Are you afraid of calculus? Do you think that mathematics is a (ahem!) closed book to you: complex and a language beyond your abilities? Is it too late for you start learning this language?
If you are anything like me, then your perception on math is determined by your math teachers of middle school and high school- not exactly the most inspiring figures in the world. In fact, if I could bottle the drone of my seventh grade math teacher as he went on and on about quadratic equations and sell it, I would make a fortune and put the makers of Ambien out of business. Math seems to be destined to be in the realm of sheer boredom.
Fear not! For a solution is at hand at last! All the mysteries of math will be unlocked and we shall finally understand the basics of Calculus!
The Calculus Diaries by Jennifer Ouellette is a rollicking roller coaster ride of fun, fun and more fun. It is an everyday guide to calculus which helps us understand the role of math in our daily lives. But it is not written in a mundane fashion. Ms. Ouellette writes with a tongue in cheek style that in terms of linguistic excellence just becomes sublime. Her playful approach to writing makes it a very enjoyable read indeed. Oh and did I mention the zombies?
The book begins with an autobiographical introduction tiled “I could be mathier”. Fearlessly talking about her own shortcomings regarding math, she narrates how she became interested in calculus as she became a science writer. Anecdotes about math-phobic friends go on to illustrate that even well educated people could lack literacy in math.
The first chapter, titled “Infinity and beyond” she goes on to describe the problems in Geometry that gave rise to the need of calculus. She focuses on a particularly old problem: the area under a curve. Archimedes was reputedly very close to discovering the the basics of calculus in his investigation of the problem. We go to Descartes, Fermat and newton and find out what really integration means.
The second chapter, titled “Drive me Crazy” deals with the problem of instantaneous speed while Ouellette is (at least from the reader's POV) sitting in crawling traffic on i-15 on her way to from LA to Vegas. We learn a thing or two about the differentiation process int erms of distance, speed, acceleration and instantaneous speed. Using the example of a speeding ticket, she simplifies a complicated problem and helps us understand the nature of motion and velocity.
Vegas itself opens up a whole new are of probability and calculus, with a dose of a history of gambling thrown in. We learn about the way probability works in a casino game: be it craps, roulette ,blackjack or poker. Those who enjoy a little flutter at a casino would do well to pay attention.
From Vegas we go to Disneyland and spend time on amusement park physics and learn how the rides and games come to be made in the first place- including an investigation into free falling. We get into the nitty gritty of force and direction- the complicated world of vector calculus.
We go into a whirlwind tour of the world of finance where we learn the basics of interest rates and growth of mortgages. The reader gets a crash course in the history of the tulip business as well as learning to think in three dimensions.
Next, we go to the chapter we have all been waiting for. An investigation into the rate of expansion of diseases with the primary focus being the story of Pride and Prejudice with Zombies. We learn about how calculus can help us survive a zombie apocalypse. You can keep your cricket bat, Shaun, I'd rather have my graphing calculator that works on Reverse Polish Notation!
Diseases have had a major effect on human civilization and their history and the subsequent spread from country to country gives us a somber picture of human survival. But calculus can be of assistance in terms of understanding the way diseases spread and how to prevent them.
The book contains much more and is highly informative. On the strength of the stories and anecdotes alone, it is a book worth reading. But Ouellette is not a run of the mill writer. Her main intention is to inform and instruct. She does a really brilliant job and is fast becoming one of my favorite writers.
Read the book! Your life will change- at least in the way you look at things.
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