Mathematicians:
An Outer View of the Inner World
Mariana Cook
With an introduction by R. C. Gunning

Book Description | Table of Contents
Introduction [in PDF format]

ADDITIONAL REVIEWS:

"Mariana Cook has photographed everyone from Francis Crick to Barack and Michelle Obama but has chosen to turn her lens on a slightly more obscure subject for this collection of black-and-white portraits of mathematicians. She photographed 92 in all, some just beginning their careers, others Fields Medal winners with their fame secure. Accompanying the images are personal essays in which each subject reflects on the obsessions, disappointments, and relationships that continue to endear them to their profession. What emerges is a sincere and candid look inside an often insular field."--Seed Magazine

"Mathematicians is a hardcover book of photos that centers around 92 well-established mathematicians. It is a work of art that presents, through each of the glossy images (which are printed on excellent quality paper), an autobiographical note on the left, and a large, black and white photograph of a mathematician on the right side. The beautiful portraits, along with the short essays, help the reader to establish a brief emotional connection with each mathematician, as you become privy to the 'outer view of their inner world.' . . . Stunning photography and intimate essays make for a great work of art. . . . The affordable price and large format of this book make it a coffee table piece that every geek should have."--Math-Blog.com

ADDITIONAL ENDORSEMENTS:

"The startling contrast between lined faces and lively minds suggests that the passionate pursuit of mathematics is an ideal formula for aging gracefully, even joyfully."--Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind

"Mariana Cook has gathered a wonderful collection of reflective essays by some of the most celebrated living mathematicians and she has captured the essence of these interesting people through her photographs. It was a pleasure to read about the lives and thoughts of these mathematicians whom I have respected for so long. I foresee many mathematicians and mathematics students consuming these morsels with delight."--David Richeson, author of Euler's Gem: The Polyhedron Formula and the Birth of Topology

Return to Book Description

File created: 11/5/2009

Questions and comments to: webmaster@press.princeton.edu
Princeton University Press