A Numerate Life

September 7, 2015
In this fluid and varied memoir, Paulos (A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper), a professor of mathematics at Temple University, calls into question the accuracy of the stories people craft about others’ lives and their own. From a mathematical standpoint, he tackles subjects such as the deceptiveness of the concept of normal, the nuances that exist within one’s sense of self, and the inevitability of encountering coincidences. Delving into psychology, philosophy, statistics, and logic, Paulos reveals the far-reaching applications of mathematical thought in people’s lives as well as how they record and remember past events. Rather than adopting the pointed structure of a persuasive essay, Paulos chases down tangents and relates his own experiences, with nostalgia. The organic structure, shaped and strengthened by mathematics, paradoxically makes for a smooth yet convoluted read. Paulos skillfully mixes biography with an analysis of the accuracy (or rather inaccuracy) of biographies as a whole without sabotaging or contradicting either standpoint. By calling its own form into question, Paulos’s memoir offers an honest look into the author’s life and mind, going beyond the specifics of the math to ponder larger questions of how people perceive themselves and their lives. Agent: Raphael Sagalyn, ICM Sagalyn Agency.

November 15, 2015

Paulos (mathematics, Temple Univ.) is known for writing mathematical takes on seemingly nonmathematical aspects of life such as humor, religion, and the stock market. Here the author turns that view to (broadly defined) biography: the stories we tell about people, including ourselves. Part memoir, part deconstruction of the genre, and part mathematical musing on how we perceive ourselves and present that self to others, this book--like his others--is prone to wandering and tangents, none of which sustains any depth of insight. Paulos can also come off as superior or self-congratulatory. The author frames himself as an ambassador for mathematics, but it's hard to believe he draws people in with his judgmental tone. With more focus, this book could have delivered social insight along the lines of Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner's Freakonomics; instead it's a too-clever collection of mathematical tricks, uncharitable takes on others' decisions, and sketches from Paulos's life as a precocious child and self-satisfied young adult. VERDICT Fans of Paulos will enjoy spending more time with him, but the author won't win over new readers with this title.--Gretchen Kolderup, New York P.L.

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