Title: Better than reviews suggest; background knowlege useful
Product review: While the writing is from time to time over the top, the book is very enjoyable. What I appreciate most about the book is its treatment of the actual philosophy behind the development of the algorithm. This apparently is what many previous reviewers dislike. They might be used to books like Men of Mathematics or The Lady Tasting Tea - books that merely provide a brief description of the development of the topic accompanied by some life facts of the developers. Hence, this book is more of a philosophy book than a history book. And for those of us who would rather read a philosophy book than a history book, this book is a breath of fresh air. Reading of the book is helped, however, by a background in both logic and mathematics. Still, the book gets four stars from me as Berlinski would have done well to simplify his writing style.
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