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That Morris Kline quote reminds me of a book that I had enjoyed some years ago, "Arithmetic for Parents" by Ron Aharoni. The author goes from teaching college-level mathematics to introducing arithmetic to elementary school children. [1of4]

Throughout most of the book, he notes the physical meanings behind basic operations (e.g.: "subtraction" as either a separation of one amount from another, or a comparison, a "difference" betweeen two things without removal). [2of4]

It is very basic, but it renewed my love for applied mathematics and is a nice example of how tightly our abstractions can correspond to more familiar life experiences. Becoming aware of those relationships seems like a good way to develop a strong "mathematical intuition". [3of4]

Another really good example of this is the work of Saunders MacLane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics,_Form_and_Function#Mathematics_and_human_activities I would love to read the book that this table is derived from someday. [4of4]

Thanks for bringing up Aharoni's book - I'll have to give it a read. And that table from Mac Lane looks fascinating, I think it ties in surprisingly well to Morris Kline's overarching claim, that the origins and even the present motivation of mathematics were/are anything but abstract.

Can't wait to watch the movie so I can read your thoughts on it. Also been thinking about Flannery O'Connor lately. A musician I like, Sufjan Stevens, made a song called A Good Man is Hard to Find à la her short story. Read it in one of my English classes a year or so ago & still think about it. I didn't like it at the time, but the longer I carry it in my mind the fonder of it I become.

If you haven't listened to his music before, maybe you should listen to a song or two. He has a lot of allusions to Christianity in his work that quite frankly go above my head most of the time, & not like a halo, (more like a very fast bird, myself shaded under its wings for a moment).

@vashti, I love Sufjan and that album (Seven Swans, if I remember correctly?) and I'm glad you brought it up. RE: A Good Man is Hard to Find, I think O'Connor's writing has that effect - on the surface it seems ugly, brutal and arbitrary but whoever said medicine had to taste good? :)

Yes, that's the one! (Though Carrie & Lowell is my favroite album of his.) Happy to meet another fan ^^ Out of curiosity, what's your favorite song of his?

Carrie & Lowell is beautiful. I love "All of Me Wants All of You" and I used to obsessively listen to "My Little Red Fox" from his newest album. What's your favorite song of Sufjan's?

Oh man, The Only Thing hands down, though I would say it's more sentimental & important to me rather than my favorite to listen to. I kinda go through phases & lately it's been For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti, Feel the Illinoise, & Drawn to the Blood ^^

Your most recent post is incredibly, incredibly real... It's hard to double fist both your "baseline tasks" (passing your classes, socializing) and achieve the real things you want to get out of life simultaneously. I find myself in a similar predicament... Wishing the best of luck to you

Thank you so much 4disease! I wish you the best as well <3