Pellissippi Library

John Derbyshire's book Unknown Quantity: A Real And Imaginary History of Algebra has received excellent reviews and has just become available as a NetLibrary eBook.

Ben Longstaff in New Scientist writes: This really is a history of algebra, but don't be scared. The story of algebra is the story of civilisation itself: like a barometer of enlightenment, it has flourished in all the great cultures. A world away from schoolroom tedium, John Derbyshire's Unknown Quantity buzzes with rivalries, frustrations and breakthroughs. As with his excellent Prime Obsession, there are equations aplenty, but this is all to the good: the mix of narrative and handson mathematical alchemy amounts to more than the sum of its parts. A first-rate account that even algebraphobes will struggle to fault.

Longstaff, Ben.Equal this.(Unknown Quantity: A Real and Imaginary History of Algebra." New Scientist 190.2557 (June 24, 2006):. Academic OneFile. Thomson Gale. Pellissippi State Tech Comm College. 14 Apr. 2007.

Posted by Peter Nerzak at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TimesSelect free to .edu

Do you read the New York Times online? If so, you might be interested in the New York Times offering their Op Ed and news commentary at no cost to college students and faculty.

includes access to commentary and analysis by New York Times Op Ed and news columnists, web journals, multimedia, blogs and podcasts; with free access to NYT archives back to 1981.

normally cost $7.95 a month or $49.95 annually, but as of March 13, 2007 college students and faculty can join for free.

Visit http://NYTimes.com/University to sign on.

Posted by Pellissippi Library at 6:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)