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Dana’s Year In Books

Dana’s 2025 Year in Books

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Dana Mackenzie

Goodreads Author

Born

in Nashville, TN, The United States

Website

http://danamackenzie.com

Genre

Science

Member Since

July 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/oddodddodo

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"Think of what you wanted to do when you were a child, and try to make that happen."

In 1996, I was facing the inevitability of a career change. My teaching appointment at a liberal arts college was running out, and the job market was dismal. One of my contacts gave me the advice above, and as corny as it sounds, it really did put things into perspective for me.

When I was a child, the only thing I wanted to be was a writer. I wrote my first book, "The Littlest Inchwarm" (sic), at age five. In fourth grade, when each student had to write two reports during the year, I wrote 101 (making liberal use of the Encyclopedia Britannica). Yes, I caught the writing bug early.

But how to make it happen? Well, fortunately, I found out about the Science C ...more

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Dana Mackenzie’s books

Average rating: 3.94 · 6,868 ratings · 754 reviews · 27 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told through Equations 4.08 avg rating — 279 ratings — published 2012 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Big Splat, or How Our Moon Came to Be 3.93 avg rating — 102 ratings — published 2003 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Story of Mathematics: In 24 Equations 4.22 avg rating — 50 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences (Vol. 9) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences (Vol. 10) by Dana Mackenzie (Goodreads Author), Barry Cipra 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Universe in Zero Words:the Story of Mathematics As Told Through Equations liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences, Vol. 7 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2008 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fous d'équations: Les 24 plus belles équations de l'univers really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dana Mackenzie What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences Volume 11 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Une brève histoire des maths en 24 équations really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Dana Mackenzie's Blog

Review from a Longtime Fan

Today I’m happy to give a shout-out to one of the longtime fans of “dana blogs chess,” Helmut Froeyman of Belgium… or as you might know him from the many comments he left on my blog, “brabo.” Helmut, who is a FIDE Master, has written a blog of his own since 2012, and today he posted a review of my book, Did You Come Here to Play Chess or to Have Fun? If you don’t read Dutch, fear not: He has a wid

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Dana’s Recent Updates

Dana rated a book it was amazing Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I liked the fact that this was a completely apolitical look at the phenomenon of homelessness, and it taught me a different way of looking at homeless people. I'll be blunt: I have in the past had very little sympathy for homeless people. I viewed th ...more
Sep 23, 2025 07:49PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana rated a book it was amazing The Blue Jay's Dance: A Birth Year by Louise Erdrich	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
"The Blue Jay's Dance" is undoubtedly one of a well-populated genre of books: books about motherhood. I know that (at least at one point in time) there were zillions of mom-blogs, so there must also be at least a few hundred mom-books. But here's the ...more
Aug 10, 2025 04:25PM · 1 like · like · see review
Dana rated a book really liked it The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book a lot and thought for a long time that I was going to give it five stars. However, the ending was somewhat disappointing. Two families occupy center stage in the book, along with a sort of chorus of minor characters who each step o ...more
Aug 10, 2025 11:29AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana rated a book really liked it The Man Who Saved Geometry: The Multidimensional Mind of Donald Coxeter by Siobhan Roberts	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
An extremely thorough and professionally written biography of a mathematician I have long admired. Perhaps it will elicit a ho-hum reaction from readers who are not very much into mathematics or geometry. But if you are already a geometry fan, and lo ...more
Jul 07, 2025 04:32PM · like · see review
Dana has read Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 28, 2025 07:56PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana has read The Martian by Andy Weir (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 28, 2025 07:55PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Martian by Andy Weir. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Martian by Andy Weir <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana has read The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 28, 2025 07:55PM · like
Dana has read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 28, 2025 07:54PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana has read A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 28, 2025 07:54PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana has read Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years #1) by Gregory Maguire	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 28, 2025 07:53PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wicked by Gregory Maguire. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wicked by Gregory Maguire <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Dana Mackenzie (?)

“The other reason mathematicians were blind to chaos was that they had no computers, and were left with the kind of vague description that Poincaré gave, which other mathematicians failed to understand.”
― Dana Mackenzie, The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told through Equations

1 likes

“Here are some of the criteria I have used to decide what makes an equation great.”
― Dana Mackenzie, The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told through Equations

1 likes

“BOTH GÖDEL’S AND COHEN’S arguments proceed by constructing a model of set theory, though I will not explain them in detail.”
― Dana Mackenzie, The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told through Equations

0 likes

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