Love mathematics and books? Looking for a stimulating and fun discussion? Volumes, the MoMath book club, is just the thing for you! This monthly reading group is designed especially for those interested in mathematics and science and how they affect our lives. No prior math or science background is necessary.
_____________
Volumes, the MoMath book club
A discussion of
Chaotic Elections! A Mathematician Looks at Voting
by Donald G. Saari
Monday, October 28
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm ET
(online)
Join host David Reimann, MoMath's 2024–2025 Visiting Professor for Public Outreach, for an engaging book club discussion of Donald G. Saari's Chaotic Elections: A Mathematician Looks at Voting.
What does the 2000 U.S. presidential election have in common with selecting a textbook for a calculus course? Was Ralph Nader's influence on the election of George W. Bush greater than the now-famous chads? Chaotic Elections examines these questions in the larger context of voting systems and argues that the fundamental problems with the 2000 presidential election are not with the courts, recounts, or defective ballots, but rather, stem from the very way Americans vote for the nation’s president.
_____________
Order your copy of Chaotic Elections! from Additions, the shop at MoMath, and help support the premier math museum in North America while also scoring free registration to the October Volumes book club discussion! Simply place your order online or stop by the shop (225 Fifth Avenue, in Manhattan), then send a copy of your receipt to additions@momath.org to be registered for the October book club.
_____________
Volumes, the MoMath book club
A discussion of
A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market
by Edward O. Thorp
Monday, November 11
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm ET
(online)
Join host David Reimann, MoMath’s 2024–2025 Visiting Professor for Public Outreach, for an engaging book club discussion of Edward O. Thorp’s A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market.
The incredible true story of the card-counting mathematics professor who taught the world how to beat the dealer and, as the first of the great quantitative investors, ushered in a revolution on Wall Street.
A child of the Great Depression, legendary mathematician Edward O. Thorp invented card counting, proving the seemingly impossible: that you could beat the dealer at the blackjack table. As a result he launched a gambling renaissance. His remarkable success — and mathematically unassailable method — caused such an uproar that casinos altered the rules of the game to thwart him and the legions he inspired. They barred him from their premises, even put his life in jeopardy. Nonetheless, gambling was forever changed.
_____________
Volumes, the MoMath book club
A discussion of
The Snowflake Man: A Biography of Wilson A. Bentley
by Duncan C. Blanchard
Thursday, December 12
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm ET
(online)
Join host David Reimann, MoMath’s 2024–2025 Visiting Professor for Public Outreach, for an engaging book club discussion of Duncan C. Blanchard’s The Snowflake Man: A Biography of Wilson A. Bentley.
The incredible true story of the card-counting mathematics professor who taught the world how to beat the dealer and, as the first of the great quantitative investors, ushered in a revolution on Wall Street.
This is a biography of Wilson Alwyn Bentley, the farmer from Jericho, Vermont, who took over five thousand photomicrographs of ice, dew, frost, and — especially — snow crystals. Although his photographs were taken between 1885 and 1931, they have never been equalled and are in great demand today. Bentley’s story is one of courage and persistence against tremendous odds. He taught himself how to photograph snow crystals through a microscope while still in his teens and then pursued his obsession for years before having the beauty and scientific value of his work recognised by others. ‘The Snowflake Man‘ lays open the life of a simple, self-educated, sensitive man who pursued natural beauty with microscope and camera for nearly fifty years.
_____________
Looking for the MoMath book club designed specially for tweens and teens (ages 10–17)? Check out tweenprimes.momath.org!
Searching for a reading list designed especially for those interested in mathematics and science? Check out prior Volumes selections!