Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe

by Steven H. Strogatz

Feynman asked Wouk if he knew calculus. No, Wouk admitted, he didn’t. “You had better learn it,” said Feynman. “It’s the language God talks.”

Calculus, like other forms of mathematics, is much more than a language; it’s also an incredibly powerful system of reasoning.

All good problem-solvers know that hard problems become easier when they’re split into chunks.

This, to me, is the greatest mystery of all: Why is the universe comprehensible, and why is calculus in sync with it? I have no answer, but I hope you’ll agree it’s worth contemplating.