Synopsis
Essays discuss mathematicians, mathematical history, translation, the steam engine, etymology, and their unexpected connections
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Reviews
"Find a thread and follow it," urges Davis ( Thomas Gray, Philosopher Cat ), professor of applied mathematics at Brown, at the outset of these self-indulgent, often coy divagations inspired by an academic quibble about the transliteration of the name of a 19th-century Russian mathematician. Like an encyclopedist run wild, Davis leaps by the merest of associations from one bit of mathematical history to another, and from these into an apparently infinite plane of intellectual and cultural history: 10th-century nun Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim, Sikkimese shamans, Coptic proper nouns all surface. The information is fairly interesting, at times startling. The book itself, however, falls flat. Its theses--that historical events progress only circuitously; that "not the truth, but the search for the truth; the process, the method, that is what matters"--are far from new, and Davis's self-referential ramblings neither electrify his stores of fact nor stimulate the reader. Here is a prodigious mind playing solitaire.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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The Thread: A Mathematical Yarn
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
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Condition: Very Good. Dorian, Marguerite (illustrator). Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00100198918
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The Thread : A Mathematical Yarn
Published by
Harcourt Trade Publishers, 1989
ISBN 10: 0156901404
ISBN 13: 9780156901406
Used
Softcover
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Dorian, Marguerite (illustrator). Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 3136241-6
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The Thread : A Mathematical Yarn
Published by
Harcourt Trade Publishers, 1989
ISBN 10: 0156901404
ISBN 13: 9780156901406
Used
Softcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Dorian, Marguerite (illustrator). Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 4168809-75
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The Thread: A Mathematical Yarn
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Dorian, Marguerite (illustrator). May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0156901404I4N00
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The Thread: A Mathematical Yarn
Seller: ThriftBooks-Reno, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Dorian, Marguerite (illustrator). May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0156901404I4N00
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The Thread: A Mathematical Yarn
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Dorian, Marguerite (illustrator). May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0156901404I4N00
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The Thread: A Mathematical Yarn
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paperback. Condition: Very Good. Dorian, Marguerite (illustrator). Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_459907040
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The Thread: A Mathematical Yarn
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paperback. Condition: Good. Dorian, Marguerite (illustrator). Gently used with a remainder mark o top, otherwise clean and tight. Seller Inventory # mon0000768958
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The Thread: A Mathematical Yarn
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paperback. Condition: Very Good. Dorian, Marguerite (illustrator). Good. Used with wear and/or markings but is still in solid reading condition. Seller Inventory # mon0000598290
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The Thread: A Mathematical Yarn
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Soft cover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New. Illustrated by Dorian, Marguerite" (illustrator). PHOTO AND VIDEO OF PAGES TAKEN TO SHOW CONDITION PRIOR TO SHIPPING; PHOTOS EMAILED FOR MORE SPECIFICS WHEN REQUESTED; Book. Book. Seller Inventory # 9398