See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

13 used & new from £3.25
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah, and the Human Mind
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah, and the Human Mind (Hardcover)

by Amir D. Aczel (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


12 used from £3.25 1 collectible from £16.00
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover Order it used
Paperback (New edition) £10.00 £7.99 21 used & new from £4.83

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
Kabbalah Official Site
   www.Kabbalah.com    Find Kabbalah Tools & Teachings For Your Spiritual Transformation! 
Read the Kabbalah text
   www.ClassicalHebrew.com/Kabbalah    Lean Biblical Hebrew online - Live with Israeli teachers. 
Powerful Kabala Talismans
   www.kabalatalisman.com/Talismans    Protect yourself from black magic, voodoo casts & evil eye spells 
  
 

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite (Princeton Science Library)

Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite (Princeton Science Library)

by R Rucker
5.0 out of 5 stars (6) 
Georg Cantor: His Mathematics and Philosophy of the Infinite

Georg Cantor: His Mathematics and Philosophy of the Infinite

by Joseph W. Dauben
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £29.40
Symmetry and the Monster: One of the greatest quests of mathematics

Symmetry and the Monster: One of the greatest quests of mathematics

by Mark Ronan
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £6.29
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea

Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea

by Charles Seife
4.7 out of 5 stars (6)  £7.49
To Infinity and Beyond: A Cultural History of the Infinite (Princeton Paperbacks)

To Infinity and Beyond: A Cultural History of the Infinite (Princeton Paperbacks)

by Eli Maor
4.0 out of 5 stars (4)  £16.10
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 258 pages
  • Publisher: Da Capo Press Inc; illustrated edition edition (4 Oct 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 156858105X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1568581057
  • Product Dimensions: 21.2 x 15 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,138,735 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
The search for infinity, that sublime and barely comprehensible mystery, has exercised both mathematicians and theologians over many generations: Jewish mystics in particular laboured with elaborate numerological schema to imagine the pure nothingness of infinity, while scientists such as Galileo, the great astronomer, and Georg Cantor, the inventor of modern set theory (as well as a gifted Shakespeare scholar), brought their training to bear on the unimaginable infinitude of numbers and of space, seeking the key to the universe.

In this sometimes technical but always accessible narrative, Amir Aczel, the author of the spirited study Fermat's Last Theorem, contemplates such matters as the Greek philosopher Zeno's several paradoxes; the curious careers of defrocked priests, (literal) mad scientists, and sober scholars whose work helped untangle some of those paradoxes; and the conundrums that modern mathematics has substituted for the puzzles of yore. To negotiate some of those enigmas requires a belief not unlike faith, Aczel hints, noting, "We may find it hard to believe that an elegant and seemingly very simple system of numbers and operations such as addition and multiplication--elements so intuitive that children learn them in school--should be fraught with holes and logical hurdles." Hard to believe, indeed. Aczel's book makes for a fine and fun exercise in brain stretching while providing a learned survey of the regions at which science and religion meet. --Gregory McNamee

Product Description
From the end of the 19th century until his death, one of history's most brilliant mathematicians languished in an asylum. The Mystery of the Aleph tells the story of Georg Cantor (1845-1918), a Russian-born German who created set theory, the concept of infinite numbers, and the "continuum hypothesis," which challenged the very foundations of mathematics. His ideas brought expected denunciation from established corners - he was called a "corruptor of youth" not only for his work in mathematics, but for his larger attempts to meld spirituality and science.

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
logic
transfinite mathematics orders of infini...
the mind
set theory
science
mathematics
mathematical physics
mathematical logic
kabbalah
israel
history of mathematics

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah, and the Human Mind
65% buy the item featured on this page:
The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah, and the Human Mind 4.0 out of 5 stars (2)
Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite (Princeton Science Library)
18% buy
Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite (Princeton Science Library) 5.0 out of 5 stars (6)
Brief History of Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable
17% buy
Brief History of Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable 4.2 out of 5 stars (16)
£6.74
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:    (0)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Defies Intuition but it's well worth a try., 10 Jan 2001
By A Customer
Once again Amir Aczel has provided us with an enthusiastic and intriguing look at a fascinating subject.Trying to come to terms with the Infinite is a difficult task that, as explained in the book, has claimed many victims. Aczel does a wonderful job turning the reader into a victim, although thankfully not as critical as the likes of Cantor and Godel. Much like his previous books Aczel blends the science( in this case mind boggling mathematics)into a fascinating background, paying great attention to the lives and characters of those concerned. The biographies of Gallileo and Kurt Godel are particularly interesting, especially as one would think that there was little left to know about them. However the centre of attention is the life and work of Georg Cantor, the mathematician synonomous with discoveries concerning the infinite. It would be difficult to find a more interesting and bizarre story than that of Georg Cantor but the real source of intrigue are his ideas and those of others concerning the subject of infinity. Added to that is a touch of mystisism in the form of "Kabalah" making Infinity an even more awesome concept.

While the book is written in an entertaining and absorbing style with ideas explained simply and concisley, much contemplation is required by the reader. I personally would reccomend that one take the neccesary time in order to try come to terms with a concept that "defies intuition". Four stars then, and the only reason I didn't give it five is because I can still sleep at night...barely.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Contemplating the Infinite, 13 Mar 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah and the Search for Infinity (Paperback)
One of only a handful of absorbing books that I have read in one sitting. It started extremely well so I was a little shaken when I read on page 24 how Archimedes compared the volumes of a sphere and a cone (it was a sphere and a cylinder I believe). However, rest assured, this was the only glitch I found in an excellent exposition of the Infinite from a set-theoretical approach.
As this book is not particularly mathematical, and is extremely well-written, it should appeal to those readers with a strong interest in mathematics, without the mathematical hardware behind them. Aczel's book makes a great accompaniment to Rudy Rucker's "Infinity and the Mind", which is much more mathematical, and covers many more aspects of Infinity. I give Aczel's book 4 stars, as Rucker's is out there on its own with 5 for this particular topic area.
To complete the trilogy I recommend Maor's "To Infinity and Beyond", which is also a very easy read without being too mathematical.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Alfred Tarski: Life and Logic

Alfred Tarski: Life...

‘The Fefermans’ biography is an enthralling success story of a... Read more
£14.24

›Find similar items

 

Make A Wish

Get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List.

›More info on Wish Lists

  

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

›Shop now

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates