Mathematical Lives
Portraits of mathematicians who lived for the beauty of proof.
The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul Hoffman (1998)
Overview
Erdős: caffeine-fueled proof machine. Hoffman’s portrait is a delightful romp through math’s eccentric genius - light on theorems, heavy on legend. 8/10.
Letters to a Young Mathematician by Ian Stewart (2006)
Overview
Stewart pens love letters to math’s next gen - wise, but its tea-and-crumpets tone dodges the grant-grinding grind. Cozy for dreamers, thin for realists. 7/10.