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bjmconsulting's review against another edition
4.0
Really good book, but unfortunately, I hold biographies about mathematicians to the standard of 'The Man who Knew Infinity'.
benjamintripp's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. I majored in math during undergrad and spent 4 years hearing the stories about Erdős and the professors comparing Erdős numbers (highest in the department was 2), so in my head he was more of a myth than an actual person.
This book is both a history of Erdős and a history of mathematics in general. A lot of stories and theories present in the book were familiar to me, but they were well written it has been 10 years since college and the refresher on everything made me remember how much I enjoyed higher mathematics.
The personal anecdotes throughout the book make what could be a pretty boring book about math into a really personal story about a man who had touched so many lives.
After finishing the book it makes me wonder if what life would have been like if I had gone back to school for mathematics instead of computer science.
This book is both a history of Erdős and a history of mathematics in general. A lot of stories and theories present in the book were familiar to me, but they were well written it has been 10 years since college and the refresher on everything made me remember how much I enjoyed higher mathematics.
The personal anecdotes throughout the book make what could be a pretty boring book about math into a really personal story about a man who had touched so many lives.
After finishing the book it makes me wonder if what life would have been like if I had gone back to school for mathematics instead of computer science.
hollysandvold's review against another edition
5.0
This book is definitely best suited for the niche audience of amateur math nerds who don’t already know all the fun theorems and stories that Hoffman describes, but luckily, I am in that niche. The stories go beyond the life of Paul Erdös and explore the history of math. I loved the descriptions of quirky mathematicians and found the exploration of proofs and their origins really interesting. :)
pabloprieri's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining book with a good dose of Math, history and a super interesting protagonist. Erdos’s moto “My brain is open” summarizes everything that is good about life.
goosey_goolay's review against another edition
3.0
A poorly written biography, however; some excellent anecdotes about one of the most interesting mathematicians of recent times
ladamic's review against another edition
5.0
Re-read this with my 10 year old. The characters are interesting but especially Erdos is intriguing with his insatiable, but generous and kind drive to collaborate on mathematics. The problems explained are a great jumping off point for a bit of further exploration that does not require more than gradeschool math. Even better on second reading, and with a young one.
thomcat's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhat scattered biography of the Hungarian Paul Erdős, describing his life and his mathematics through anecdotes and examples. Mathematician Ron Graham acted as his factotum and a few chapters act as his biography also. I think the math is accessible to the public, but your mileage may vary.
One of the things that makes Erdős famous is his contributions to papers in math, and these are not just in name only. He fostered young talent where possible and made real contributions to his last days.
Paul is also quirky, and that comes out clearly here. His travels remind me of Moe Berg, both of them itinerant wanderers. Unfortunately this biography also wandered quite a bit. The first portion of the book was solid, but without an index I would have trouble finding topics in the latter half - sometimes visiting math, sometimes history, and sometimes relatives. An index, bibliography, and sources of the many quotes are all here, I just wish they weren't so necessary.
One of the things that makes Erdős famous is his contributions to papers in math, and these are not just in name only. He fostered young talent where possible and made real contributions to his last days.
Paul is also quirky, and that comes out clearly here. His travels remind me of Moe Berg, both of them itinerant wanderers. Unfortunately this biography also wandered quite a bit. The first portion of the book was solid, but without an index I would have trouble finding topics in the latter half - sometimes visiting math, sometimes history, and sometimes relatives. An index, bibliography, and sources of the many quotes are all here, I just wish they weren't so necessary.