Fermat's Last Theorem

Last night I stayed up to finish reading Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh. Bhatti had told me that if I'd read this one during the years when I was studying Mathematics, I would never have given up Mathematics. Turns out, he was probably right. The way this guy has illustrated the passion that mathematicians have for their subject, the way he has put forth the mystery, the intrigue of the subject, it's all pretty brilliant. He takes you on a beautiful journey through the ages, telling you the story of Fermat, number theory, and Mathematics in general.

Let me put a disclaimer here. You don't need to be a mathematician to be able to read, understand, and appreciate this book. You just need a bit of mathematical aptitude and inclination. The author doesn't really talk too much about the actual theories and concepts that went into proving the Last Theorem, and even when he does, the concepts are such that you can do without understanding them.

I loved the book. It reminded me of a lot of things that happened during the years when I was studying Mathematics, in school and in College. I'll do a separate post about that stuff. Until then, all I'd say is that anyone who has the slightest bit of interest in the subject should most certainly read this one.