Speaking of Mathematics

Speaking of Mathematics ($12.95)  is a set of twenty-four mini-posters most appropriate for the high school level. It can be purchased from Carolina Mathematics, 2700 York Road, Burlington, NC 27215. 1-800-334-551 or www.carolina.com

Each of the twenty-four placards in Speaking of Mathematics contains a single quotation about mathematics or mathematicians. Most of the quotations are from people students should recognize in the field of mathematics: Euclid, Pythagoras, and  Einstein. Other names are more obscure: Hilbert, Banach, and Weierstrass. Most entertaining, however, seem to be the points made by those normally not associated with mathematics: Ben Franklin, Napoleon, and Lewis Carroll. I am not sure that most students will understand the complexity of many of the statements, but they do add a humanistic touch to the mathematics classroom at a reasonable price. The quotations are printed large enough so that they can be read from a distance, and this adds to the viability of this product.

Lynn Godshall, Susquehanna Township High School, Harrisburg, PA