I finally finished reading the book, Love and Math, by Edward Frenkel who is a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley. In this novel the author addresses a host of different mathematical concepts, some of which I have heard of before and others I never knew existed. Having a background in mathematics is not necessary in order to get through the book, but it was definitely beneficial while reading the novel because Frenkel talks about a lot of concepts that you'll have to follow along with in order to understand the point he is trying to make.
Typically, I do not and would not read a book such as Love and Math. Yes, I am a Math major with emphasis in Secondary Education, but books that are heavily loaded with mathematical concepts, proofs, and formulas is not something I like to read in my spare time. However, this novel was the difference maker for me. Although Frenkel did present several mathematical ideas, the novel was not solely about math. Frenkel did an amazing job of describing becoming a mathematician back in his day, especially saying as though he was Jewish. He also did a bunch of referencing back to previous chapters in the event that the reader forgot what the topic was that he had discussed prior to bringing it up again in other parts of the book. In addition to all of these things, Frenkel did a great job describing why he loved math and how it became apart of his life. Love and Math took me on a mathematical journey that I've never seen before and in a manner that I could actually understand. Also, Frenkel somehow made connections to our current understandings of math. This was my favorite part about the book because I could relate or point out things that I have seen or even worked on in my years studying mathematics.
Overall, Love and Math was a good read. I would certainly recommend people to read this book. However, one suggestion I would make is that the reader have some sort of mathematical knowledge or background; otherwise, there are times in the book where it is possible one could get lost or struggle through that particular chapter. If the reader does not have any mathematical knowledge or background, I would keep the internet up while reading in the event that the reader needs to look something up in order to understand what is going on.
Typically, I do not and would not read a book such as Love and Math. Yes, I am a Math major with emphasis in Secondary Education, but books that are heavily loaded with mathematical concepts, proofs, and formulas is not something I like to read in my spare time. However, this novel was the difference maker for me. Although Frenkel did present several mathematical ideas, the novel was not solely about math. Frenkel did an amazing job of describing becoming a mathematician back in his day, especially saying as though he was Jewish. He also did a bunch of referencing back to previous chapters in the event that the reader forgot what the topic was that he had discussed prior to bringing it up again in other parts of the book. In addition to all of these things, Frenkel did a great job describing why he loved math and how it became apart of his life. Love and Math took me on a mathematical journey that I've never seen before and in a manner that I could actually understand. Also, Frenkel somehow made connections to our current understandings of math. This was my favorite part about the book because I could relate or point out things that I have seen or even worked on in my years studying mathematics.
Overall, Love and Math was a good read. I would certainly recommend people to read this book. However, one suggestion I would make is that the reader have some sort of mathematical knowledge or background; otherwise, there are times in the book where it is possible one could get lost or struggle through that particular chapter. If the reader does not have any mathematical knowledge or background, I would keep the internet up while reading in the event that the reader needs to look something up in order to understand what is going on.