by Oliver Linton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 2021
A small treasure for those who enjoy brain teasers and mathematical formulas.
A densely wrought exploration of Mandelbrot equations, the Droste effect, the Barnsley theorem, and other thorny problems of mathematics.
“How long is the coastline of Cornwall, UK?” That’s a question that would have sent Newton and even Einstein into the depths of despair. It’s owing to an insight by Polish-born mathematician Benoit B. Mandelbrot that we can map out the three-dimensional world in which we live to some degree of certainty thanks to fractals, which, in nature, reveal themselves to be miniature images of the larger whole: “the magnified detail,” writes Cambridge econometrician Linton, “is exactly the same as the whole thing.” The attendant conceptual difficulty is that any map that is sufficiently detailed to reveal the whole accurately will be the size of the whole thing itself: A map of the universe would be the size of the universe, a thought that would have pleased Jorge Luis Borges. Lacking room and the wherewithal to prove the point with that map, mathematicians have come to develop numerical shortcuts—but those shortcuts are extraordinarily demanding of data, such that the GPS in your car relies on billions of numbers even as “nature…uses fractals for reasons of economy.” This is not a book for the mathematically weak of heart. Although it’s admirably short, certainly as compared to what might have happened to the discussion in the hands of a Douglas Hofstadter, each page bristles with equations and heady prose: “The pattern is clear; if you need l unit objects to make it m times larger then the number of dimensions the object has is d where l = md.” If that sort of writing is your cup of pi, then Linton’s compact explication of fractals will be child’s play; others will be flummoxed.
A small treasure for those who enjoy brain teasers and mathematical formulas.Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-63557-508-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
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New York Times Bestseller
by Walter Isaacson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 12, 2023
Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.
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A warts-and-all portrait of the famed techno-entrepreneur—and the warts are nearly beyond counting.
To call Elon Musk (b. 1971) “mercurial” is to undervalue the term; to call him a genius is incorrect. Instead, Musk has a gift for leveraging the genius of others in order to make things work. When they don’t, writes eminent biographer Isaacson, it’s because the notoriously headstrong Musk is so sure of himself that he charges ahead against the advice of others: “He does not like to share power.” In this sharp-edged biography, the author likens Musk to an earlier biographical subject, Steve Jobs. Given Musk’s recent political turn, born of the me-first libertarianism of the very rich, however, Henry Ford also comes to mind. What emerges clearly is that Musk, who may or may not have Asperger’s syndrome (“Empathy did not come naturally”), has nurtured several obsessions for years, apart from a passion for the letter X as both a brand and personal name. He firmly believes that “all requirements should be treated as recommendations”; that it is his destiny to make humankind a multi-planetary civilization through innovations in space travel; that government is generally an impediment and that “the thought police are gaining power”; and that “a maniacal sense of urgency” should guide his businesses. That need for speed has led to undeniable successes in beating schedules and competitors, but it has also wrought disaster: One of the most telling anecdotes in the book concerns Musk’s “demon mode” order to relocate thousands of Twitter servers from Sacramento to Portland at breakneck speed, which trashed big parts of the system for months. To judge by Isaacson’s account, that may have been by design, for Musk’s idea of creative destruction seems to mean mostly chaos.
Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781982181284
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
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by Walter Isaacson with adapted by Sarah Durand
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by Françoise Malby-Anthony with Kate Sidley ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2023
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.
The third volume in the Elephant Whisperer series.
In this follow-up to An Elephant in My Kitchen, Malby-Anthony continues her loving portrait of the Thula Thula wildlife reserve, which she co-founded in 1998 with her late husband, South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, who published the first book in the series, The Elephant Whisperer, in 2009. Following his death in 2012, Malby-Anthony sought to honor his legacy by continuing his vision “to create a massive conservancy in Zululand, incorporating our land and other small farms and community land into one great big game park.” At the same time, the elephants gave her “a sense of purpose and direction.” In the Zulu language, thula means quiet, and though the author consistently seeks to provide that calm to her charges, peace and tranquility are not always easy to come by at Thula Thula. In this installment, Malby-Anthony discusses many of the challenges faced by her and her staff, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. These included an aggressive, 2-ton rhino named Thabo; the profound loss felt by all upon the death of their elephant matriarch, Frankie; difficulty obtaining permits and the related risk of having to relocate or cull some of their animals; the fear of looting and fire due to civil unrest in the region; and the ongoing and potentially deadly struggles with poachers. Throughout, the author also shares many warm, lighthearted moments, demonstrating the deep bond felt among the humans and animals at the reserve and the powerful effects of the kindness of strangers. “We are all working in unity for the greater good, for the betterment of Thula Thula and all our wildlife….We are humbled by the generosity and love, both from our guests and friends, and from strangers all around the world,” writes the author. “People’s open-hearted support kept us alive in the darkest times.”
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781250284259
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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