Hilbert [Paperback]

It presents a sensitive portrait of a great human being. It describes accurately and intelligibly on a nontechnical level the world of mathematical ideas in which Hilbert created his masterpieces. And it illuminates the background of German social history against which the drama of Hilberts life was played. Beyond this, it is a poem in praise of mathematics. -SCIENCENow in new trade paper editions, these classic biographies of two of the greatest 20th Century mathematicians are being released under the Copernicus imprint. These noteworthy accounts of the lives of David Hilbert and Richard Courant are closely related: Courant's story is, in many ways, seen as the sequel to the story of Hilbert. Originally published to great acclaim, both books explore the dramatic scientific history expressed in the lives of these two great scientists and described in the lively, nontechnical writing style of Contance Reid.I Youth.- II Friends and Teachers.- III Doctor of Philosophy.- IV Paris.- V Gordans Problem.- VI Changes.- VII Only Number Fields.- VIII Tables, Chairs, and Beer Mugs.- IX Problems.- X The Future of Mathematics.- XI The New Century.- XII Second Youth.- XIII The Passionate Scientific Life.- XIV Space, Time and Number.- XV Friends and Students.- XVI Physics.- XVII War.- XVIII The Foundations of Mathematics.- XIX The New Order.- XX The Infinite!.- XXI Borrowed Time.- XXII Logic and the Understanding of Nature.- XXIII Exodus.- XXIV Age.- XXV The Last Word.

From the reviews:

THE BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICS BOOKS

Originally published to great acclaim, both books explore the dramatic scientific history expressed in the lives of these two great scientists and described in the lively, nontechnical writing style of Constance Reid.