This is the fourth in a new series within the Reading and Book Lovers group; it was suggested by LimeLite. The subject is books about science, math and statistics.
Two weeks ago, in a poll, I asked about who I should cover this week. Alan Turing won, and I am working through a re-read of Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges. But I am not ready to post it yet. So today, I post a book review I previously wrote on Associated Content.
Next week, April 17, Limelite will post about EO Wilson.
This is intended to be a group series, with lots of contributors. I can't do this alone. But I have a list of topics to get us started, and a list of weeks as well.
This diary will post on Sunday mid-afternoons. I haven't settled on an exact time, and given the nature of Sundays chez plf, I am not sure I can. After brunch/lunch, before dinner.
Topic ideas (some of which could be collaborative with other RBL groupies):
Book reviews regarding science, math and statistics in fiction or non-fiction.
Diaries about popular science writers
Interviews of daily Kos science, math or statistics authors
A community read of a science, math or statistics book, possibly Feynman's The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, or maybe the much neglected Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski.
"Why it couldn't happen" - looking at some classic books and why they are not possible.
Books on Kindle or other e-reader vs. paper
The RBL schedule
The RBL schedule:
DAY |
TIME (EST/EDT) |
Series Name |
Editor(s) |
SUN |
3:00 PM |
Science, Math, and Statistics Books |
plf515 |
SUN |
8:00 PM |
Publish Your Own Kindle Book
(mini-series) |
bink |
SUN |
9:30 PM |
SciFi/Fantasy Book Club |
quarkstomper |
SUN |
Late Nite |
My Reading Life |
various |
MON |
8:00 AM |
And the Winner Is. . . |
88kathy |
MON |
11:00 AM |
eReader Cafe |
Dichro Gal |
TUE |
Noon |
The Mad Logophile (bi-weekly) |
Purple Priestess |
TUES |
8:00 PM |
Readers & Book Lovers Newsletter |
Limelite |
WED |
7:00 AM |
WAYR? |
plf515 |
WED |
8:00 PM |
Bookflurries: Bookchat |
cfk |
THU |
11:00AM |
Books for Young Adults and Children (BYAC) |
Dichro Gal |
THU |
8:00PM |
Write On! |
SensibleShoes |
FRI |
9:00 AM |
Books That Changed My Life |
etbnc, aravir |
SAT |
12 Noon |
Let’s Write a Story |
mdmslle |
SAT |
2:00 PM |
DK Political Book Club |
Freshly Squeezed Cynic |
SAT |
9:00 PM |
Books So Bad They're Good |
Ellid |
Intermittent Diaries |
SUN |
? |
Justice, Not Charity |
Runaway Rose, allie123 |
MON |
Late Nite |
Literature for Kossacks |
Pico |
Summary of review of A Mathematician's Lament by Paul Lockhart.
If you teach math, if you like math, if you know a kid who gets subjected to what the schools call math, if you write books about math, if you plan math curricula - in short, if you are in ANY way connected to both kids and math, GO GET THIS BOOK. It is absolutely fantastic.
Summary of A Mathematician's Lament
This is an impassioned plea for the rescue of mathematics education. More precisely, it is a plea for the creation of math education, because, at present, we aren't doing any - at least, not in grade school or high school, in the vast majority of schools in the USA.
The author of A Mathematician's Lament
Paul Lockhart has a PhD in mathematics, and was a professor of mathematics at Brown University and UC Santa Cruz. In 2000, he gave that up, to teach math to K-12 students at St. Ann's school in NYC.
Contents of A Mathematician's Lament
This is a short book - only 140 pages, and they aren't very big pages, or small type. It's in two parts: Lamentation and Exultation. Lamentation describes what we currently do to kids in what we call math class. Exultation delights in describing what math really is.
Lamentation has 4 chapters
Mathematics and culture
Mathematics in school
The mathematics curriculum
High school geometry: Instrument of the devil
Exultation is one chapter
Review of A Mathematician's Lament
Let me ask you some questions. They are very easy.
If a woman had never read a novel or written anything since college, would she be a good English teacher?
If a man had never gone to a concert, played an instrument, or sang, would he be a good music teacher?
If a woman had never gone to a museum, painted a picture, played with clay, or drawn, would she be be a good art teacher?
I told you they were easy!
Here are some more:
If you were forced to take 12 years of music theory before you were permitted to pick up an instrument, would you do so?
If you were not allowed to paint until you could name 100 types of brushes and distinguish 200 pigments, would you paint?
If you had to learn all about iambic pentameter before you were permitted to write a poem, would you write one?
OF COURSE NOT!
But this is precisely what we are doing with math.
I've been saying this for years, but, in a A Mathematician's Lament, Paul Lockhart says it more eloquently, with greater authority, and at slightly greater length than I have.
Math is not about rules, it's not about arithmetic, it's not about notation. Math is about the search for beauty. Here are some quotes from the book:
"Mathematics is an art, and it should be taught by working artists, or if not, at least by people who appreciate the art form and can recognize it when they see it"
"Mathematics is not a language, it's an adventure"
"Other math classes may hide the beautiful bird, or put it in a cage, but in geometry class it is openly and cruelly tortured".
"A proof should be an epiphany from the gods, not a coded message from the pentagon"
In A Mathematician's Lament, Paul Lockhart shows that he actually IS a mathematician; he's got the chops. We know this not only because of his formal credentials, but because of the way he talks. Good math is "elegant", "beautiful", "charming". And he's right. And if you can't see that he's right, it's because you have never had a mathematics education - you've been to school, instead.