By G.H. Hardy and foreword by C.P. Snow.
A Mathematician’s Apology by G.H. Hardy is a piece containing the author’s thoughts on Math. It can be considered as a defense for his life, work and his chosen field in Math. This is not a science textbook, it reads more like an autobiographical and philosophical piece.
The foreword by Snow gives some stories about Hardy and we get to see a pretty in-depth view of his character written by one of his best friends. The second part is written by Hardy and is cut into short, easily digestible chapters. In that part we get to see Hardy’s views on Math and a mathematician’s life and purpose.
From start to finish, it was a very interesting and relaxing read. It is a great peek into the life of University mathematicians of the first half of the 20th century (although it does make me a bit jealous). The language and tone is smooth and makes for a very cozy read. The book itself is short, even with the foreword by Snow, and that adds to the casual feel of the reading.
All in all, the book is a very enthralling read you can casually pick up on a lazy afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I highly recommend it.