Significant Figures

I enjoyed Ian Stewart’s history of mathematics, entitled “Significant Figures: The Lives and Work of Great Mathematicians”, which includes the biographies of some notable mathematicians. I found that this book had a great format, combining character insights into people, a history of a subject as well as a powerful approach to teach people about mathematical concepts and how they interconnect. I particularly liked the way Stewart was able to describe concepts such as Turing's insights into computation and Gödel’s insights into logic and link them together with their lives. I also enjoyed the way that he explained the construction of non-Euclidian geometries and how this, of course, is built one person on top of another.The book has lots of great character insights into why these individuals were so brilliant. I particularly liked the story of how Carl Gauss was able to quickly solve a simple addition problem -- summing up all the numbers from one to 100 very quickly -- that is easily grasped now but which clearly illuminates his brilliance as a young child.Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I think a little knowledge of mathematics is useful because some of the sections benefit from some understanding of calculus, group theory, &c.

I loved this book. When I read the "Men of Mathematics" I was extremely annoyed that Sonya was in there under that title. Even so I loved that book too, although I physically changed the title to People of Mathematics. This was wonderful too and covered women - and more than one. I have always found that the math or physics or computer science is understood more deeply if you see how it came about and was discovered.

This was a very pleasant read. The author discusses the lives, work, and personalities of 25 great mathematicians throughout history, in chronological order.

A very readable introduction to some of the greatest mathematician in history.

I love everything Ian Stewart writes. It is it to go from the book to the classroom.

Can not review it was a gift to someone.

This is a more modern, and more accurate, successor to Bell's classic "Men of Mathematics". The selection is excellent and his relatively non-technical explanations of what make these people important in the history of mathematics are first-rate.

It's basically an update of Eric Temple Bell's "Men of Mathematics", although he does include people whom Bell already described (i.e. Archimedes, Newton, Gauss, Riemann, Boole). And he does go on to write about people whom Bell didn't include such as Ada Lovelace and Emmy Noether. But it shares the same weaknesses as Bell's original book, although he is never as lurid or opinionated as Bell. One could just as well read the corresponding articles in Wikipedia.

Ian Stewart's amibitious goal is to highlight the lives of ground breaking matheticians and their work and impact on mathematics and other fields. I enjoyed the biographies and appreciated his inclusions of Middle Eastern, Asian and women mathematicians (and not just included for the sole purpose of "diversity" - they truly belong there). I have to admit understanding some of the mathetical theories were a struggle for me and I wish he had gone further to explain how their contributions impacted our day to day to lives. Nevertheless, I think this is a book that math lovers (and non math lovers) can enjoy.