The Joy of Abstraction

‘This book is an educational tour de force that presents mathematical thinking as a right-brained activity. Most ‘left brain/right brain’ education-talk is at best a crude metaphor; but by putting the main focus on the process of (mathematical) abstraction, Eugenia Cheng supplies the reader (whatever their ‘brain-type’) with the mental tools to make that distinction precise and potentially useful. The book takes the reader along in small steps; but make no mistake, this is a major intellectual journey. Starting not with numbers, but everyday experiences, it develops what is regarded as a very advanced branch of abstract mathematics (category theory, though Cheng really uses this as a proxy for mathematical thinking generally). This is not watered-down math; it’s the real thing. And it challenges the reader to think-deeply at times. We ‘left-brainers’ can learn plenty from it too.’ Keith Devlin, Stanford University (Emeritus), author of The Joy of Sets

'Finally, a book about category theory that doesn’t assume you already know category theory! In this inviting but rigorous introduction to what she calls ‘the mathematics of mathematics’, Eugenia Cheng brings the subject to us with insight, wit, and a point of view. Her story of finding joy-and advantage-in abstraction will inspire you to find it, too.' Patrick Honner, award-winning high school math teacher, columnist for Quanta Magazine, author of Painless Statistics