Tour of the Calculus, A

This book will *not* teach you calculus. But if, as I was, you are returning to the calculus after decades of absence, it *can* give you some of the underlying concepts behind the usual sequence of steps that are used to teach calculus: instantaneity, limits, differentiation, anti-differential -> integration, and so on. The downside is the author's purple prose, which can be very annoying until you learn how to tune it out: how to jump over the florid passages to get to the next concrete conceptual treatment. It's kind of like getting across boggy ground by jumping from high ground to high ground.I *must* not however that I have both the paperback and the Kindle version, and I note that the Kindle version has some UNFORTUNATE mis-transcriptions of the text. If you're really following the harder mathematical material, you may easily fail to spot where a variable is missing or an integration or function symbol has been translated to something completely different. I cannot therefore recommend the Kindle version.Still: if you are learning the calculus from a disciplined math text, this book can prove to be a very useful conceptual guide to what might be a little dry in the textbook. But remember: it is *not* a book for learning the calculus in detail.

Berlinski loves beauty in the world and in mathematics. He bestows to the appreciative reader the realization that continuity is the result of humans existing as macroscopic conscious entities with gross macroscopic sensations in midst of a physical world consisting of very small constituents such as molecules and atoms. Herein the conflict between discrete numbers( a product of our cognition) and our ( coarse ) perception of continuity.

Professor Berlinski takes us on a tour of numbers, from from the Abacus and integers to real, to imaginary numbers, thru algebra, thru Trigonometry to Calculus. The thought, and the planning, behind this book is almost overwhelming.I took advanced algebra, Trig and Calculus, in college, during the late Sixties. I haven’t torched, or looked at, the stuff in decades, but Berlinski is not only clear thinking about presenting the background numbers theory, he’s also fun to read. With some pencil work on my own, I am able to follow him. That gives me a good feeling about myself—I’m in my late seventies.This book is a great read for a modern student considering a career in mathematics. All the background they need is there. Just read, and try some pencil work. It’s fun.

I have read a number of books by Berlinski, and am a fan of his punishingly dry wit when taking on sacred cows in contemporary science, philosophy, and even religion. This book is different, because it seems to sell itself as an actual primer on calculus (with or without"the"). In that respect, while there are episodes -- jewels -- of his wonderful story-telling and description, there are also whole slabs of green grayish ... grayish ... curd comes to mind. There are times to be flowery, and times to be sparse and direct. Unfortunately, the flowers have overgrown the lab. The level of algebraic complexity also varies considerably from topic to topic, such that my high school math education 50 years ago (through calculus) permitted me to tackle some sections with ease, while others were annoyingly difficult. This was not helped by the fact -- watch, real criticism here -- that there were dozens (yes, dozens) of typos in the mathematical notation throughout the book. These were largely (though not entirely) in notation included in the text itself (as opposed to equations set out between paragraphs), and included flipped inequality signs, incorrect (Greek) letters, dropped spaces, and in one case, an "l" was used instead of "/" in denoting a fraction! Come on, guys, you can do better! So, in the end, if all you want to do is learn about calculus, go elsewhere. On the other hand, if you want a bit of exposure to calculus while enjoying a comfy bed of history and philosophy, read this. If you're a Berlinski fan, the historical vignettes alone will be worth the price of admission.

This book has all the fun in mathematics that I never had in math class in college. I actually gained understanding with some of the math concepts due to the author's style of writing and humor. If I read this book in college before I took calculus, I might have ended up with a BS degree instead of a BA. It is not a math book but has enough concepts to stir imagination. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am not a mathematician--I would have to call myself more of a math enthusiast. I have dozens of popular "teach yourself" style math books, spanning college algebra to multivariate calculus. Unfortunately, it doesn't usually stick, as my day job rarely requires me to engage with math on any serious level. Still, periodically I find my feelings of mathematical inadequacy grow to the point where I feel compelled to undertake a refresher course. On those occasions, I always turn to Berlinski's "A Tour of the Calculus" to mentally prepare for the endeavor. Mastering formulae and technique is one thing; feeling like I viscerally "get" what the whole thing is about is another. Berlinski not only inspires me to make a fresh undertaking, but insures that when I do attack the body of work that is the calculus, I get the "why" and not just the "how." Highly recommended.

Great book, giving an overview of the concepts and ideas behind the calculus, without getting bogged down in computational details. A great companion to a standard calculus text, to provide easy reading regarding concepts such as limits, the real number line, and the physical meanings of differentiation and integration.

Molto rapidi.Descrizione oggetto chiara e precisaBuon imballaggioIl prodotto è proprio quello che mi aspettavo.Ottimo FornitoreGrazie

Very interesting writing style, really enjoyed his stories. Very well put together book.

I studied calculus in school. Did the problems that required it's use but always felt that i never understood the heart of it. After nearly 20 years away from school maths, i decided it is time to learn it again for the sheer joy of understanding.Dr Berlinski's is a good book to understand concept of calculus not the 'how calculus is done'.The language used is not easy. We would improve our English vocabulary if we use dictionary alongside.

The point of this book, like another by Berlinski (One, Two, Three) is overwhelmed by his unnecessary, floridly descriptive narratives and pointless references to his supernatural beliefs. It's a ramble. If you want to learn about maths, read De Sautoy et al.