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Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe

by Steven Strogatz
Houghton Harcourt. Apr. 2019. 384p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781328879981. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781328880017. MATH
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For anyone who has struggled through a required calculus course, this latest book by Strogatz (Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics, Cornell Univ.; The Joy of X) is especially welcome. Strogatz does a great job of explaining a difficult subject, both to those in need of a refresher and those who have never taken calculus. After describing calculus's history and the people who created it, the author uses real examples, ranging from athletics to medicine, to show some of its many old, new and, potentially future applications. Most importantly, he lays out the case that calculus is fundamental to the way we live today. Simply put, without calculus, there would be no modern physics, and without physics we wouldn't have the technology that shapes our modern world.
VERDICT A solid choice for readers who want to know what calculus is all about, and for teachers who wish to improve their presentation.
Reviewed by Harold D. Shane, Mathematics Emeritus, Baruch Coll. Lib., CUNY , Apr 01, 2019
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