Littlewood's Miscellany

Littlewood is the kind of historical scientific figure people look up to, not only because of his legacy in mathematical research but also for his towering intellectual reputation. I (shamelessly) admit here that I've read and reread this book so many times, each time picking up some nuances and details that Littlewood subtly convey between his lines. It is a glimpse into the mind of a genius. His style of writing is not out-of-fashion even many years after he put it on paper, probably in between replying to math letters from Hardy, and proving a theorem in analysis. Miscellany is nothing short than the last century's most incredible mathematical essay.

There has been a flood of recent books detailing the agony and even the mental illness of mathematicians. This book is a rare and refreshing exception. A collection of the popular writings of J. E. Littlewood, a leading mathematician of the twentieth century, it demonstrates and celebrates the intellectual excitement and even the joy of doing creative mathematics.