Grief Doesn T Do Math

Grief Doesn’t Do Math

Grief Doesn’t Do Math offers comfort and connection, while embracing a personal way to experience and endure the grieving process on one’s own terms. Grief Doesn’t Do Math envisions a wider lens for grievers beyond the renowned five stages. This book includes journal entries, poems, and reflections written over the course of seven years by author Heather H. Burwell as she experienced her own journey of grief. Grief is a nonlinear process and something we all encounter in our lives, a burden that can be eased through sharing. As noted in the epilogue, “This is my grief virgin voyage, and I share with you for a sole reason: to help other people sitting in their dinghies in torrential rainstorms, tossed upon similar waves.”

Geometry of Grief

“With poignancy and audacity, Frame builds an unexpected bridge between mathematical beauty and human sorrow, illuminating both.” —Francis Su, author of Mathematics for Human Flourishing We all know the euphoria of intellectual epiphany—the thrill of sudden understanding. But coupled with that excitement is a sense of loss: a moment of epiphany can never be repeated. In Geometry of Grief,mathematician Michael Frame draws on a career’s worth of insight—including his work with a pioneer of fractal geometry Benoit Mandelbrot—as he delves into this understanding of loss. Grief, Frame reveals, can be a moment of possibility. Frame investigates grief as a response to an irrevocable change in circumstance. This reframing allows us to see parallels between the loss of a loved one and the loss of the elation of first understanding a tricky concept. From this foundation, Frame builds a geometric model of mental states. An object that is fractal, for example, has symmetry of magnification: magnify a picture of a mountain or a fern leaf—both fractal—and we see echoes of the original shape. Similarly, nested inside great loss are smaller losses. By manipulating this geometry, Frame shows us, we may be able to redirect our thinking in ways that help reduce our pain. Small-scale losses, in essence, provide laboratories to learn how to meet large-scale losses. Interweaving original illustrations, clear introductions to advanced topics in geometry, and wisdom gleaned from his own experience, Frame’s poetic book is a journey through the beautiful complexities of mathematics and life. “Intriguing.” —Nature “Poignant and beautiful. “ —Steven Strogatz, New York Time– bestselling author of Infinite Powers “A wonderful memoir.” —Choice

The Precious Ridiculous