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After Math |  | Author: Miriam Webster
Publisher: Zinka Press Inc.
Category: Book
Buy New: $17.91
as of 9/9/2010 07:35 MDT details
New (3) Used (6) from $17.90
Seller: internationalbooks
Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 2754563
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Pages: 280
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 9 x 5.5 x 0.8
ISBN: 0964717115
EAN: 9780964717114
ASIN: 0964717115
Publication Date: June 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
A spoof on the entire graduate math experience, ghost stories and some mathematics thrown in January 20, 2007
Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States(cashbacher@yahoo.com))
This book is s spoof on the workings of a university math department, the graduate experience in mathematics and ghost stories. The story begins with Ray Bellwether, graduate student advisor in the mathematics department, being murdered in his office. Being of the rational, mathematical sort, he takes it all in stride and is puzzled by the sensations. It takes him some time to determine that he has in fact been murdered. Once that conclusion was reached he then reaches the second logical conclusion that the reason he is a ghost is so that he can torment his murderer. The problem is that he has no idea regarding the identity of the murderer. Therefore, he sets out on a confused quest for the real killer(s). Not having been a ghost before, he is uncertain as to how to proceed and exactly what he is capable of doing.
This plot line is interspersed with the actions of many other people in the department, some stringers such as the investigating police officers and a few others that happen to be encountered. The spoof of the departmental secretaries, how graduate students relate to each other and their professors and how the mathematicians interact with each other is priceless. Webster captures and lampoons all of this in a manner that is a true stroke of genius. As is fitting for a ghost story, the main area of mathematics mentioned is topology. Towards the end, the murderer tries to free himself from his troubles by attempting to topologically relocate to another location. It was amusing to read how the ghosts and material people try to explain things by referring to concepts in topology.
This is a very funny mystery book with a mathematical base. However, unless you have spent some time in a mathematics graduate program and know some of the mathematics, there are parts of the book that you will not understand. Even if you have, it will be necessary to slow down your reading on occasion or you may miss an ironical moment.
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