Overview
A New York Times Book Review Editorsā Choice
āWilkinson has accomplished something more moving and original, braiding his stumbling attempts to get better at math with his deepening awareness that thereās an entire universe of understanding that will, in some fundamental sense, forever lie outside his reach.ā āJennifer Szalai, The New York Times
āThere is almost no writer I admire as much as I do Alec Wilkinson. His work has enduring brilliance and humanity.ā āSusan Orlean, author of The Library Book
A spirited, metaphysical exploration into math's deepest mysteries and conundrums at the crux of middle age.
Decades after struggling to understand math as a boy, Alec Wilkinson decides to embark on a journey to learn it as a middle-aged man. What begins as a personal challengeāand it is challengingāsoon transforms into something greater than a belabored effort to learn math. Despite his incompetence, Wilkinson encounters a universe of unexpected questions in his pursuit of mathematical knowledge and quickly becomes fascinated; soon, his exercise in personal growth (and torture) morphs into an intellectually expansive exploration.
In A Divine Language, Wilkinson, a contributor to The New Yorker for more than forty years, journeys into the heart of the divine aspects of mathematicsāits mysteries, difficulties, and revelationsāfrom antiquity to the present. As he submits himself to the lure of deep mathematics, he takes the reader through his investigations into the subjectās big questions: number theory and the creation of numbers, the debate over mathās human or otherworldly origins, problems and equations that remain unsolved after centuries, the conundrum of prime numbers. Writing with warm humor and sharp observation as he traverses practical mathās endless frustrations and rewards, Wilkinson provides an awe-inspiring account of an adventure in a land of strange sights. Part memoir, part metaphysical travel book, and part journey in self-improvement, A Divine Language is one manās second attempt at understanding the numbers in front of him and the world beyond.
This book title, A Divine Language (Learning Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus at the Edge of Old Age) - 9781250168597, ISBN: 9781250168597, by Alec Wilkinson, published by Picador (July 11, 2023) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
Unlike Amazon and other retailers who may also offer A Divine Language (Learning Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus at the Edge of Old Age) - 9781250168597 books on their website, we specialize in large quantities and provide personal service, from trusted, experienced, friendly people in Portland, Oregon. We offer a Price Match Guarantee, and QuickQuote form, to make purchasing quick and easy.
Prefer to work with a human being when you order A Divine Language (Learning Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus at the Edge of Old Age) - 9781250168597 books in bulk? Our Book Specialists are standing by Monday-Friday 8-5 PST, ready to help!