San Antonio College Library

With the story of David Hilbert perplexedly asking a colleague, "What is a Hilbert space?' being a typical example, this work presents anecdotes about the practice of mathematics that range in tone from humorous to celebratory. The anecdotes are arranged under sections devoted to great foolishness, great affrontery, great ideas, great failures, great pranks, and great people.

Forty of the world's greatest chefs relate outrageous true tales from their kitchens. From hiring a blind line cook to flooding the room with meringue to being terrorized by a French owl, these behind-the-scenes accounts are as entertaining as they are revealing. A reminder that even the chefs we most admire aren't always perfect.--From publisher description.

The subject of mathematics is not something distant, strange, and abstract that you can only learn about--and often dislike--in school. It is in everyday situations, such as housekeeping, communications, traffic, and weather reports. Taking you on a trip into the world of mathematics, Do I Count? Stories from Mathematics describes in a clear and captivating way the people behind the numbers and the places where mathematics is made. Written by top...

This book, a part of the American Chemical Society's Symposium Series, is a collection of some delightful bits of whimsy and humor, both intentional and accidental, from the world of chemistry. Underneath those famous white lab coats clearly beat hearts that are capable of finding and enjoying the lighter side of their science. From chemistry-based crossword puzzles to papers delivered in verse and song, this is a surprising collection of the quirkiest...

Contains a variety of anecdotes about all forty Presidents from Washington to Reagan.

In this collection of brief lives--and deaths--of nearly two hundred of the world's greatest thinkers, noted philosopher Simon Critchley creates a register of mortality that is tragic, amusing, absurd, and exemplary. From the self-mocking haikus of Zen masters on their deathbeds to the last words of Christian saints and modern-day sages, this irresistible book contains much to inspire both amusement and reflection.--From publisher description.

"Presidential Campaigns devotes a chapter to each of America's elections, from George Washington's in 1789 to George W. Bush's in 2000, dealing with the candidates, the conventions, the party platforms, the speeches, and the reasons for the victories and defeats on election day. The book contains campaign highlights, too, singling out for special attention the gaffes, surprises, dramatic events, and novel ways of vote-chasing that turned up in each...

Compares humorous stories Twain told publicly and privately with those wrongly attributed to him, and discusses his development as a speaker.

In Slow Road to Brownsville, David Reynolds embarks on a road trip along Highway 83, a little-known two-lane highway built in 1926 that runs from Swan River, Manitoba, to the Mexican border at Brownsville, Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico. Growing up in a small town in England, Reynolds was enthralled by both the myth of the Wild West and the myth of the open road. This road trip is his exploration of the reality behind these myths as he makes his way...