A fun, non-technical and wonderfully engaging guide to that most powerful and mysterious of mathematical concepts: infinity.in this book, best-selling author and mathematician Haim Shapira presents an introduction to mathematical theories which deal with the most beautiful concept ever invented by humankind: infinity. In this book, best-selling author and mathematician Haim Shapira presents an introduction to mathematical theories which deal with the most beautiful concept ever invented by humankind: infinity. Written in clear, simple language and aimed at a lay audience, this book also offers some strategies that will allow readers to try their ability at solving truly fascinating mathematical problems. Infinity is a deeply counter-intuitive concept that has inspired many great thinkers. In this book we will meet many sages, both familiar and unfamiliar: Zeno and Pythagoras, Georg Cantor and Bertrand Russell, Sofia Kovalevskaya and Emmy Noether, al-Khwarizmi and Euclid, Sophie Germain and Srinivasa Ramanujan.The world of infinity is inhabited by many paradoxes, and so is this book: Zeno paradoxes, Hilbert's "Infinity Hotel", Achilles and the gods paradox, the paradox of heaven and hell, the Ross-Littlewood paradox involving tennis balls, the Galileo paradox and many more. Aimed at the curious but non-technical reader, this book refrains from using any fearsome mathematical symbols. It uses only the most basic operations of mathematics: adding, subtracting, multiplication, division, powers and roots – that is all. But that doesn’t mean that a bit of deep thinking won’t be necessary and rewarding. Writing with humour and lightness of touch, Haim Shapira banishes the chalky pallor of the schoolroom and offers instead a truly thrilling intellectual journey. Fasten your seatbelt – we are going to Infinity, and beyond!

'Science has never had an advocate quite like David Deutsch ... A computational physicist on a par with his touchstones Alan Turing and Richard Feynman, and a philosopher in the line of his greatest hero, Karl Popper. His arguments are so clear that to read him is to experience the thrill of the highest level of discourse available on this planet and to understand it' Peter Forbes, Independent In our search for truth, how far have we advanced? This uniquely human quest for good explanations has driven amazing improvements in everything from scientific understanding and technology to politics, moral values and human welfare. But will progress end, either in catastrophe or completion - or will it continue infinitely? In this profound and seminal book, David Deutsch explores the furthest reaches of our current understanding, taking in the Infinity Hotel, supernovae and the nature of optimism, to instill in all of us a wonder at what we have achieved - and the fact that this is only the beginning of humanity's infinite possibility. 'This is Deutsch at his most ambitious, seeking to understand the implications of our scientific explanations of the world ... I enthusiastically recommend this rich, wide-ranging and elegantly written exposition of the unique insights of one of our most original intellectuals' Michael Berry, Times Higher Education Supplement 'Bold ... profound ... provocative and persuasive' Economist 'David Deutsch may well go down in history as one of the great scientists of our age' Scotsman

Rocket tells the story of how sixteen remarkable business leaders created great brands. Leslie Wexner tells you how he turned a two-store chain into a $6.5 billion worldwide brand called Victoria Secret, and Howard Schultz shares how he took his passion for a little coffee shop in Seattle and grew it into a 22,000-store chain, just to name two. Every story is connected to a “how-to” lesson, and by the end, you’ll have what you need to turn your best customers into apostles, cravers, and brand ambassadors. A must-have guide for everyone who wants to grow their business faster than a competitor, this authentic, vibrant, and engaging book brings you the latest practical techniques for knowing your customers’ desires and behaviors in order to deliver intimately rewarding experiences every time they shop—including knowing what they need before they do. Included is a “self critique” to identify where you are currently before you transform your career and company by mastering how to: • Create a demand-space map and predict how big a share of a demand space you can win with the proper mix of emotional and functional benefits satisfying the attributes of that space • Determine a strategic direction for where to place investment bets, identify which brands are best suited to win, and which are most responsive to investment • Deliver all the core benefits of a particular demand space in your product—from packaging, shelving, pricing, and promotion to message development, store operations, delivery, and employee engagement • Maintain a long-term vision to continuously quantify and modify for ongoing improvement, while using your successes to convert more champions along the way With Rocket, you can rise into a cycle of renewal, energy, and power that can launch startups to phenomenal success and turn around the fate of multinational corporations.

The First Sourcebook on Nordic Research in Mathematics Education: Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and contributions from Finland provides the first comprehensive and unified treatment of historical and contemporary research trends in mathematics education in the Nordic world. The book is organized in sections co-ordinated by active researchers in mathematics education in Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, and Finland. The purpose of this sourcebook is to synthesize and survey the established body of research in these countries with findings that have influenced ongoing research agendas, informed practice, framed curricula and policy. The sections for each country also include historical articles in addition to exemplary examples of recently conducted research oriented towards the future. The book will serve as a standard reference for mathematics education researchers, policy makers, practitioners and students both in and outside the Nordic countries.

Told in a positive, no-nonsense tone, this is the ultimate tour of philosophers, artists and academics throughout the ages by philosopher Haim Shapira. Notes on the Art of Life is Haim Shapira's version of Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book – a discursive and intensely personal collection of thoughts on life; a tribute to the importance of the here and now; the value of the moment and of paying attention to it. This is a personal, cheerful and idiosyncratic tour through the thoughts and experiences of philosophers, artists and academics, finding a path through the contradictions of philosophy and the intractable challenges of life (both existential and mundane). Content includes: Exploring a wide range of philosophies, from Aristotle to Zhuang Zhu and Epicurus to Socrates Tour the arts and thoughts of Abd al-Rahman III to Tolstoy, via Chekhov and Goethe Examine a myriad of essential topics, from silence and regret to happiness and other small things of absolute importance. And arriving finally at love. This book is like having a chatty and quite excitable friend guide you round a library of good books and different schools of thought. A companion who aims to comfort and reassure you about the complexities and challenges of life and of thinking about life.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes the main character, already rich in material wealth, seeks wisdom and looks upon the lessons of his own life. Inspired by that search, bestselling philosopher Haim Shapira muses on the perennial questions most relevant to our lives. Ecclesiastes is among the most poetic books of the Old Testament, full of famous and resonant verses: 'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity'; 'A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance'; 'I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind'. It is traditionally attributed to King Solomon (r. 970-930 BC), who advises us to avoid seeking happiness in worldly things and focus instead on the eternal truths. The book poses many vital questions: Is life nonsense and suffering or bliss? Is there any meaning to our actions under the sun? What will happen at the end? Is there any advantage to wisdom? Why can't a just regime be established? What are the relationships between happiness and wealth? What is the source of emotions and what do we know about desires? Can knowledge of death serve as a guide to life? King Solomon does not instruct us to think like him, nor does he guide us towards a particular path. Ecclesiastes sends us on a journey into The Valley of Great Questions: Abel, man, world, labor, advantage, sun, goodness, time, light, evil spirit, wisdom, love, fear of God, death, and more... Haim Shapira's rich and rigorously informed analysis allows King Solomon's voice to speak to us across the millennia, offering remarkably up-to-the-minute insights for people of all faiths and none. If you want advice about living a better life (and to learn about the meaning of life), would it not be wise to receive it from King Solomon – the wisest man of all time?

A thrilling race across the multiverse to save the infinite Earths – and the love of your life – from total destruction for fans of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, The Time Traveler's Wife and Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. Film-maker Hayes Figueiredo is struggling to finish the documentary of his heart when handsome physicist Yusuf Hassan shows up, claiming Hayes is the key to understanding the Envisioner – a mysterious device that can predict the future. Hayes is taken to a top-secret research facility where he discovers his alternate self from an alternate universe created the Envisioner and sent it to his reality. Hayes studies footage of the other him, he discovers a self he doesn’t recognize, angry and obsessive, and footage of Yusuf… as his husband. As Hayes finds himself falling for Yusuf, he studies the parallel universe and imagines the perfect life they will live together. But their lives are inextricably linked to the other reality, and when that couple's story ends in tragedy Hayes realises he must do anything he can to save Yusuf's life. Because there are infinite realities, but only one Yusuf. With the fate of countless realities and his heart in his hands, Hayes leads Yusuf on the run, tumbling through a kaleidoscope of universes trying to save it all. But even escaping into infinity, Hayes is running out of space - soon he will have to decide how much he’s willing to pay to save the love of his life.