I find your posts truly inspiring - especially this one: You continually motivate and encourage me to read and learn more = as well as THINK more!!
I will definitely try to take the time to read this whole book - after reading your post today! Even though these areas of physics & mathematics are NOT in my deep knowledge - I will persist with finding & reading this book!!
This book review does resonate with my special education background - also - especially that mathematics description of addition - and the points about failures or errors NOT being defects!
Thanks so much for allowing me to have this free subscription of your posts (& thinking)! This generosity is truly appreciated! 👍👍😊
Thank you Gail for your incredibly generous words. I am thrilled that this post connected with you and inspired you to pick up the book. You will find that Holt is a rare guide who trusts his readers and celebrates the 'joy' of thinking above all else. Your perspective on the resilience of the mind is a perfect addition to this conversation.
I suspect that your background in education gives you a unique advantage in reading this book: you already understand the value of persistence and the 'quiet competence' that exists beneath the surface of difficulty. Your point about errors not being defects is a beautiful takeaway that perfectly mirrors Holt’s hopeful message.
I hope you enjoy the journey through its pages as much as I did, and I look forward to hearing what you think of it.
I cherish this perspective that “to refuse complacency is a form of civic contribution”.
If we do not dialogue in curiosity about the “why”, then the “what” stands alone untested and unsupported by rigor. It is imperative to open the door of wonder to see what is, and also what perhaps has been missed, that conflates with the approbation “this is a fact”. However, there may be more to consider….new evidence is possible.
Thank you Cathie, you have captured the ethical heart of my post. If we treat facts as static, we stop thinking. But if we 'open the door of wonder,' we treat the pursuit of truth as a living process. Your point about new evidence is the ultimate safeguard against the complacency that keeps thinking stagnant.
I totally agree. Complexity without a release valve can be exhausting. That is why I love the Jim Holt quote I shared at the beginning: he believes that even a million years from now, laughter will survive alongside numbers. Humor is often our way of coping with things that are too big for our minds to fully grasp. It is okay to let the complexity stand and just enjoy the 'laughter' part of the equation for a while.
Dear Colin - THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I find your posts truly inspiring - especially this one: You continually motivate and encourage me to read and learn more = as well as THINK more!!
I will definitely try to take the time to read this whole book - after reading your post today! Even though these areas of physics & mathematics are NOT in my deep knowledge - I will persist with finding & reading this book!!
This book review does resonate with my special education background - also - especially that mathematics description of addition - and the points about failures or errors NOT being defects!
Thanks so much for allowing me to have this free subscription of your posts (& thinking)! This generosity is truly appreciated! 👍👍😊
Thank you Gail for your incredibly generous words. I am thrilled that this post connected with you and inspired you to pick up the book. You will find that Holt is a rare guide who trusts his readers and celebrates the 'joy' of thinking above all else. Your perspective on the resilience of the mind is a perfect addition to this conversation.
I suspect that your background in education gives you a unique advantage in reading this book: you already understand the value of persistence and the 'quiet competence' that exists beneath the surface of difficulty. Your point about errors not being defects is a beautiful takeaway that perfectly mirrors Holt’s hopeful message.
I hope you enjoy the journey through its pages as much as I did, and I look forward to hearing what you think of it.
I cherish this perspective that “to refuse complacency is a form of civic contribution”.
If we do not dialogue in curiosity about the “why”, then the “what” stands alone untested and unsupported by rigor. It is imperative to open the door of wonder to see what is, and also what perhaps has been missed, that conflates with the approbation “this is a fact”. However, there may be more to consider….new evidence is possible.
Thank you Cathie, you have captured the ethical heart of my post. If we treat facts as static, we stop thinking. But if we 'open the door of wonder,' we treat the pursuit of truth as a living process. Your point about new evidence is the ultimate safeguard against the complacency that keeps thinking stagnant.
I must confess to feeling a bit overwhelmed by complexity on occasion.
I totally agree. Complexity without a release valve can be exhausting. That is why I love the Jim Holt quote I shared at the beginning: he believes that even a million years from now, laughter will survive alongside numbers. Humor is often our way of coping with things that are too big for our minds to fully grasp. It is okay to let the complexity stand and just enjoy the 'laughter' part of the equation for a while.