Do I count? Stories from mathematics. Translated from the German by Thomas von Foerster (Q2841478)

Not exactly a mathematician's ``memoir'', this book might better be termed a mathematician's ``memorabilia''. It aims to give the reader a positive view of mathematics as important, interesting, and integral to our lives. While refusing to answer exactly what mathematics is (``most statements about `mathematics' are either false or devoid of content, just like statements about `Americans' or `love' '', p.~195), it does present a broad view of what mathematicians do. Different chapters of the book describe problems, individuals, and topics that fascinate the author, how and where mathematics is created, and what mathematicians can do. The author's concept of ``mathematics'' and ``mathematician'' is quite broad, using examples from daily life such as reading timetables and weather maps.NEWLINENEWLINEThe writing is quick-witted, entertaining, and easy to read. Much of its charm comes from the author's own experience and acquaintances. While it is not a political book, a particular highlight for this (American) reader was to encounter non-American politicians: Konrad Adenauer earns his own index entry, and both Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel appear, though they don't merit index entries. Arthur C.~Clarke and other writers, both of speculative and non-speculative fiction alike, make appearances; Ziegler has no difficulty drawing up pearls of wisdom from ``doctors'' of philosophy such as Douglas Adams and Astrid Lindgren. The number 42 makes repeated appearances, not all of them mathematically illegitimate, and a number of infinite sequences are listed with the intriguing technique of letting the type run on in one line, until it runs off the page.