Y Knot

Why does the image in the mirror reverse right-to-left but not up-to-down?

That sort of puzzling was a big part of what I was hooked on throughout the early sixties, savoring the Mathematical Games column in my father's Scientific American.  I think there was a period when I first took on the magazine like any new venture and explored it from front to back, but it wasn't long I believe before the Martin Gardner column at the back was my first focus and the one aspect of the mag I never skipped for years.  I certainly read or tried to read a good part of the rest of the magazine, but with nowhere near the intensity of interest that I had in MG.

But we move on.  I remember being thrilled to hear that Douglas Hofstadter, author of Godel, Escher, and Bach, a truly astounding book that I probably was directed to either by Gardner or possibly John Dvorak in commentary at PC Magazine or whatever the name was then, was taking the reins for a somewhat similar column for SA.  But by that time I was no longer doting on either the magazine or the column, presumably at least partly as we had wonderful and inspiring challenges dealing with young children.

But those math columns in SA were a big deal to me, reinforcing my interest in and sense of my capability to deal with adult math and science topics at a formative age.  I tracked down one of Martin's math and puzzle books a while back and more recently checked out one of what I gather is a whole set of books reprinting his SA columns, an exciting revelation, as well as his autobiography, Undiluted Hocus-Pocus, from the library.

But here's the thing.  In contrast to recent post as to how Dylan's recasting of much of his oeuvre with the Band in their live Before the Flood recording turns out to work much better for me now than it did when first released, this Gardner autobiography was a serious disappointment.  Big Thud.

He rambles and wanders, drops a lot of names, mostly of no relevance to average reader, and when they are, often quite gratuitous.  I am inclined to place most serious blame on whatever editing "support" Martin received in assembling this volume.  He clearly did not have a clue how to write about himself and his experiences in a manner that would personalize him and make him enticing as a person.  Perhaps he was so venerated that little fussing with the text might have been allowed.  I was initially excited to see the book was published by Princeton University Press, but after reading it a bit embarrassed on that account.

Gardner's books on mathematical recreations and such are a real treasure.  Okay, the audience is somewhat limited, and likely includes almost none of the very few who might habituate this blog even when I fling it, which I may well in this case.  His lifetime efforts in this area are truly astonishing.  If you have any such inclination, I strongly encourage you to check them out.

MG was a great enthusiast for many things, including the works of L. Frank Baum and H. G. Wells.  I'm reading for the first time The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on my nook (Gutenberg) as a followup to this paper read.