This very well researched biography of Donald Coxeter was an enjoyable enough read but, unfortunately, felt a little too unstructured for my tastes. Coxeter's life is recounted essentially chronological but within each phase of his life the exposition of his work jumps all over the place. The copious footnotes only partially prevent the book zooming off on too many tangents (no pun intended).

Criticisms aside, I would say that this biography successfully did the one thing I think all biographies of artists, writers, or scientists should do, and that is make the reader want to track down the work of the subject. In this sense, Roberts' presentation was great as I ordered a copy of Coxeter's "Regular Polytopes" before I had even made it halfway through her book. (

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mdreid | Oct 18, 2008 |

This first biography of the late Univ of Toronto mathematician should also be the last -- it's that thorough and complete (and interesting).

fpagan | Mar 10, 2007 |

The footnotes are extensive. The bibliography is thorough. But I found the book a bit wanting. I want to buy the '64 math book on "Projective geometry" by Coxter, and get a collection of his papers.
The appendices provided in the book are well-intended, but Conway'd proof of Morley's theorem is provided without sufficient labeling or coloring.
Overall, a nicely written book about a unique geometer, someone praised by Freeman Dyson and followed by JHConway cannot fail to be a trailblazer.
His Regular Polytopes is of course his magnum opus.
The biography is well-intended, but in this reviewer's opinion came up a bit short in flow and heavy mathematical substance. Three stars. (

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sthitha_pragjna | Dec 14, 2006 |

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Harold Scott MacDonald Coxeter

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Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0802714994, Hardcover)

Winner of the 2009 Euler Book Prize, awarded by the Mathematical Association of America for an outstanding book about mathematics. The Euler Prize citation reads:

"This book by Siobhan Roberts gives an intimate and engaging portrait of one of the most influential mathematicians of the last century. It also provides a mathematical history of those years, including the currents set in motion by Hilbert's 23 problems, the influence of Bourbaki, and the unexpected applications of mathematics to computer science, communications, information, crystallography, medical research, environmental studies, as well as art -- Coxeter's work directly inspired Circle Limit III by M.C. Escher. Above all, it gives a superbly readable account, in personal terms, of the search for beauty that sets mathematics in motion, and of the synergy of individual and group efforts that make it happen. It's an engaging page-turner, even for nonmathematically trained readers, and it will offer them an insider's look at the world of mathematics and the people who create it ... [The book] will also strike a special chord with mathematicians, because it honors the spirit of wonder and openness that Coxeter embodied in his approach to mathematics."

(retrieved from Amazon Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:33:33 -0500)

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