Here is the classic, much-read introduction to the craft and history of mathematics by E.T. Bell, a leading figure in mathematics in America for h...
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reviews
Oct 10, 2011
Ronald
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When I was younger, I liked this book a lot. Later, however, it is easy to notice that there are several great mathematicians who are curiously omitted simply because they were female, and that some of the biographies have a few liberties taken with them to be more dramatic. As another reviewer said, this is a product of the times in which it was written. Still, a readable overview of the sometimes overly dramatic lives of the greatest male contributors to mathematics, but by now there are many
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Jun 19, 2010
Mouly
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A book about the lives and contributions of the greatest mathematicians up to early 19th century; the book starts with some . There are many threads running through the book. It shows how mathematics the subject itself evolved from its infancy. But mostly the book is about the mathematician and his work. Before I started the book, I wanted to know the common denominator across these great minds. The only common characteristic that all of them had was a true love for subject. And most of them st
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Jun 19, 2011
Yi
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A must read for anybody interested in the life of Mathematicians, the history of Math, or Math itself. The author has managed to make a seemingly dull subject lively and fun to read. Highly recommended.
May 17, 2010
Stuart
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A geek's delight, this book is indeed a classic. I sincerely doubt that if you don't care about mathematics that you will like this book, but if you do it's a must read. There's humor, interesting personal details and insight contained in Bell's book. Bell has a strong point of view and his language is precise. You can tell he had a lot of fun writing this history. The math is described in a wonderfully succinct way. I'm sure the book is dated in ways that a non-Ph.D. math type like me wo
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Jul 04, 2011
Abaasm
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You need to have a genuine interest in the lives of these mathematicians before you pick up this book to enjoy it.
Jul 11, 2010
It's about the lives and achievements of the great mathematicians. All I can say is: John Nash loved it!
Jan 16, 2012
Nishant
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A good account on the lives of most great mathematicians. But I found some parts a bit biased.
Jun 15, 2007
Matthew
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This book apparently started John Nash into mathematics. I wish I'd read it earlier, before rather than after graduating, cos it might have made a difference to my choices too. But then I might not have appreciated it. The writing is crisp and coherent, very readable, and insightful. I like biographies, so perhaps I'm biased. However, Bell has his personal bias toward mathematics as the queen of sciences, meaning everything else is of less value than mathematics, which you might not agree with.
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Jan 20, 2009
Amar
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Although this book is almost comically sexist (a product of its time,) E. T. Bell's grandiose style is entertaining to read & he definitely conveys excitement & provides a lucid overview of history's great (male) mathematicians and their work.
He tends to embellish his biographies for dramatic effect, which has led to criticism by other historians of science. But think of it as the truth with colorful bits mixed in....
He tends to embellish his biographies for dramatic effect, which has led to criticism by other historians of science. But think of it as the truth with colorful bits mixed in....
Aug 16, 2010
Juan
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slow going, but fascinating, because he describes how mathematics has evolved over time, and you get some idea of how remarkable these discoveries were. Starts with Pythagoras. I I'm as far as Newton now. Some math, but not a lot. Very opinionated writer, which really comes through when he is discussing mathematicians who also were theologians, like pascal and Newton. He has no time whatever for those endeavors.
Jan 28, 2010
Erin
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This book took me a long time to read. I found that I could only read one chapter a day. Even I skipped over most of the parts that delved into the mathematical theory, I just wanted to hear about the lives of the men themselves. This book is obviously outdated, but it is clear that the author really loves his subject - although someitmes I think he embellishes the truth to make things more exciting.
May 03, 2010
Susan
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I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Bell has an engaging writing style. His active voice enlivened the text and brought the biographies to life. I wasn't able to follow most of the math but had some great math conversation with Doug who has a stronger background than me.
Dec 09, 2007
David
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As history, this book should be taken with some salt. As a book about mathematical characters and the character of mathematics, though, I think Men of Mathematics is hard to beat. I first read this when I was in middle school or high school, and while it wasn't the only thing that got me into mathematics, it was certainly an influence.
Nov 18, 2007
Craig
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Later researchers found a good bit of this to be fiction, but still essential reading for math geeks.
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