- Paperback: 1376 pages
- Publisher: Perseus Books; New Ed edition (18 Sep 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0762430044
- ISBN-13: 978-0762430048
- Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.1 x 5.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 552,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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"God created the integers, all the rest is the work of man."
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"God created the integers, all the rest is the work of man."
--This text refers to an alternate
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The vast majority of this book is a collection of fascinating historically important mathematical papers, arranged in chronological order from Euclid to Turing. Each of the 17 mathematicians covered is given half-a-dozen pages of background, which is well written and informative, but it is the papers and essays themselves - which include commentary in the form of footnotes in very small print - that is the best part. These are generally in the public domain anyway, but the printing and layout is top-quality. Obviously much of the contents will only be understandable with some previous maths experience, and the papers don't necessarily build on each other, but if maths is at all interesting to you...
This book could have been even better with the addition of an index and cross-references, but it is outstanding value and has such depth I have to give it five stars.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A few days after buying this book I think I might have been suckered into it with the metallic cover and Stephen Hawkings name. Well now I realise that its really just a collection of papers (by some of the famous mathematicians) and not even a commentary. Sure there is a nice little introduction to each sections author.
But perhaps part of what we are paying for is the fact someone has selected what they considered to be the important works.
I was hoping for a bit more in the way of commentary/explanation. Saying that the sections I was interested in where Cauchy/Fourier/Riemann
Maybe its too early to tell I may need to spend more time reading it.
A book I did like was called "A History of Mathematics" by Boyers et al. A book that is available very cheaply now on Amazon (check out the review) and less formidable.
But perhaps part of what we are paying for is the fact someone has selected what they considered to be the important works.
I was hoping for a bit more in the way of commentary/explanation. Saying that the sections I was interested in where Cauchy/Fourier/Riemann
Maybe its too early to tell I may need to spend more time reading it.
A book I did like was called "A History of Mathematics" by Boyers et al. A book that is available very cheaply now on Amazon (check out the review) and less formidable.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a great book, the works of some truely inspirational mathematicians are reprinted in one (maybe cumbersomely thick) book. If you are looking for an introduction to maths or the history of maths this is the wrong book for you, Hawking has chosen a selection of interesting papers for the mathematically-minded to muse over and mavel at, most of us will be all too familure with Newton, Euler and Lorentz so they do not feature much, however not many of us will own a copy of 'elements' or the works of Descartes and reading the original proofs and words of Archimedes is a treat! Hawking guides you through the terminology and historical context as well as explaining the maths in modern language (x and y) alongside the original where required and giving a short introduction to the mathematicians bofore each section.
my only complaint is the the text changes size alot from page to page and is often very tiny! one page is also left in Latin which may act as a barrier for some I imagine!
Well done to the Professor for this insightful guide into the minds and works of the ancient and modern geniuses featured.
my only complaint is the the text changes size alot from page to page and is often very tiny! one page is also left in Latin which may act as a barrier for some I imagine!
Well done to the Professor for this insightful guide into the minds and works of the ancient and modern geniuses featured.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Just What I Expected
Nice quality book (was a tiny tear by the back of the pine but nothing a bit of tape couldn't fix - hardly noticable). Read more
Published 4 months ago by Oliver SM
good service
arrrived in time, slightly the worse for the journey, as it is very heavy and so had got a bit bent, but all in all pleased to have it.
Published on 9 Jan 2010 by Daphne Jowit
Did God create Integers?
This is a massive tome comprising 1357 pages with a commentary by Professor Stephen Hawking. It is not a mathematical textbook in the conventional sense. Read more
Published on 8 July 2009 by Mr. P. Harvey
Useful but big omissions
This book has a useful collection of important papers. A discussion about whether this or that paper should have been excluded/included would go on for ever. Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2007 by R. Richards
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