Book 88 - Ian Stewart "17 Equations That Changed The World"

Ian Stewart "17 Equations That Changed The World" (Profile Books)




Here Ian Stewart covers 17 equations that transformed our understanding of the world, normally either by their application in science or because they are directly scientific in nature. Told in chronological order, starting with Pythagoras, the historical features and cultural significance of each equation are comprehensively described. Much of this is interesting, even entertaining, though it does appear too much on occasion.

What is critical here, though, is the explanation of the equations themselves. Sometimes Stewart provides extremely basic and clear explanations of mathematical concepts, such as what the two above a number means. Although anyone reading this should know this already, I never minded this. But there are many instances where he also describes another mathematical tool, such as matrices, and gives no explanation at all for what it is or how it works. Thankfully, I know how they work and that they use the non -commutative branch of arithmetic. This is the crux of the issue with the book - it combines some very deft explanations of mathematical or scientific concepts with other sections that are either too rushed or too full of jargon. I found this annoying and wished he'd spent more time trying to explain everything as clearly as he was occasionally clearly capable of, especially for readers who lack the mathematical knowledge.

Overall, to give a flavour of the influence of maths on science, and where key mathematical ideas sit in history, this was a useful book, but for each specific chapter I was left feeling I have seen clearer explanations elsewhere by other writers when more time was given to making them clear to the reader.

Good Morning!

Wednesday Wistfulness

I have been in a state of contemplation. I was buoyed by the fact that I received a lovely package from another LJ member. I have already started reading one of the books they sent.

I have also watched some old Enterprise episodes.

I had a siesta. This was after I had an evening meal of fishcake and wedged potatoes.

It has been an extremely windy day but it has died down now. It is quite mild though.

Nothing else exciting has happened.

Book 89 - Umberto Eco "Faith In Fakes"

Umberto Eco "Faith In Fakes" (Vintage)







If you have ever read Roland Barthes  book, "Mythologies", then this book may be of interest to you as it continues where that one left off, the semiology of culture that Barthes first critiqued. This is the war of the false or the reasoned chronicle of our new mythologies or what Eco calls hyperrealities. This paperback deserves some close reading, and it took me a few months to digest this one.

In our increasingly iconic age, the discipline of semiotics has much to say, and to do so must delve deeper and wider, into sociology, philosophy and psychology. In this superb selection of essays, Umberto Eco discusses topics as widely spaced as blue jeans, the film Casablanca, ancient monuments and theme parks. Throughout, he manages to communicate intensely difficult ideas with ease, making Faith In Fakes a truly enlightening read that both informs on theory and entertains via the mundane.

The reader must be prepared to go part-way into the discipline, however, especially in relation to specific authors and rarefied vocabulary. While names such as McLuhan, Foucault and Barthes might not deter most readers, words such as oneiric, corybantism, synecdoche, mytonymy, eversive and anthopophagy could prove to be stumbling blocks. There aren't many of these specialist words, however, because overall Umberto Eco's style is beautifully communicative and easy to read.

One very small downside to this text is just how dated it is, and whilst in purely philosophical terms that isn't a problem, in historical discourse it is. Clearly Eco was commenting on events fresh in the lives of late '60s, '70s Italians (Europeans) and that rather comes across like reading an old newspaper you found stuffed in the wall. The work then becomes something of a historical curiosity rather than a work of philosophy, which is a shame.

All in all `Faith in Fakes' represents a noble spoke on the wheel of postmodernist discourse and theory and without it we would, no doubt be worse off.