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reviewed Is Maths Real? by Eugenia Cheng

Eugenia Cheng: Is Maths Real? (Hardcover, 2023, Profile Books Limited) 4 stars

Why is -(-1) = 1? Why do odd and even numbers alternate? What's the point …

math as curiosity and questioning

4 stars

Delightfully retracing basic math concepts to show mathematicians motivations and enthusiasm, emphasizing an openness to not assuming things are "obvious", an educator's deep interest in honest innocent questions that do not have one correct answer, and the relevance of math's interest in contextual "why and when is such true?" in seeing similarities and differences in analogy to current political and cultural rifts.