Euclid in the Rainforest: 5discovering Universal Truth in Logic and Math

by Joseph Mazur

Book Overview

Euclid in the Rainforest is beautifully written and packed with insights into how mathematicians convince themselves they are right. Joe Mazur is a talented teacher who knows his subject inside out, and his delightful stories take his readers effortlessly to the heart of mathematics--logic and proof. This original and charming book is accessible to anyone, and deserves major success.--Ian Stewart, Professor of Mathematics, University of Warwick, author...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0131479946
• ISBN13: 9780131479944
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 334 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

One of the best popular mathematics books I have ever read

Properly presented, the fundamental truths of mathematics are easy to understand. By that I mean that if they are presented in the appropriate non-technical language and with simple examples, then almost anyone can understand them. Mazur does this and does it very well. Much of the mathematics in this book is also philosophical in nature. A great deal of ink is spent in describing Zeno's famous paradox, "proving" that motion is impossible. His development of the solution to the paradox can be understood by anyone possessing the most rudimentary of mathematical backgrounds. The role of proof in mathematics is also discussed, with questions raised as to what actually constitutes a proof. Mathematicians have debated this point since the Greeks invented the concept of the mathematical proof, and this is a good recapitulation of that debate. I consider it very healthy for the math profession to admit to the laity that mathematical proof is not necessarily fixed in concrete. It is also a point of significant honesty to admit that proofs that were considered correct for centuries contained flaws that were discovered and repaired. There are three sections to the book: *) Logic *) Infinity *) Reality. The chapter "Does Math Really Reflect the Real World?" makes a point that often astounds mathematicians and others that work in the physical sciences. Namely, that mathematics does describe the real world, not only well, but often astonishingly well. New mathematical concepts are invented and considered to be purely abstract, there being no current practical application. However, as science progresses in other areas, that "purely abstract" idea suddenly has uses in the real world. Of course, the real world does have its flaws. It is impossible to create the perfect circle, the well-balanced coin and die do not exist and there are times when we cannot measure a value to enough decimal places to get true predictability. Those situations are also covered, which is important, as it points out that even the best mathematics does not give us absolute predictability. Fortunately, nearly all of the time, the good enough is in fact really good enough. This is one of the best popular mathematics books that I have ever read; it covers the fundamentals that need to be covered and at a level that nearly everyone can understand. Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission

Adventure and Math. What's not to like?

I purchased this book a couple of weeks ago and can hardly put it down. I work in the area of operation research for the Navy and have recently decided to become a highschool math teacher. There are so many interesting examples of math in this book and great stories to boot. This book is an excelent example of how math can be entertaining. I would recomend it to anyone who wants to have a better understanding of math.

An awesome rainbow of understanding!

This book is an utter joy to read. Mazur gently leads the reader into mathematics through delightful adventure stories. I confess that I bought the book for its cover after reading the accolades on the back jacket, something I rarely do; but how could anyone refuse such an interesting title? Just read the first few pages and you are in for a whirl of a ride through rainforests of wonderfully explained math, made easy by Mazur's gentle approach. This is a unique book-one that is poetically written with a constant reminder that math is everywhere. Open it anywhere and jump in for a delightful ride. The journey gets a bit bumpy somewhere near chapter 5, but if you hold on tight, the jaunt is worth it, for it comes out at a clearing under the awesome rainbows of understanding and delightful colors of literary satisfaction.

A beautiful and inspiring reading

It is a rare occasion one happens upon such a beautiful and inspiring book. It's a work of art - as anyone who has ever tried to write anything from a simple essay, to a scientific paper - could tell you. This book is an amazing piece of writing, in which rigorous mathematical deduction and poetry dance together in perfect harmony. I've never been to the Venezuelan rainforest, but mathematician Joseph Mazur made me feel as if I had taken an expedition up the Orinoco River in a hot 1960 summer. I have never been to Paris either, but I felt as if I was in Café Luxembourg while a famous professor explains a proof to a young American thirsty for knowledge. The young American (young Dr Mazur) is the reason I loved this book, because his adventures and discoveries are so fascinating and true. Not only does he make me see what he sees (ah, all those wonderful places!), he also makes me feel and get excited about the same things he feels. There is much more going on than just trips all over the globe, and he tells you all about it. Young Joseph Mazur and his friends travel and have a lot of fun while pondering mathematical theoretical questions and discovering the truth all around them. Every trip is an initiation into another chapter of history of mathematics, whether it is trigonometry, geometry, set theory or probability. Euclid in the Rainforest is filled with interesting characters like Zeno, Achilles, Riemann, Cantor, and Dr. Mazur makes them all seem as real as the people in your hometown. Every time you meet on one of these characters you discover something new, they all teach something about logic, infinity and reality. This book reminds me of a Bildungsroman, a journey of learning and self discovery, and yet you get the feeling that all that could happen today, it could very well be your own story: "...anyone who loves to bring nature and humanity closer together will remain a logician of sorts; an observer who can deduct answers; a mathematician who can handle infinity; a scientist who can accept chance. A Euclid in the rain forest ".

The elegence of mathematics.

This book might as well be called Love Stories about Mathematics. As as example, in the first few pages he is talking about a stranded truck in the Venezuelan jungle. How strong a winch do you need to pull the two ton truck up the hill? When you are pushing on the truck while being eaten by bugs, I don't know I'd think much about the simple trig problem. Or, in a horse race, from how far behind can a horse catch and pass the leading horse? Dr. Mazur loves mathematics, math for itself, math just for its elegance. And he brings it across in this book. I can remember in my own math studies when I first got to differential calculus. It was like new worlds opening. It was like what other people tell me about the first time they heard Beethoven's Fifth. What I could never have done was bring out the excitement, the fascination, the love that Dr. Mazur does in this book.