Infinite Powers
How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe
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Infinite Powers
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Narrated by:
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Bob Souer
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Written by:
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Steven Strogatz
About this listen
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 TantorWhat listeners say about Infinite Powers
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Josie Grady
- 2023-01-23
Great book but hard to convey illustrations orally
Excellent book, well written and narrated. I would however recommend reading a paper version instead of the audiobook as there are some chapters which rely heavily on the accompanying illustrations. For Audible readers there is a PDF version available but it can be slightly inconvenient to pull up as you're listening.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Daniel Gonzalez
- 2023-07-16
Great book for neardy people
good book, beutifuly explained and follows a historical line in a logical manner, great insights into the art and science of calculus for someone like me who hated the subject in university.
Performance: there were some wierd editing errors, nothing bad, but funny sometimes, you can note they were missed in QA.
Story: hard to gasp sometimes formulas verbally, maybe a descriptive adaptation for the audiobook version would have been a plus.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Aarik
- 2021-01-06
Fantastic journey guided by mathematics
Am not a mathematician but I certainly enjoyed every bit of it. The author weaves an intriguing story taking us on a journey through the ages with Calculus as the guide. It is simplified enough for regular people like myself to grasp and appreciate the beauty of Calculus. Bravo.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Brandon
- 2019-11-09
Narration borders on unlistenable
It's challenging to give this a fair review. The text clearly included jokes and whimsical passages, but it was virtually impossible to appreciate these given the narration. The narration borders on unlistenable.
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