everything that goes on inside your head.

About David Bessis

David Bessis lectured on his research in algebra, geometry, and topology at leading institutions around the world, and taught at Yale University and École normale superieure. He lives in Paris, France.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Haengbok92 on July 19, 2024

You will get A LOT from this book whether or not you are into math. I'm not mathy. I'm a creative writer, artist, karaoke person & I love learning languages. I picked this up because of a thread I saw online, on a whim, because something in my gut said, "you should take a look at this." And then I l......more

Goodreads review by Vicente on April 29, 2025

This is a beautiful book about Mathematics, written by a mathematician. There are two main points in the book, which could be orthogonal: - there is an intuitive “secret math” going on inside each person’s head, which is different from the rigid formalism of the “official math”. It is ignored because......more

Goodreads review by Tartiff on May 30, 2023

Mathematica est le bouquin dont je rêvais depuis des années pour me réellement me réconcilier avec les mathématiques, sauf que l'auteur va plus loin encore en démontant la vision que la société a des mathématiques et du "génie" supposément nécessaire pour devenir bon en maths. Il y a quelque chose d'......more

Goodreads review by Roozbeh on February 03, 2025

I love math and I enjoy it. I am also intimidated by it. I have taken a variety of ways to overcome this fear, somehow find a way to understand it (as much as I can), and eventually see math in the real world and enjoy it. That's the mindset I started reading this book with. One key takeaway from thi......more

Goodreads review by Hector on January 29, 2025

Wonderful from start to finish. This felt like the text / perspective on math I’ve been looking for my whole life. Deeply humanistic view on mathematical formalism and the enterprise of mathematical ‘thinking’. Honestly felt Bessis spoke directly to many of my insecurities and misconceptions wrt thi......more