Review by Choice Review
Sciences, such as astronomy and experimental particle physics, require colossally expensive equipment and huge scientific collaborations, so breakthroughs obviously hinge not only on scientific but also on administrative genius (the two are not entirely separable). Albeit mathematicians still publish in small collaborations or solely and often carry out their work with nothing more than pencil and paper, policy and administration still profoundly steer their field. As only a small number of people worldwide have broad oversight and responsibility, little gets published about this. These leaders must access trends, priorities, opportunities, and even risks, and then apply resources accordingly to create intellectual communities, encourage collaborations, and affect new modalities of communication both within the world of mathematicians and also beyond to other scientific disciplines, industries, governments, institutions of education, and the public. The conversations here between four leading French intellectuals (two top research mathematicians of different generations, one historian, and one philosopher--but all mathematically inclined) offer rare insiders' views into the wide range of issues that inform top-down shaping of the mathematical enterprise writ large. One will find history as fresh as gossip, and students will discover perspectives that might prove crucial for timely career planning. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. --David V. Feldman, University of New Hampshire
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
