This post is from an Amazon.com list here.
I’ve basically taught myself to ‘read’ math as a ‘foreign language,’ from calculus on forward. That’s to say, I never took a calculus course (though I did tutor HS math for years, so I had a pretty solid foundation), but now I can read almost the most advanced math books and understand what they’re saying. That’s not to say I could solve problems and get the right answers, but I can follow when others do it (and in a pinch, I could find the way to get the right answers).
This has opened up whole new fields of math and science texts that would otherwise be off-limits as ‘for specialists only.’ And it all came from the books yous see below. I’m convinced ANYONE can teach themselves to read math as a foreign language. But math is so often taught poorly. These books do it right.
I’m not saying it’s easy, learning a foreign language never is. But eventually you start to get a sense of why mathematicians and scientists make the basic moves they do, like one would get a sense of the grammar or idiomatic phrases in a foreign language, what the symbols mean, what is generally assumed as already known, and it turns out that the basics are much easier than they seem. If only someone had written ‘advanced math for the rest of us.’ Till then, these books are the best things I’ve found yet, and they’re actually pretty great.
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~ by chris on May 22, 2011.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags: mathematics
Christopher, I keep picking at your site. Biting off pieces and walking away until I feel like I’m interested in digesting more. Would you be open to an off-blog conversation? I am in a masters program in Communications. Reading through “The Handbook of Communication Ethics” by Cheney, May & Munshi – just came out in 01.11. There are several chapters I have felt lost in, irritated, and directionless – because I think the gist of so many of today’s conversations are directionless, ungrounded, netherworlds of layered philosophical ramblings that have lived, died, been resurrected to only die again.
It seems you have rotating interests in many subjects. As a disclaimer, you and I, would make exceptionally strange mental bedfellows. In terms of worldview we could not be more different – but as I read – I like your thoughts. I like the mind behind the questions. So, if you’re willing I’d like to start a discussion…in particular about gender identity and role within the conversation of feminism. Another disclaimer, I’m thoughtful, not easily swayed and certainly not anywhere as well read as you seem to be… So, if you would like to join me in a conversation – I can’t promise it will be a delightful experience – perhaps more like a wrestling match with someone who wants to learn. js