Most philosophers of mathematics treat it as isolated, timeless, ahistorical, inhuman. Reuben Hersh argues the contrary, that mathematics must be understood as a human activity, a social phenomenon, part of human culture, historically evolved, and intelligible only in a social context. Hersh pulls the screen back to reveal mathematics as seen by professionals, debunking many mathematical myths, and demonstrating how the "humanist" idea of the nature of mathematics more closely resembles how mathematicians actually work. At the heart of his book is a fascinating historical account of the mainstream of philosophy--ranging from Pythagoras, Descartes, and Spinoza, to Bertrand Russell, David Hilbert, and Rudolph Carnap--followed by the mavericks who saw mathematics as a human artifact, including Aristotle, Locke, Hume, Mill, and Lakatos.What is Mathematics, Really? reflects an insider's view of mathematical life, and will be hotly debated by anyone with an interest in mathematics or the philosophy of science.
Mathematics is often thought of as the coldest expression of pure reason. But few subjects provoke hotter emotions--and inspire more love and hatred--than mathematics. And although math is frequently idealized as floating above the messiness of human life, its story is nothing if not human; often, it is all too human. Loving and Hating Mathematics is about the hidden human, emotional, and social forces that shape mathematics and affect the experiences of students and mathematicians. Written in a lively, accessible style, and filled with gripping stories and anecdotes, Loving and Hating Mathematics brings home the intense pleasures and pains of mathematical life. These stories challenge many myths, including the notions that mathematics is a solitary pursuit and a "young man's game," the belief that mathematicians are emotionally different from other people, and even the idea that to be a great mathematician it helps to be a little bit crazy. Reuben Hersh and Vera John-Steiner tell stories of lives in math from their very beginnings through old age, including accounts of teaching and mentoring, friendships and rivalries, love affairs and marriages, and the experiences of women and minorities in a field that has traditionally been unfriendly to both. Included here are also stories of people for whom mathematics has been an immense solace during times of crisis, war, and even imprisonment--as well as of those rare individuals driven to insanity and even murder by an obsession with math. This is a book for anyone who wants to understand why the most rational of human endeavors is at the same time one of the most emotional.
Winner of the 1983 National Book Award!"…a perfectly marvelous book about the Queen of Sciences, from which one will get a real feeling for what mathematicians do and who they are. The exposition is clear and full of wit and humor..." - The New Yorker (1983 National Book Award edition)Mathematics has been a human activity for thousands of years. Yet only a few people from the vast population of users are professional mathematicians, who create, teach, foster, and apply it in a variety of situations. The authors of this book believe that it should be possible for these professional mathematicians to explain to non-professionals what they do, what they say they are doing, and why the world should support them at it. They also believe that mathematics should be taught to non-mathematics majors in such a way as to instill an appreciation of the power and beauty of mathematics. Many people from around the world have told the authors that they have done precisely that with the first edition and they have encouraged publication of this revised edition complete with exercises for helping students to demonstrate their understanding. This edition of the book should find a new generation of general readers and students who would like to know what mathematics is all about. It will prove invaluable as a course text for a general mathematics appreciation course, one in which the student can combine an appreciation for the esthetics with some satisfying and revealing applications.The text is ideal for 1) a GE course for Liberal Arts students 2) a Capstone course for perspective teachers 3) a writing course for mathematics teachers. A wealth of customizable online course materials for the book can be obtained from Elena Anne Marchisotto ([email protected]) upon request.
This is the classic introduction for the educated lay reader to the richly diverse world of mathematics: its history, philosophy, principles, and personalities.
Soils and Soil Engineering is a comprehensive textbook that focuses on the properties and behavior of soils, as well as their application in civil engineering and engineering mechanics. Written by Karol and Hirsh, the book is part of the Prentice-Hall Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Series and is designed for use by students and professionals in the field.The book begins with an introduction to the basic principles of soil mechanics, including soil composition, classification, and physical properties. It then goes on to cover topics such as soil structure and behavior, soil strength and deformation, and soil stabilization and improvement techniques.Other key areas covered in the book include site investigation and soil testing, foundation design, slope stability analysis, and earth retention systems. The authors also provide detailed information on the use of geosynthetics in soil engineering, as well as the environmental aspects of soil engineering.Throughout the book, the authors use clear, concise language and a wealth of illustrations and examples to help readers understand the complex concepts and theories of soil engineering. The book is also supplemented with numerous problems and exercises, making it an ideal resource for both classroom instruction and self-study.Overall, Soils and Soil Engineering is an essential reference for anyone involved in the design, construction, or maintenance of civil engineering structures and systems. Its comprehensive coverage and practical approach make it an invaluable tool for students, engineers, and other professionals in the field.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
Seymour Hersh has been the most important, famous, and controversial journalist in the United States for the last forty years. From his exposé of the My Lai massacre in 1969 to his revelations about torture at Abu Ghraib prison in 2004, Hersh has consistently captured the public imagination, spurred policymakers to reform, and drawn the ire of presidents. From the streets of Chicago to the newsrooms of the most powerful newspapers and magazines in the United States, Seymour Hersh tells the story of this Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author. Robert Miraldi scrutinizes the scandals and national figures that have drawn Hersh's attention, from My Lai to Watergate, from John F. Kennedy to Henry Kissinger. This first-ever biography captures a stunningly successful career of important exposés and stunning accomplishments from a man whose unpredictable and quirky personality has turned him into an icon of American life and the unrivaled "scoop artist" of American journalism.
This unique tête-bêche book (two titles, with a single spine) showcases the collections of Herschel and Fern Cohen. When reading in one direction, the reader is treated to stark black-and-white prints of cities and their inhabitants, with an emphasis on the Depression era, from the collection of Herschel Cohen; when reading in the other, the reader encounters gorgeously colored images from Fern Cohen’s collection of English, Continental, and American botanical books published from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. This is a rare opportunity to own a beautifully designed volume employing an ingenious and rarely used bookbinding technique. With forewords by each collector, the two catalogues reproduce a joint exhibition that took place at the Grolier Club in 2011.
The must-read summary of Seymour M. Hersh's book: "Chain of Command: The Road form 9/11 to Abu Ghraib". This complete summary of "Chain of Command" by Seymour M. Hersh, a renowned American investigative journalist, gives an overview of his report on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and his examination of the reasons the Bush administration led the nation into a war on terror. Hersh uncovers the lies and obsessions of an administration blinded by ideology. Added-value of this summary: - Save time- Understand the reasons behind the Iraq War- Expand your knowledge of American politics and international relations To learn more, read "Chain of Command" and discover how the anger of a nation following 9/11 led to a dark and unforgiving war in the Middle East.
The bestselling author of Beyond Greed and Fear puts behavioral concepts into corporate practicePsychologically smart companies manage both the pluses and minuses of human psychology through well-structured systems and processes. In Ending the Management Illusion, behavioral finance pioneer Hersh Shefrin addresses the biases that can take you or your organization off course and shows how to run psychologically smart businesses-specifically as it affects your bottom line.Shefrin explores the psychological barriers you experience, and delivers concrete debiasing techniques for breaking through these barriers. This allows you to integrate your processes for accounting, planning, incentives, and information sharing-the main elements for optimizing corporate value.
Behavioral finance is the study of how psychology affects financial decision making and financial markets. It is increasingly becoming the common way of understanding investor behavior and stock market activity. Incorporating the latest research and theory, Shefrin offers both a strong theory and efficient empirical tools that address derivatives, fixed income securities, mean-variance efficient portfolios, and the market portfolio. The book provides a series of examples to illustrate the theory.
Can an outdated or failed solution in one industry bring disruption to another? Can a racing team improve industrial manufacturing productivity? Can science fiction offer entrepreneurs valuable lessons in innovative thinking?
This book provides a comprehensive treatment of behavioural finance. With the use of the latest psychological research, Shefrin helps us to understand the human behaviour that guides stock selection, financial services, and corporate financial strategy. He argues that financial practitioners must acknowledge and understand behavioural finance - the application of psychology to financial behaviour - in order to avoid many of the investment pitfalls caused by human error. Shefrin points out the common but costly mistakes that money managers, security analysts, financial planners, investment bankers, and corporate leaders make, so that readers gain valuable insights into their own financial decisions and those of their employees, asset managers, and advisors.
Editor Hersh Chandarana, MD and authors review Advanced MR Imaging in Clinical Practice. Articles will include: Current Status of Diffusion Weighted Imaging; Current Status of Perfusion Weighted Imaging; Non-gadolinium Enhanced MR Angiography; Pearls and Pitfalls of 3 T imaging; Implementing MR Neurography in Clinical Practice; Imaging around Hardware and Metal; Recent Advances in T1- and T2-Weighted Imaging of the Abdomen and Pelvis; Recent Advances in Neuro and Spine Imaging; Advances in MR Hardware and Software, and more!
Provides a comprehensive and in-depth examination of the ongoing process of development and societal transformation in a dynamic region of the Third World. Written by a team of specialists from the fields of development studies, sociology and political economy, the book looks at some of the fundamental problems facing South East Asia by addressing the following issues: the social constellations; class, culture and political legitimation; and industrialisation and labour regulation.