- Hardcover: 376 pages
- Publisher: Fourth Estate; 1st edition (4 Feb 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007214618
- ISBN-13: 978-0007214617
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.6 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 388,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
'Marcus Du Sautoy knows how to tell a story, and, even more important, how to make difficult ideas palatable and entertaining. He is never condescending and is always true to the spirit of his subject. He is a living refutation of Hardy's snobbish view that popularization is 'work for second rate minds'.' Sunday Telegraph '!told with the narrative flair and storyteller's sense of detail!one of the few popular first hand accounts from the frontiers of modern mathematics.' The Independent Praise for Marcus du Sautoy and 'The Music of the Primes': 'Du Sautoy is a contagious enthusiast, a populist with a staunch faith in the public's intelligence!he has uncovered a wealth of intriguing anecdotes that he has woven into a compelling narrative.' Observer 'He laces the ideas with history, anecdote and personalia -- an entertaining mix that renders an austere subject palatable!valiant and ingenious!Even those with a mathematical allergy can enjoy du Sautoy's depictions of his cast of characters.' The Times 'He brings hugely enjoyable writing, full of zest and passion, to the most fundamental questions in the pursuit of true knowledge.' Sunday Times 'A mesmerising journey into the world of mathematics and its mysteries.' Daily Mail 'A brilliant storyteller.' Independent
Focus Magazine
'Marcus du Sautoy really is a marvellous writer...It makes for a truly personal, inspiring and hugely entertaining read.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
so near and yet so far,
By
This review is from: Finding Moonshine: A Mathematician's Journey Through Symmetry (Paperback)
I bought this book on recommendation, because I was interested in a popular account of the Monster group. I've finally had to give up reading it, because it ultimately turns out to be a historical review of the figures involved in the long history of the mathematics of symmetry, with virtually no actual information about symmetry. All the mathematical examples are excessively verbose, making them largely impenetrable. In his attempt to "simplify" the mathematics, Marcus Du Sautoy has succeeded in removing enough information from the problems and solutions as to make them incomprehensible. At every turn, I felt that he was on the brink of giving me the information that I was looking for, only to have my hopes dashed at the start of the next section.
If you are interested in the characters in this story, this is a great book, but if you are interested in the mathematics, it's virtually worthless.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Shooting craps - he misses.,
By
This review is from: Finding Moonshine: A Mathematician's Journey Through Symmetry (Paperback)
This was a bit dissapointing for a follow on from the Music of the primes...I didn't see the point really. It started ok but then...
Sorry Marcus. Now a second edition of the primes with a much better explanation of the zeta function (a full one if he could manage it) would be worth it. The TV series was poor and left me wanting more, and so did the book, and that silly spaceship he wore on the xmas lectures...thats what happens when you commercialise education!
34 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Here's a great read.,
By
This review is from: Finding Moonshine: A Mathematician's Journey Through Symmetry (Hardcover)
Histories of mathematics can be tedious but this book sparkles on every page: Du Sautoy provides a lively and compelling tour of the development of ideas about symmetry and engages us with the brilliance of the vision of some of the giants of mathematics. But what really lifts the book is the skilful way he weaves into the text a fascinating personal narrative about how he and other mathematicians work and think. The book not only provides insights into some important topics in mathematics, but also into what makes mathematicians tick. I was enthralled.
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