Brossura

ISBN 10: 0393351475 ISBN 13: 9780393351477

Casa editrice: W. W. Norton & Company, 2015

“A great storyteller.”―Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist

Malba Tahan is the creation of a celebrated Brazilian mathematician looking for a way to bring some of the mysteries and pleasures of mathematics to a wider public. The adventures of Beremiz Samir, The Man Who Counted, take the reader on a journey in which, time and again, Samir summons his extraordinary mathematical powers to settle disputes, give wise advice, overcome dangerous enemies, and win for himself fame, fortune, and rich rewards. We learn of previous mathematicians and come to admire Samir’s wisdom and patience. In the grace of Tahan’s telling, these stories hold unusual delights for the reader. 34 illustrations

Review:

Here's a delightful little book that combines the joys of mathematical recreation with some fine storytelling. It follows the Arabian adventures of a man with remarkable mathematical skills, which he uses to settle conflict and give wise advice. The tales of his travels involve the solving of mathematical puzzles and sharing insights from the minds of some of history's great mathematicians. In reading it, you can almost smell the spices and feel the desert wind. You just don't find this kind of atmosphere in books about mathematics.

About the Author:

Júlio César de Mello e Souza, a Brazilian mathematician, published more than one hundred books under the name Malba Tahan. Even after his identity was exposed, he wrote as Tahan until his death in 1974.

Poet and translator Alastair Reid lives in New York City.