A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
“Wilkinson has accomplished something more moving and original, braiding his stumbling attempts to get better at math with his deepening awareness that there’s an entire universe of understanding that will, in some fundamental sense, forever lie outside his reach.” ―Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times
“There is almost no writer I admire as much as I do Alec Wilkinson. His work has enduring brilliance and humanity.” ―Susan Orlean, author of The Library Book
A spirited, metaphysical exploration into math's deepest mysteries and conundrums at the crux of middle age.
Decades after struggling to understand math as a boy, Alec Wilkinson decides to embark on a journey to learn it as a middle-aged man. What begins as a personal challenge―and it is challenging―soon transforms into something greater than a belabored effort to learn math. Despite his incompetence, Wilkinson encounters a universe of unexpected questions in his pursuit of mathematical knowledge and quickly becomes fascinated; soon, his exercise in personal growth (and torture) morphs into an intellectually expansive exploration.
In A Divine Language, Wilkinson, a contributor to The New Yorker for more than forty years, journeys into the heart of the divine aspects of mathematics―its mysteries, difficulties, and revelations―from antiquity to the present. As he submits himself to the lure of deep mathematics, he takes the reader through his investigations into the subject’s big questions: number theory and the creation of numbers, the debate over math’s human or otherworldly origins, problems and equations that remain unsolved after centuries, the conundrum of prime numbers. Writing with warm humor and sharp observation as he traverses practical math’s endless frustrations and rewards, Wilkinson provides an awe-inspiring account of an adventure in a land of strange sights. Part memoir, part metaphysical travel book, and part journey in self-improvement, A Divine Language is one man’s second attempt at understanding the numbers in front of him and the world beyond.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Alec Wilkinson is the author of many books, including The Ice Balloon, The Protest Singer, My Mentor, Mr. Apology, and The Happiest Man in the World. A contributor to The New Yorker since 1980, he is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, and a Lyndhurst Prize. He lives in New York City.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00106488886
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G1250168597I4N00
Seller: ThriftBooks-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G1250168597I4N00
Seller: BookOutlet, Jefferson City, TN, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: New. Paperback. Publisher overstock, may contain remainder mark on edge. Seller Inventory # 9781250168597B
Seller: Goodwill of Silicon Valley, SAN JOSE, CA, U.S.A.
Condition: good. Supports Goodwill of Silicon Valley job training programs. The cover and pages are in Good condition! Any other included accessories are also in Good condition showing use. Use can include some highlighting and writing, page and cover creases as well as other types visible wear. Seller Inventory # GWSVV.1250168597.G
Seller: Blue Sage Books, Grand Junction, CO, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Near Fine Paperback. Nice copy clean and very gently used. Prompt shipping from Colorado. ~"Buy with Confidence, Satisfaction Guaranteed! Seller Inventory # 60600
Seller: HPB Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. 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_471390813
Seller: The Haunted Bookshop, LLC, Iowa City, IA, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Near Fine. Crisp, bright, clean; no owners' marks; except for very light shelfwear at spine ends, as new. 287pp. Seller Inventory # 00086144
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 45722640-n
Seller: Lakeside Books, Benton Harbor, MI, U.S.A.
Condition: New. Brand New! Not Overstocks or Low Quality Book Club Editions! Direct From the Publisher! We're not a giant, faceless warehouse organization! We're a small town bookstore that loves books and loves it's customers! Buy from Lakeside Books! Seller Inventory # OTF-S-9781250168597