Download or read book Indiscrete Thoughts written by Gian-Carlo Rota and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-11-03 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Indiscrete Thoughts gives a glimpse into a world that has seldom been described - that of science and technology as seen through the eyes of a mathematician. The era covered by this book, 1950 to 1990, was surely one of the golden ages of science and of the American university. Cherished myths are debunked along the way as Gian-Carlo Rota takes pleasure in portraying, warts and all, some of the great scientific personalities of the period. Rota is not afraid of controversy. Some readers may even consider these essays indiscreet. This beautifully written book is destined to become an instant classic and the subject of debate for decades to come.