> The book is quite basic.

Perplexing how it's on the front page then given the background of the median HN user (presumably technical with some STEM background in general, some pure VC bros peppered in etc).

The Tao love conquers all, as it were.

I enjoy reading less technical books even on technical topics I know about. They serve a different purpose.

Eh, I just like reading new books on mathematics, even if they're covering well trod ground. I think a lot of people in math are like this. I'm not endlessly grinding through introductory textbooks, but there is something nice about seeing someone brilliant give their take on something fundamental. And the cultural differences you get in reading different texts from different periods or from different authors is really stimulating, for me at least.

He’s the Michio Kaki for AI bros who want to adopt the veneer of associating with an expert.

im not pro-ai-bro but i gotta say some of the maths involved is pretty cool

That math isn't being discussed here, it's barely even discussed in the book! Frankly how often do you open an HN thread on the front page and see any significant technical discussion of anything other than coding? I find the times I see someone writing out equations and discussing fundamentals so rare and welcome as to be memorable.

Most conversation here is profoundly non-technical and never touches anything like "the math".

HN guidelines:

> Be kind. Don't be snarky.

I'm not talking to another member or referring to a particular comment, I'm making a brief comment by analogy regarding a pair of public figures who profit from their notoriety.

Moreover I was accurate, unless your idea of kindness is to imply that comparison to a success physicist is "unkind".

Basic knowledge resources are very common in HN in front page. And such resource from someone known to write very well will be helpful for newbies even from lesser known personalities. Shared here all the time so why pretend its not common. Its dishonesty not perplexing.

1) Not everyone, and 2) some of us regularly find ourselves recommending books to others, or for kids.

It is still good as a book on philosophy of mathematics. Not the best, perhaps, but a solid introduction.

Like, the epistemology and metaphysics of mathematics? That kind of philosophy? Realism, idealism and all that jazz?

Nothing so esoteric — it’s written for the popular audience. But there’s a lot of “what is mathematics?” or “how do we do mathematics?” Some random highlights:

> A big part of mathematical training is becoming acquainted with different concepts and recognizing how they’re cousins to each other.

> I encourage everyone to fool around with numbers—some enthusiasts discover important patterns that way, and some famous mathematicians, like the late John Conway, made a career of it.

> When we give word problems in school, we tend to cherry-pick perfect models that have one correct answer. Rather than teach a preordained procedure, we could encourage exploration by asking students to fix more realistic models where things are slightly noisy or slightly incorrect.

I'm hoping my kids will get a lot out of it as they grow up :)