Hace tiempo estaba indeciso, ahora ya no estoy tan seguro

Nando me envía este regalo navideño, un libro cuya primera referencia leí en Microsiervos: The Millennium Problems. El libro se centra en los problemas matemáticos escogidos por el Clay Mathematics Institute, que este considera extremadamente difíciles de resolver, y por los que las soluciones encontradas y debidamente demostradas, se llevarán un premio bastante cuantioso.

Esta es la primera vez que alguien me envía un regalo a través de mi lista de los deseos de Amazon y viene envuelto en papel de regalo. Yo mismo tengo que decir que es una de las opciones que siempre ignoro cuando compro un regalo a alguien a través de su lista de los deseos. Pero desde luego, Amazon se curra la presentación.

De la contraportada

«The definitive account of a subject that will have a very long shelf life.» -Science News

In 2000, the Clay Foundation announced a historic competition: whoever could solve any of the seven extraordinarily difficult mathematical problems, and have the solution acknowledged as correct by experts, would win $1 million. There was some precedent for doing this: in 1900, the mathematician David Hilbert proposed a set of twenty-three problems that set much of the agende for mathematics in the twentieth century. The Millennium Problems-chosen by an international committee of leading mathematicians-are likely to acquire similar stature, and their solution (or lack of it) will play a strong role in determining the course of mathematics in the twenty-first century. Keith Devlin, renowned expositor of mathematics, here provides the definitive account of the Everests of contemporary mathematics.

«Devlin does a superb job… Both fascinating and accessible to any reader who can remember some high school math.» -The Christian Science monitor.

«Energetic and entertaining… The book’s ultimate success is in shining a bright light on the mysteries of the human mind and the truyle dizzing heights it can achieve.» -The Portland Mercury.

«The quality of mathematical exposition is high, a sense of excitement is strongly conveyed, and the summits are at least glimpsed while the difficulties approaching them remain rightly shrouded in mist.» -Nature

Keith Devlin is the Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University. he is a regular contributor to NPR’s Weekend Edition with Scott Simon (where he is known as «the Math Guy»), and has writen numerous books. He lives in Palo Alto, California.

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Aunque hace bastante tiempo que desconfío de cualquier cosa que me dice un político, periodista y demás… esta bien aprender un poco más de que estrategias o técnicas usan día a día para convencer a las personas.

De la contraportada

«Whets a long knife of ultra-rationalism on the cold stone of logic, and death by a thousand cuts is inflicted on prejuice, statistics, morality, religion, weasel words, and seductive sirens suchs as politicians, New Agers, advertising executives, and, of course, journalist who expect you to be persuaded by anything other than facts» – Times

«An incisive philosopher.» – Sunday Telegraph

In the daily battle for our hearts and minds -not to mention our hard-earned cash- the truth is usually the first casualty. It’s time we learned how to see through the rhetoric, faulty reasoning, and misinformation that we’re subjected to from morning ot night by talk-radio hosts, op-ed columnists, advertisers, self-help gurus, business «thinkers,» and, of course, politicians. Adn no one is better equipped to show us how than award-winning philosopher Jamie Whyte.

In Crimes Agaisnt Logic Whyte takes us on a fast-paced, ruthlessly funnyt romp thorugh the mulligan stew of cant, folderol, and bogus logic served up in the media, at the office, and even in your own home. Applying his laselike wit to dozens of timely examples, Whyte cuts through the haze of facts, figures, and double-talk and gets at the real truth behind what they’re telling us.

Jamie Whyte is a past lecturer of philosophy at Cambridge University and winner of Analysis Journal’s prestigious prize for the best article by a philosopher under thirty. He lives in London

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