false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172671829m/204972.jpg 204972 5 For many, the mere word "mathematics" is enough to conjure memories of incomprehension at school, and fear and loathing ever afterward. Countless otherwise well-educated people see mathematics as the skeleton in their intellectual closet--the one key subject demanding a talent that they so obviously did not possess.<p> Or so it seems to anyone who has felt very much on the outside of the subject. British mathematician Keith Devlin is certainly on the inside, and in <I>The Math Gene</I>, he has wonderful news for everyone: we can all join him there. For Devlin argues that we all possess the ability to cope with mathematics--if only we recognize what's required. While a number of recent books, notably Stanislas Dehaene's <I>The Number Sense</I>, have focused on numerical ability, the scope of Devlin's book is much larger. He examines the evidence that we all possess, if not literally a gene, then at least an inherent ability not just for arithmetic but for real mathematics: algebra, calculus, and the rest. Devlin even puts forward a Darwinian explanation for the origin of this ability, based on the idea that being able to handle abstract ideas and relationships confers key evolutionary advantages.<p> Mathematics merely involves a relatively high level of abstraction--but one we can all cope with, if we work at it. "Doing mathematics is very much like running a marathon," writes Devlin. "It does not require any special talent, and 'finishing' is largely a matter of wanting to succeed."<p> In its wealth of wonderful examples supporting the central argument, <I>The Math Gene</I> bears comparison with Steven Pinker's <I>The Language Instinct</I>, and its plain common sense about this most misunderstood of subjects is inspirational. Thoroughly recommended for anyone seeking to rid their intellectual closet of the skeleton of mathematical "incompetence." <I>--Robert Matthews, Amazon.co.uk</I> 1843659 2000 The Math Gene: How Mathematical Thinking Evolved & Why Numbers Are Like Gossip total:46|5:7|4:21|3:10|2:8|1:0| 46 165 87 13 4 1 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Tue Sep 16 16:07:24 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 16 16:08:43 -0700 2008 1 2 0 false false Wed Oct 07 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 02 17:40:49 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 02 17:41:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat Jun 14 13:47:42 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 14 13:56:21 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 13 12:32:02 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 13 12:46:14 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 0 false false Sun Mar 09 18:00:06 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 09 18:03:58 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Mar 11 12:41:31 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 25 09:35:25 -0700 2008
One of his most important skills is explaining difficult (at least to me) conc...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 05 15:38:20 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 05 15:42:55 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Thu Mar 06 11:58:20 -0800 2008 Thu Mar 06 13:07:27 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Sun Aug 17 17:49:04 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 17 17:50:44 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Fri May 02 15:33:23 -0700 2008 Fri May 02 15:33:51 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Jun 26 21:37:25 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 26 21:37:56 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Sun Sep 20 07:13:19 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 20 07:13:06 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Jul 08 10:34:09 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 12 06:43:16 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 08 10:34:09 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Tue Nov 17 06:22:08 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 17 06:22:08 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Oct 18 08:34:40 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 18 08:34:40 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Mon Oct 05 15:31:01 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 15:31:01 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Sep 23 07:05:36 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 23 07:05:36 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Aug 25 17:10:03 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 25 17:10:52 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Aug 19 08:52:47 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 19 08:52:47 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Sat Aug 22 15:56:01 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 15 20:13:05 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 15:56:01 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=204972