The Mystery of the Aleph

Mathematics, the Kabbalah, and the Search for Infinity

By: Amir D. Aczel

Narrated by: Henry Leyva

Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

"An engaging, pellucid explanation of the mathematical understanding of infinity, enlivened by a historical gloss on age-old affinities..." - Washington Post Book World

Toward the end of the 19th century, one of the most brilliant mathematicians in history languished in an asylum. His greatest accomplishment, the result of a series of extraordinary leaps of insight, was his pioneering understanding of the nature of infinity.

From the acclaimed author of God's Equation comes The Mystery of the Aleph, the story of Georg Cantor: how he came to his theories and the reverberations of his pioneering work, the consequences of which will shape our world for the foreseeable future. The mindtwisting, deeply philosophical work of Cantor has its roots in ancient Greek mathematics and Jewish numerology as found in the mystical work known as the Kabbalah. Cantor's theory of the infinite is famous for its many seeming contradictions; for example, we can prove that in all time there are as many years as days, that there are as many points on a one-inch line as on a one-mile line.

While the inspiration for Cantor's mind-twisting genius lies in the very origins of mathematics, its meaning is still being interpreted. Only in 1947 did Kurt Godel prove that Cantor's Continuum Hypothesis is independent of the rest of mathematics - and that the foundations of mathematics itself are therefore shaky.

©2001 by Amir D. Aczel (P)2001 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Mr. Aczel is very good at portraying the essences of the thoughts and lives of that quirky class of geniuses known as mathematicians". (The New York Times Book Review)

A tantalizing glimpse into the unknowable.

What made the experience of listening to The Mystery of the Aleph the most enjoyable?

The subject is fascinating and is written about with compassion and clarity.

What other book might you compare The Mystery of the Aleph to and why?

I haven't found any others comparable yet in the audible library.

Which character – as performed by Henry Leyva – was your favorite?

My favorite character in the reading was Cantor himself.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No. But I listen to it over and over with pure wonder.

The Mystery of the Aleph

This is a wonderful listen. You don't have to be a mathematician (which I am not) to enjoy this interesting trip in time the author has so seamlessly created. I highly recommend this program to folks who have an interest in the history of man's insatiable quest for the elusive infinity.

Not a light listen but good

I am not a mathematician by any means; I consider myself numerically challenged. And, there were some challenging parts to this book; I had to rewind and re-listen to parts several times. But, I found it fascinating and worth the effort. The book discusses how the concept of infinity developed, and works it into certain religious concepts. While I doubt I "got it" all, I did get some of it, and learned about math history on the way.

In depth in the math and the history

What did you love best about The Mystery of the Aleph?

The history of intense societal dynamics that come along with revolutionary ideas was communicated brilliantly.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

How at certain moments in history, numerous great minds are associated with each other.

Any additional comments?

Even if a person was not interested in math at all, this book would still be gripping.

Great book, interesting and accessible

I have enjoyed several of Aczel's books, and this one is especially interesting. He constructs a compelling narrative and explains complicated concepts in a way that I (not a mathemetician) could easily understand. The only downside to this book is that the narrator drives me crazy. I wish audible would stop using him as a narrator. If you can get past his irritating voice and bizarre inflections (he emphasizes words that can detract from the power of a sentence) then you will enjoy this book. I am currently listening to Entanglement, again by Aczel and narrated by the same guy (Leyva) and can't believe i didn't check to see who narrated it. Anyway, this book is really good and I would give it 6 stars if it weren't for Leyva's insane reading style.

Good outline, interesting but brief

What did you like best about The Mystery of the Aleph? What did you like least?

The stories of the mathematicians was interesting. Some very colorful characters

Any additional comments?

There is a shoe-horning of the material into a psuedo-spiritual concept of infinity in the kaballah. Infinity is mind-blowing enough without trying to fit it into a pre-existing concept. I don't think the the modern mathematicians were trying to explain the 'mathematics' in the Kaballah or vice versa. Fortunately that was a rhetorical tool and not the main subject of the book

Dont over think it and you'll enjoy it.

You really need the pictures for some small parts and there we some slow parts. But I'm a math nerd with the same roots as the people in the story, so i dug it.

Excellent, with reservations.

The book is an excellent exposition and reflection on important mathematical principles and theorems, presented in a compelling manner. My only reservation is that the narrator had difficulty pronouncing "Georg", instead pronouncing it "Gerreg" or something like that. Just a minor thing, but since much of the text concerns the mathematical genius of Georg Cantor, it is troublesome that neither the narrator nor someone who perhaps "edits" the narration sought to correct this error. Nevertheless, it is well worth a listen, maybe even several.

Cantor's Enigma

Very informative book. It struggles to link Infinity with madness. I don't think it makes the case very well, although the idea is intriguing.
The other aspects of infinity are covered very well and one can learn a lot about the history of the concept of infinity.
I found the link between the Kabbalah and the study of infinity especially fascinating.

Excellent

This was a very interesting story about a man and his mathematical journey's into infinity. Adds a real personal touch to mathematics. I found both the main charachters life, and the math concepts very intersting, even though I am not a mathmetician. Highly recommended.