The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdös

Heiligman and Pham combine their considerable talents in this unique look at the "Magician from Budapest," nomadic mathematician Paul Erdos (1913-96). A precocious youngster, Paul hates rules. Cared for by his doting mother and imperious "Fraulein," young Paul is spoiled rotten -- the two women "cut his meat and buttered his bread and got him dressed and tied his shoes." But where the mundane details of daily life don't do much for Paul, numbers are a different story. Paul "thought about math whatever he was doing, wherever he was" as he grows into one of the world's renowned intellectuals. Not one for settling down, Paul travels the world, lecturing and attending math meetings, all while others "did his laundry and cooked his food and cut open his grapefruit and paid his bills." Heiligman presents Paul as an appealing eccentric: for instance, Paul referred to children as "epsilons" (because epsilon "is a very small amount in math"). Pham's artwork is inspired -- her characters have a timeless quality, and each illustration is a puzzle for the reader to solve, with prime numbers hidden on buildings and complex numerical concepts seamlessly integrated into the fabric of many pictures. While the overall layout is high in reader appeal, the font size is far too small for the target audience. Especially tiny are the otherwise excellent author's and illustrator's notes, which further demonstrate their respect and admiration for Erdos and are well worth the potential eye strain. Design flaws aside, this is an infinitely creative and entertaining book for epsilons, numerically inclined or no. sam bloom