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andycyca's review against another edition
5.0
[5/5] One of the most interesting memoirs I've read ever! You don't need deep mathematical knowledge to appreciate one of the quaintest minds of the 20th century, and most everyone can benefit from his insight, his commitment, his desire to help others.
The book is a memoir, not a biography, which means it's full of anecdotes rather than a series of dates and facts. But as far as anecdotes go, this is one it's chock full of references to appropriate books, journals, papers and letters about Paul Erdös and his many colleagues, so the interested reader can advance in either the technical or the biographical aspects of the most prolific mathematician of the last 100 years
The book is a memoir, not a biography, which means it's full of anecdotes rather than a series of dates and facts. But as far as anecdotes go, this is one it's chock full of references to appropriate books, journals, papers and letters about Paul Erdös and his many colleagues, so the interested reader can advance in either the technical or the biographical aspects of the most prolific mathematician of the last 100 years
paulogonzalez's review against another edition
4.0
The book is in large part a work in oral history based on the recollections of Erdös and his collaborators and their partners. And it is especially a great journey through 20th century mathematics and its main characters (in fact, there is a little too of some older maths). Which is Erdös' own story, since he dedicated his life to traveling visiting his collaborators.
Erdös was different from everyone, he had an eccentric and appealing personality, a force in the mathematics of the last hundred years, especially in number theory and prime numbers. A child prodigy, a genius in his adulthood with no home and no worries about money (he give away most of what he received by his work).
His mathematical insight was amazing, and impressive was his ability to create and cope with different problems, as well as his habit of writing joint papers whom whoever he met. Besides, I was surprised that he used drugs, which I did not know.
A life worth knowing, no doubt, and here it is well written by Hoffman, who it is not a mathematician but knew how to capture that world very well from his talks with Erdös himself and many other professional mathematicians.
Erdös was different from everyone, he had an eccentric and appealing personality, a force in the mathematics of the last hundred years, especially in number theory and prime numbers. A child prodigy, a genius in his adulthood with no home and no worries about money (he give away most of what he received by his work).
His mathematical insight was amazing, and impressive was his ability to create and cope with different problems, as well as his habit of writing joint papers whom whoever he met. Besides, I was surprised that he used drugs, which I did not know.
A life worth knowing, no doubt, and here it is well written by Hoffman, who it is not a mathematician but knew how to capture that world very well from his talks with Erdös himself and many other professional mathematicians.
blackoxford's review against another edition
5.0
Authentic Living
Child prodigy, adult genius, benefactor to anyone in need, eccentric professor, persona non grata in the USA, the Soviet Union and several European states, amphetamine addict, lifelong virgin of no fixed address, Paul Erdos had one passion, one religion, and one goal in his life: the solving of mathematical problems. He was a singular human being, incomparable even among other singular men like Albert Einstein, and William Teller, and Andrew Wiles who were his friends.
Paul Erdos wrote more mathematics than any other mathematician except the 18th century Leonhard Euler. But Erdos, by choice, never held a permanent academic position of significance. He was a competent teacher but could not tolerate the distraction that teaching implied for his problem-solving.
He lived primarily from the kindness of fellow-mathematicians with whom he collaborated constantly during a sort of royal progress from continent to continent. After the age of 50, he was accompanied in his travels by his aged and sickly mother who ate every meal with him and insisted on sleeping in the same room.
Perhaps, however, the most remarkable aspect of Erdos's life was the demonstration that knowledge neither requires nor necessarily results in power. At no point did his global intellectual eminence lead to material wealth and influence. He simply wouldn't allow it.
Like a medieval monk, or better said a Galacian rabbi, Erdos lived solely for the infinite cause of mathematical understanding. He was never seduced by his 'earning potential', the prestige of his reputation, or even by the politics rampant during his lifetime to engage in anything but more and more mathematics.
For me it is this persistent, consistent expression of who and what he was, in opposition to virtually every kind of modern 'value' that is not only the most admirable but also the most inspiring thing about this truly authentic person.
Child prodigy, adult genius, benefactor to anyone in need, eccentric professor, persona non grata in the USA, the Soviet Union and several European states, amphetamine addict, lifelong virgin of no fixed address, Paul Erdos had one passion, one religion, and one goal in his life: the solving of mathematical problems. He was a singular human being, incomparable even among other singular men like Albert Einstein, and William Teller, and Andrew Wiles who were his friends.
Paul Erdos wrote more mathematics than any other mathematician except the 18th century Leonhard Euler. But Erdos, by choice, never held a permanent academic position of significance. He was a competent teacher but could not tolerate the distraction that teaching implied for his problem-solving.
He lived primarily from the kindness of fellow-mathematicians with whom he collaborated constantly during a sort of royal progress from continent to continent. After the age of 50, he was accompanied in his travels by his aged and sickly mother who ate every meal with him and insisted on sleeping in the same room.
Perhaps, however, the most remarkable aspect of Erdos's life was the demonstration that knowledge neither requires nor necessarily results in power. At no point did his global intellectual eminence lead to material wealth and influence. He simply wouldn't allow it.
Like a medieval monk, or better said a Galacian rabbi, Erdos lived solely for the infinite cause of mathematical understanding. He was never seduced by his 'earning potential', the prestige of his reputation, or even by the politics rampant during his lifetime to engage in anything but more and more mathematics.
For me it is this persistent, consistent expression of who and what he was, in opposition to virtually every kind of modern 'value' that is not only the most admirable but also the most inspiring thing about this truly authentic person.
reading_not_christine's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.5
Very interesting book for sure, Paul Erdös' life and mind are fascinating.
However, I found the pacing of this book rather slow, as it tends to be with autobiographies in my experience, and it would sometimes take detours about some other mathematicians. I found that a little irritating and less interesting.
I likely won't reread it, but I'm glad I did read it when my math professor lend me the book. I definitely learned something!
However, I found the pacing of this book rather slow, as it tends to be with autobiographies in my experience, and it would sometimes take detours about some other mathematicians. I found that a little irritating and less interesting.
I likely won't reread it, but I'm glad I did read it when my math professor lend me the book. I definitely learned something!
davidr's review against another edition
4.0
Paul Erdos was a prolific, well-known mathematician. He wrote over 1400 journal articles in various mathematical publications, many of them collaborations. Those people who collaborated with him earned an Erdos "number 1". Those who collaborated with someone who collaborated with him earned a "number 2", and so on.
To say that Erdos was "eccentric" would be an understatement. He had no home--he carried a suitcase with a single change of clothes in it, and traveled the world, visiting one mathematician after another. He would stay at a mathematician's home until he became unwelcome--and that was not long at all. Erdos only slept a few hours at night, so he kept his hosts pretty busy! He was physically inept, so help left trails and messes in his wake. The collection of anecdotes about his life are amusing, and usually center on his single-mindedness about mathematics.
Erdos' main area of expertise was number theory. Paul Hoffman has written a very readable book, expertly interleaving chapters about number theory with Erdos' biography. This gives a layman some understanding about the sorts of problems that Erdos solved. I learned some interesting things about mathematics, and also about the psychology of mathematicians. This was a fun book to read, and I can recommend it to anybody.
By the way, baseball great Hank Aaron earned an "Erdos number 1"--read the book if you are curious to find out why!
To say that Erdos was "eccentric" would be an understatement. He had no home--he carried a suitcase with a single change of clothes in it, and traveled the world, visiting one mathematician after another. He would stay at a mathematician's home until he became unwelcome--and that was not long at all. Erdos only slept a few hours at night, so he kept his hosts pretty busy! He was physically inept, so help left trails and messes in his wake. The collection of anecdotes about his life are amusing, and usually center on his single-mindedness about mathematics.
Erdos' main area of expertise was number theory. Paul Hoffman has written a very readable book, expertly interleaving chapters about number theory with Erdos' biography. This gives a layman some understanding about the sorts of problems that Erdos solved. I learned some interesting things about mathematics, and also about the psychology of mathematicians. This was a fun book to read, and I can recommend it to anybody.
By the way, baseball great Hank Aaron earned an "Erdos number 1"--read the book if you are curious to find out why!
andreagiantess's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
5.0
A pivotal book for me! Reading about Erdos gave me insight into myself 20+ years before I received an autism diagnosis.
theonetruelogan's review against another edition
4.0
A brilliant dive into the life of a brilliant man, using his exploits as a window to explore mathematical proofs and to provide a meta-commentary on the field as a whole.
dwebster1031's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books that makes me regret every major decision I've ever made