a fascinating book with a brave title
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There aren't many good maths books out there, but this is definitely one of them. It manages to describe the concepts - mentioned below in other reviews - so well that by the end you wish you could meet the author and have a chat about mathematics; the sign of a really good book. The level is about 18+ and it will be of great benefit to maths students going to or at university. It was recommended to me by my lecturer; not surprisingly, I ignored him, but I found it a few years later. I kicked myself when i finished...I wish i had read it earlier. The title doesn't help either...it turns you off immediately...so he's either brave or stupid to call it that...! It is true that e is an extremely important number, and really, it is far more interesting than pi in many ways. Unravelling its history leads to an explanation of many interesting areas of mathematics, and calculus is described well. The explanation of logs wasn't all that great, but it tied the book together. If you're a maths student, it will help give subjects you cover some background and perspective. You may understand them better too, so...go and read it now!
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The pleasure of mathematics
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All students who have undertaken a calculus course know that "e" is a very important number and on eof the cornerstones of modern mathematics; but very few students - I am afraid - know its fascinating story. That's why Eli Maor decided to fill this gap and to write his book on the story of "e": he starts with the invention of logarithms by the Scottish nobleman John Napier and guides the reader in a wonderful voyage through the mathematical discoveries of the last four centuries. In this voyage, the interested reader can meet real giants of mathematics such as Newton, Euler and the Bernoullis; he can study curious mathematical curves such as the logarithmic spiral and the catenary; he can understand how calculus was born and how it developed in the minds of the great mathematicians of the 17th Century. The book is noteworthy because of the crystal-clear mathematical accuracy with which Eli Maor explains the facts of his story; therefore a maths background is necessary to enjoy reading this book. Finally, eli Maor makes his book even more interesting by adding some "capsules" on various subjects, such as the importance of hyperbolic functions, the relationship between music and maths, the beauty of the decorative patterns that use the logarithmic spiral. A book that should be in the library of every maths-loving person.
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For mystics, philosophers, or even mathematicians!
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This is a truly excellent book. This is not a collection of bound papers, this is an exhaustive study of e and we are guided by the author's own thoughts and opinions throughout. Collections of papers, although useful in saving us the legwork, are a cop-out. The author(s) does not need to make any personal input at all. It is the author's easy and informative style that makes this book so accessible to such a wide audience. Whether you are a mystic, a philosopher, a numerologist or just an ordinary mathematician, you will not be disappointed with this work!
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A-level maths standard, but explained in historical context
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This book quite clearly explains a lot of well-known theorems and their historical context. It is not "high-brow" or obtuse, as some maths history books can be. It is not necessary to read the proofs if you don't want to. It is not just about "e", but explains a little about pi and i also. The only bit that I found confusing at first was the lack of a worked example of Napiers original logarithm table, which is very early in the book. Neither did I think that there was an explanation of the practical logic behind Napier's original sparse log tables (apart from the fact that they take a long time to create by hand). However, there is a worked example near the end of the book.
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An interesting little curiousity...
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I thought this was and excellent book, tracing the story of e from Napier logarithms through to the development of calculus and beyond. The author's style is excellent producing an interesting, easily read, non-technical history which fleshes out some of the great characters in the history mathematics. There are also some really diverting asides. If you've any interest in the history of mathematics, I'd recommend this.
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