Reviews for A History of the Oyster and the Oyster Fisheries

The average rating for A History of the Oyster and the Oyster Fisheries based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-11-27 00:00:00 Emma Pressley A big fat book that has, of late, been sitting on the shelf in front of me is titled What is Mathematics? That book and this one should switch titles. When a student puts down What is Mathematics? they will know how to do various types of math problems, but not what math is. And when a student puts down this book, they will have a general idea of what math is, and won’t be able to solve any problems. This is actually my favorite book of mathematics that I’ve read (which isn’t saying very much). It’s charming and interesting all the way through. Whitehead is a skilled writer—throwing in various anecdotes to enliven the otherwise dry material—so the book is a pleasure to read. He is also a skilled educator, and picks examples that are both crystal clear and that effectively build on one another as the book progresses. But what I really enjoyed was that Whitehead actually attempted to explain what math is. For example, when I finished the chapter on trigonometry in this book, I had a realization: though I've solved dozens, perhaps hundreds, of trig problems in high school, I hadn’t the slightest idea what I was actually doing. I was little better than a chimpanzee following a routine in order to get a treat. But Whitehead, in just twenty pages, manages to get at the heart of trigonometry, and to show its relationship to other, more familiar, branches of math. That being said, I’m not sure who I’d recommend this book to. If you are already a math whiz, you will almost certainly be bored. If you are looking to improve your skill in solving math problems, look elsewhere. But if you are (relatively) mathematically ignorant, while at the same time philosophically inclined, and appreciate a generally charming writer, then this book is perfect for you.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-12-16 00:00:00 Anthony Markowski Striking review of fundamental concepts from a distinguished teacher. This is enlightening + engaging because you get the concepts plus its importance within the body of knowledge. Not to mention the historical context. For instance, Whitehead remember us that Archimedes was killed by a Roman soldier while contemplating a mathematical diagram and no Roman ever died in such conditions. This book is full of insights; go for it if you want to refresh your view of Mathematics having lots of fun.