Indiscrete Thoughts (Modern Birkhäuser Classics)
Gian-Carlo Rota
Indiscrete Thoughts gives a glimpse into a world that has seldom been described that of science and technology as seen through the eyes of a mathematician. The era covered by this book, 1950 to 1990, was surely one of the golden ages of science as well as the American university.
Cherished myths are debunked along the way as Gian-Carlo Rota takes pleasure in portraying, warts and all, some of the great scientific personalities of the period —Stanislav Ulam (who, together with Edward Teller, signed the patent application for the hydrogen bomb), Solomon Lefschetz (Chairman in the 50s of the Princeton ... Read more
Rota is not afraid of controversy. Some readers may even consider these essays indiscreet. After the publication of the essay “The Pernicious Influence of Mathematics upon Philosophy” (reprinted six times in five languages) the author was blacklisted in analytical philosophy circles. Indiscrete Thoughts should become an instant classic and the subject of debate for decades to come.
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Reviews for Indiscrete Thoughts (Modern Birkhäuser Classics)
The Mathematical Intelligencer "Learned, thought-provoking, politically incorrect, delighting in paradox, and likely to offend—but everywhere readable and entertaining."
The American Mathematical Monthly ... Read more