Review of The calculus of friendship: What a teacher and a student learned about life while corresponding about math.

Reviews the book, The Calculus of Friendship: What a Teacher and a Student Learned About Life While Corresponding About Math by Steven Strogatz (2009). This book is a delight for anyone who loves mathematics, and, although this is becoming less and less self-evident, it seems to me professional mathematics educators, including those whose research comes nearer to psychology and sociology, should at some level always remain mathematical fanciers. But Strogatz’s book is not meant to be a mere anthology of mathematical gems. The mathematics has a context. It is the constant focus of letters between Strogatz and his high school mathematics teacher, Mr. Joffray, or as he is called always, Joff. Although this is not a book about research in mathematics education, it is a book, every mathematics educator should read. It reminds us that as educators we may be glad if students come to possess certain skills or even become eventually professional mathematicians; however, our main goal is that our students become a certain kind of person. We should hope that our students will become capable of a friendship that goes beyond drinking in a pub and talking about the price of fuel. Mathematics is a high thing, and it is one of the things that can make a high life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)