When I was in seventh grade, my geometry teacher lent me this book (the brown one in the picture). I already had an appreciation for old-looking books, and once I saw the subject and started reading, I couldn’t stop.
The Man Who Counted by Malba Tahan is the most poetic math book a young person can read. It follows Beremiz Samir, a superhero Persian mathematician, through fascinating and dangerous adventures. The book is packed with math puzzles, algorithms, famous problems and stories, and romance (what more can a 12-year-old ask for?).
I often think that this book somehow changed my life. At least this teacher did, he taught me math and English, opened a world of knowledge I hadn’t seen before, showed me other languages for the first time (German and Greek) and became an island of reason and logical thinking to which I often sought refuge.
Years later, at the university, I learned with some disappointment that the book was not written by a thirteenth-century Persian scholar, but that Malba Tahan was the pen name of the Brazilian writer Júlio Cesar de Mello e Souza. The beautiful Spanish version in the picture doesn’t have the year of publication or the name of the translator, but Wikipedia says the book was published in 1938 and has been edited over 100 times.
I have several editions of the book, but I always think of the first one I read. Recently, I visited my teacher in my hometown in Colombia and he gave me the same book as a gift, a very emotional and symbolic act for me. His wife, also my teacher, said: “You inherit this.”
It was really inspiring to see my favorite teachers again. My teacher’s name is Hernando Villamizar. He is about to turn 89 and he told me about the books he has recently read to improve his study and learning habits. A great inspiration from a tireless learner. Probably the key to a long and healthy life and a kinder world: keep learning and teaching.
Oh, he also gave me a Greek-Spanish dictionary for my son 🥺.
