I bought this book online during a Princeton University Press’s Flash Sale. I saw 70% advertised somewhere online and told myself that this is too good of an opportunity to miss out on…only to later find that this “sale” happens every single week.

I felt that a book like this may be a bit too technical for me and I was, for the most part, right. However, even if I didn’t understand at a deep level the proofs, concepts, etc that the various authors of the various essays, put forth, I would at least grasp something. Here’s what I grasped:

• Mathematicians can disagree on mathematical concepts. I thought that math is fairly black and white, but it seems it’s a bit more malleable in some areas.
• Mathematicians can have a unique style. Similar to writers, fashionistas, photographers, etc, mathematicians too can be differentiated in their expression of concepts. Math falls more into the science spectrum of art v. science, but is not completely cut and dry.
• “Collection” books can be much easier to digest and I don’t read nearly enough of them.
• This dude, Mircea Pitici, has been putting together “The Best Writing on Mathematics” since 2010…another win for relentless consistency.
• It’s possible to learn about Mathematics, without learning Math itself. I don’t think I took away any technical skills or understanding, but that probably is not the point of this book.