Infinite Powers

How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe

By: Steven Strogatz

Narrated by: Bob Souer

Without calculus, we wouldn't have cell phones, TV, GPS, or ultrasound. We wouldn't have unraveled DNA or discovered Neptune or figured out how to put 5,000 songs in your pocket.

Though many of us were scared away from this essential, engrossing subject in high school and college, Steven Strogatz's brilliantly creative, down-to-earth history shows that calculus is not about complexity; it's about simplicity. It harnesses an unreal number - infinity - to tackle real world problems, breaking them down into easier ones and then reassembling the answers into solutions that feel miraculous.

Infinite Powers recounts how calculus tantalized and thrilled its inventors, starting with its first glimmers in ancient Greece and bringing us right up to the discovery of gravitational waves. Strogatz reveals how this form of math rose to the challenges of each age: how to determine the area of a circle with only sand and a stick; how to explain why Mars goes "backwards" sometimes; how to turn the tide in the fight against AIDS.

As Strogatz proves, calculus is truly the language of the universe. By unveiling the principles of that language, Infinite Powers makes us marvel at the world anew.

©2019 Steven Strogatz (P)2019 Tantor

beware the reader

listening now and will finish because I'm a completionist but... this reader hurts my head, he feels like someone scratching a chalkboard. I'm actually not going to finish this, it's that painful. maybe a personal issue but damn.

an excellent introduction into calculus

this book is an introduction into the topic of calculus and advanced math it does an excellent job of introducing the subject.

Elegant, clear, cutting edge.

If you're curious, but mathematically hopeless, this is splendid. I found the opening overview particularly illuminating, but throughout it joins history, to biography, to physics, to math in a clear but not condescending manner.

The why of Mathematics

excellent explanation to explain "why" and so now I can better proceed to the "how"

hear this alongside the kindle book

to visualize, you need the hardcopy or kindle.
Beautiful book otherwise and worth listening to.

Awesome

The book is very well researched and explained. Complex concepts are made digestible for the layman, without leaving out the nuance that would make the subject matter interesting foe someone versed in the sciences.

Great for Nerds Like Me

This is a beautiful history of infinity, zero and calculus. I have been using calculus in my engineering career for over 25 years and this gave me a new perspective by not only walking through the history and including several relevant applications today but it also did a fabulous job of showing the progression in mathematical thinking and approaches. Last night I cut a pizza into an “infinite” number of slices and my kids helped me to re-assemble it as a pseudo-rectangle to measure the area. Great fun and learning.

history

explains calculus but not heavy on math
Lots of illustrations. good for teaching anyone at any age

Infinitely Awesome! So much fun.

Missing insight on eastern math is meaningless compared to the tale of modern infinities.

Fun listen on headphones but some pencil and paper moments when a peek at the math is required.

Excellent Book on a difficult subject

I have asked over the years what calculus is for in the real world? I have few memories my high school calculus class. I was excited to see this book on Audible. They do an incredible job of explaining the history and evolution of calculus. I can't say I was able to wrap my head around all of the explanations. This book may be better to read in print or digital where you can go back and reread some places until the imagery sinks in. But I have to tell you, I know way more about calculus now than I ever thought I would. From a non-math person's perspective, they did an incredible job. I really enjoyed the book. Also, I now know why pi is an irrational number. Great book and great performance.