Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-208) and index.
Great foolishness -- Great affrontery -- Great ideas -- Great failures -- Great pranks -- Great people.
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With the story of David Hilbert perplexedly asking a colleague, "What is a Hilbert space?' being a typical example, this work presents anecdotes about the practice of mathematics that range in tone from humorous to celebratory. The anecdotes are arranged under sections devoted to great foolishness, great affrontery, great ideas, great failures, great pranks, and great people.