The Non Fiction Five Challenge ends today. I intended to read this book as a fifth, but didn’t manage to finish it in time. I did read a fifth non fiction book, though, another Italian one alas (scroll down for the review).

So here’s my wrap-up. Read five non fiction books in five months, here’s the reviews:

• Giuste nozze
• Prima lezione di grammatica
• Gomorrah
• How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator
• La matematica e l’esistenza di Dio (see below)

Alas, this is all that I’ve done for the challenge. Read other participants’ reviews? Rarely. Commented? I think not. Interacted with bloggers in any other way? Definitely not.

I am sorry about that, I really am. I’ve never been a great commenter, but challenges are a good way to interact. Unfortunately, I seem to be dedicating less and less time to blogging, so interaction suffers from that as well. Which is bad, because I like blogging, and I like blogging interaction, and I love bloggers (especially Nymeth who is always so kind as to come by and leave comments although I rarely comment back on her blog!).

So I am wondering about what to do now, and here’s question #1 for you: should I step back from challenges? Should I stop, and try again when I have more time to follow them through? Or should I go the other way round, sign up for more, and consider them not only as reading challenges but also as commenting/interaction challenges? I’d like to hear your thoughts on that.

*****

So, you may now ask, non fiction and challenges, ok; but what is it with God and mathematics? Well, that was the subject of the fifth book I read, whose title in English would read: Mathematics and God’s Existence. The author, Antonio Ambrosetti, is a great mathematician and a believer in God, and the point of this book is to prove that the two aspects do not clash with each other, because science and faith concern two separate aspects of our life and our reality.

I appreciated this book, and the author’s nerve in publishing it. I know it is always difficult for scientist to admit that they believe, because a common idea since the Enlightment is, that a real scientist should only believe in what his/her reason can prove real. And I think it is even more difficult in Italy, where people who say they believe in God are looked down on, and cut out of the cultural world altogether (I know, I know, we seem to have a weird relationship with the Catholic Church in my country…). I agree with the idea of this book: you believe in God with your heart, you believe in science with your mind, and there’s no contradiction between the two.

On the other hand I am not completely convinced by the way the book was carried through: a big part of it deals with retorting against other books, namely those that stand for the idea that science and religion are incompatible. Alas, authors of books such as Mathematics and God’s Existence often fall in this trap: instead of saying “You can be a believer and a scientist at the same time: here’s why and how” they say “People say it’s not possible, but they’re WROOONG!”, which is not really the same thing.

And here’s question #2 for you: can you suggest any title that does not fall in the same trap? Thank you for your input!

The book: Keith Devlin, The Millennium Problems

The edition: Italian translation by Isabella C. Blum

Contents: the seven Millennium Problems were identified and presented in 2000 as the most important problems now open in modern mathematics (ok, apart for one which, it seems, has been solved by now). The Clay Insitute has offered one million dollars to the solvers of each problem. Devlin tries to make it as simple as possible — which is not at all simple, though.

Pros: Devlin knows his way in math communication. As far as possible, the book is clear. Sure, you need a deep interest is the subject to go through it, but the author succeeds in giving a human touch to all the math. Be prepared not to understand everything.

Cons: I hated that, again and again, Devlin tells the readers that they can jump over parts and chapters they don’t understand. He keeps telling you that it’s perfectly normal if you don’t understand. Ok, true, it IS normal not to understand many parts of the book if you are not a specialist, but as far as I know, jumping over passages is exactly what you don’t want to do if you are to learn and understand anything about maths.

Read this if: if you like math books such as Ian Stewart’s; if you are passionate about maths and specifically want to know more about the Millennium Problems.

Don’t read this if: if you hate maths; if you want to approach math communication, but have never read anything before (start with something easier).

Rating: 8/10.

My reasons for reading: it was given to me by the person who causes my interest in maths. It counts as NFF book #5 (and last).

The book: Denis Guedj, Les cheveux de Bérénice

The edition: I read the Italian translation by Fjodor B. Ardizzoia, Isabella C. Blum and Francesca Ioele, published by Longanesi in 2003. Pages: 387.

Reasons for reading: 6th book of six for Expanding Horizons Challenge, African section, plus a great interest in Guedj’s work. Ok, I’ve been cheating a little, as Guedj was born in Algeria but is more European than African in culture, so he’s the worst choice if the aim is to expand my horizons. My only excuse is that I was running out of time and there was no way to get any of the other African books I wanted to read from the library in time. My hope is to continue to expand my horizons some more, after the challenge finishes.

Synopsys: the book delves in mathematical and geographical history. It traces the story of Eratosthenes of Cyrene and of the way he came up with the very first measurement of the Earth’s circumference around 240 B.C. If you are interested in the method he used, check out this explanation. The story is novelized with other characters and stories: Eratosthenes’ relation to Egyptian kings and queens, political intrigues, characters who live on the border between history and myth.

My thoughts: I like the way Guedj can weave science history into a readable and enjoyable story. I read a book of his last year, and plan to read another one (The Parrot’s Theorem) soon. I completely enjoyed this book, but for two things. One: at times, the writer’s tools would emerge, as if he was not yet able to manage them completely (I guess this was written some time ago, before his latest, which I enjoyed more); for example, there was no need for the characters to visit a papyrus laboratory during their journey, but for the fact that the author wanted to tell us how papyrus scrolls were made. And two: for me it’s difficult to identify with characters living in ancient Greece or ancient Egypt, their culture was so far from our own, even though they were our fathers. Rating: 7/10.

Be it due to my MSc or to A. trying to make me understand his life&work, my 2007 was a year of mathematics reading. So, here’s a list of one-shot reviews of what I read:

1. TIMOTHY GOWERS, Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction.*
This was a good read. At least at the beginning, that is. Gowers boasts a clear, straightforward writing, but in the last chapters he lost me, as the mathematics was a bit too hawkward. Still, I’m looking forward to re-read this book with a special enfasis on those last bits. Plus, it does give you an insight in what it is that mathematicians do.
Vote: 4/5

2. IAN STEWART, Letters to a Young Mathematician.*
Not a lot of mathematics into this one. Stewart delves deep into the life of (his life as) a mathematician. Exactly what you need to understand those strange people… Plus, a lot of humor, jokes and anecdotes.
Vote: 5/5

3. CATHERINE SHERLDRICK ROSS and BILL SLAVIN, Circles, Squares, Triangles (Shapes in Math, Science and Nature).
I had the chance to work on the Italian (ri-)edition of these three books. It was a chance, really, because otherwise I would not pick up mathematics books for children, for the time being. But these are great, with splendid drawings and clear texts, fun to read and good to learn. Reading level: age 8-12.
Vote: 4.5/5

4. DAVID BLANCO LASERNA, Emmy Noether. Matematica ideal.
Ok, I’ll have to admit that I don’t speak Spanish, but I was interested in the subject because of my thesis, so I tried to read it all the same (based on the fact that Spanish and Italian are quite near to one another, and also on the six months I lived in a Spanish-speaking home..). But I wouldn’t really recommend this book. Apart for the very technical math part scaring me off even with the help of my mathematician, the author seemed to drift off and wander away from the subject too often, describing the general situation of mathematics in the 19th century rather than dwelling on Emmy’s own life. Which is a pity, because she is a character people should really know more about.
Vote: 3/5

5. KEITH DEVLIN, The Millennium Problems.*
Just started reading this. Seems very well-written, but it surely will require a lot of attention and a solid background…
Vote: 4/5 (not final)

(NOTE: asterisks * indicate books that I read in Italian.)

(…roll of drums…)

IAN STEWART, Letters to a Young Mathematician.

(see it on Amazon here)

Today’s word on Wordsmith.org:

algorithm
A sequence of well-defined steps for solving a problem.

OK, I’ll admit I’ve never looked it up in the dictionary, but I’d never imagined that its definition could be as straightforward and as elegant as that.