Wilson Books

This is the sort of book which all popularizers of Mathematics aspire to. It is well written, mathematically honest, with absolutely minimal prerequisites. On finishing the book, the reader should have a good understanding of the essentials of the Four Colour Problem, and its solution.

"Four Colours Suffice" is essentially a chronological history of the Four Colour Conjecture (4CC), the attempts to solve it, the successes and failures, the incremental and fundamental steps forward.

Although Wilson mentions that most of the 20th century used the graph theory perspective to attack the problem, he sticks with the map presentation throughout.

Wilson has a very readable style. He gives the reader a real sense of the key elements of the story, such as Kempe's chain argument, the necessity of pentagons in a minimal criminal (a minimal counterexample to the 4CC), discharging, and reducible and unavoidable configurations. He gives background on the main characters, with excellent photos, and is mostly kind in his evaluation of various individual's contributions. He calls Kempe's flawed proof an excellent proof, and is sincere in that characterization.

The book is very focussed on the 4CC, but does mention related issues such as Heawood's Theorem on the torus, and empires, and Birkhoff's chromatic polynomial. There are no exercises, but there are several proofs, e.g. the five colour theorem.

The controversy over Appel & Haken's proof closes out the book.

I was surprised at the number of people who were nipping at the heels of the 4CC when Appel & Haken announced their solution. There must have been some deflated egos amongst them, but all of the experts supported Appel & Haken when their proof was criticized for its reliance on computers, and its apparent ugliness.

One very minor disappointment is the lack of a bibliography, but this is nullified by the references scattered throughout the endnotes. This is not a math textbook, but is excellent supplementary/bedtime reading. Perhaps it will stimulate a young mathematician to present us with a readable, convincing, and surveyable proof of the 4CC. A Proof From The Book might be too much to hope for, but we can dream.

Every now and then a mathematical book of an historical/overview nature arrives on the scene and deserves to be an instant success.
"Four Colours Suffice" by Robin Wilson is precisely such a book.
This book marks the 150th anniversary of one of the most famous of all mathematical problems: How many colours are needed to colour in a map so that no two adjacent countries have the same colour?
The problem is famous for two main reasons:
(1) It is very simple to understand but incredibly difficult to solve.
(2) It was eventually solved in 1976 with computer assistance and represents the first major mathematical theorem which continues to resist any attmpet at a solution not requiring computer assitance.

The full story of how the proof finally came about has to rank as one of the most fascinating stories in the history of mathematics and Robin Wilson's account is full of interesting anecdotes and lots of humourous asides.
Wilson has gone to immense trouble to ensure that his book is both accurate and understandable to the novice. All in all a truly rewarding read for anyone with even a cursory interest in mathematics.

. . Ted Swart . .

Review of: "Four Colors Suffice - How the Map Problem Was Solved"

By: Robin Wilson

The four color map theorem is easy to understand and hard to prove.

The four color map theorem states that on a plane, which is divided into non-overlapping contiguous regions, the regions can be colored with four colors in such a way that all regions are colored and no two adjacent regions have the same color. In other words you can color any ordinary map with just four colors.

The proof of the four color theorem is very difficult. It is so difficult that the proof took over a century. The search for a proof was so long and became so complex that some mathematicians speculated that it was impossible. The four color served as one of the first real mathematical challenges posed to mathematics undergraduate students.

The statement of the challenge was deceptively simple. Prove that four colors are sufficient. The statement of the problem is so simple that it seems the solution should be equally simple. It is not simple. In 1976 the four-color theorem was finally demonstrated. The authors of the proof are Kenneth Appel and Wolfgang Haken of the University of Illinois.

The book "Four Colors Suffice" is the story of the century long search for the proof. The effort culminated in a computer program. Appel and Haken restated the problem as a collection of 1,936 types of maps. They had a computer program prove each of these 1,936 forms.

The author succeeds in conveying the excitement of the competition in those final months. This book shows the drama of one of the most exciting episodes of modern mathematics.

See also:

Graphs, Colourings and the Four-Colour Theorem (Oxford Science Publications)

The Four-Color Theorem: History, Topological Foundations, and Idea of Proof

Introduction to Graph Theory (4th Edition)

I thoroughly enjoyed this thoughtful and exciting book.

if anyone knows where i can find a copy of this book, please email me.

I have been seareching gor this book for a very, very long time. If the reader who rated this book please submit another review and let me know where I can obtain a copy ,I would greatly appreciate it.

The story as told, is great. But the end that is told, is just a beginning of what was yet to come. It has to still happen and will continue to be, I and we, are all products of our enviroment, it's just the way it should be (or the only way we know how it should be).

Fresh Wisdom is definitely not for everyone, and if you are sensitive about fast-held beliefs you should definitely not purchase this book.

The authors show no mercy as they expose commonly accepted deceptions and delusions in the 5 key areas of life:
Health and Longevity;
Romance, Love and Relationships;
Independent Wealth Creation;
Metaphysical and Spiritual Realities, and;
Sovereignty and Personal Privacy.

Fresh Wisdom has changed my world view entirely, and as a result my life has changed completely.

If you are one of the few who realize 'things are not as they seem', this book will 'make sense of life in a senseless world'. If, however, you are happy in your cocoon of life, you will find some of the revelations too uncomfortable to accept and should perhaps consider a less controversial alternative.

Fresh Wisdom presents a paradigm (or way of looking at life) that will enable one to answer any challenging life issue. Get it if you are in any way frustrated with what you see happening in the world around you - you will finally grok why things are the way they are.

Fresh Wisdom has had an incredible impact on my life. It has helped me escape from that `held back', stifled, chained feeling I have had my entire life. Fresh Wisdom has helped me to break free of so many shackles that have prevented me from living life to it's full. It has helped me to understand so much about my past choices and `mistakes', and to actually change the way I think and live my life. I now live without guilt; am happy and content every day of my life; don't judge those I meet but have a new capacity for love; have that incredible feeling of living with my `eyes wide open'; but most of all have discovered the purpose of my life, which has literally transformed me. I wake up every day with a bounce in my step and anticipation in my heart. I no longer drag myself out of bed, dreading the day ahead and the boredom of life. I know exactly what I want and what I need to achieve every day. I am no longer distracted from this by other people's needs and agendas. I now truly know the meaning of what it is to be FREE.

Paradigm shifting. I wish this book would become a best seller, because this would mean that there has been some sort of great awakening. Regardless, I am delighted to be one of a chosen few who can say he has been laboring to internalize all that this life "textbook" contains.

This book is must reading for anyone who knows that something in this world has gone wrong and is attempting to lift that proverbial veil of deception. It shows the reader how to prepare spiritually, financially, and personally for the coming difficult times. I have a mission in life and that is to edify and admonish others while there is time.

Please read and spread the Truth. Once you learn, you will know why the Apostle Paul preached and admonished as much as he did. He knew that this life was only a test and a preparation for something inconceivably wonderful after this - but only if we pass the test. This makes a great study guide. Please pass the test. God Bless.

Where do a writer's words come from? Some might say they pour forth from the mind, personal demons or imaginings, dreams and nightmares...but what if the answer is something else entirely? Meet Cary Bouchard, art associate secretary and struggling fiction writer. A quiet man, his only friend in the world is his pet canary until the horrors of his fantasies springs to life. His typewriter begins spewing forth pages he doesn't recall typing quickly forming a full length novel to be snatched up by a publisher with an unbelievably generous offer. Sure, they change the title of his book--but what the hey?--Bouchard becomes a best-selling author. Overnight, his fortune has changed, and so has his life. Too bad he didn't read the fine print in his contract....

First-class storyteller, Staci Layne Wilson, has a style that is all her own: from her wicked tongue-and-cheek insider play on words and names to the heart she puts into the tale. She evokes the reader's compassion for her mild-mannered main character--from being publicly dissected by a talk show host to his mounting terror at the long string of grisly murders that keep mysteriously finding their way to him . . . with an ending so tightly twisted that it fits perfectly!

Also, you'll find an added bonus: Wilson's short story, Lover's Eye, at the end of GHOST WRITER: a delightfully erotic, stomach-flipping tale of everything you've ever thought (and heard) about eyeballs, spun into a diabolically visual yarn about artist Iris Blume and her passionate greed for instruments of sight.

GHOST WRITER is among her very best works yet; I'm doing more than looking forward to reading more Staci Layne Wilson books--I'm begging her to hurry up and write another one! Visit Staci on the web at: www.staciwilson.com

[posted with permission from Book of Dark Wisdom]

This book kept me guessing from beginning to end. A spine-tingling tale told with such smooth-flowing prose, I can't believe I haven't heard of this author before. I've no doubt I'll be hearing a lot more about Staci Layne Wilson in the future. If this book is any indication of her other work, I'm going to own them all. I highly recommend "Ghostwriter" to anyone who likes a truly frightening, look over your shoulder, read.

I absolutely devoured this novel from page one till the bitter end. Never a dull moment, and it's funny and scary at the same time. The writing style is really different and totally complelling. I ordered another book by Staci Layne Wilson, based on the strength of this one, and I am biting my nails with aniticipation -- that's how I am, when I discover a new writer I like.

My daughter is 14 now and still lets me read this every now and then to her! This was her favorite bedtime book for many years. I wish it was in reprint so I could buy it for friends having babies and grandchildren.

My 16 mos old daughter loves this book. We read it at least once a day. I love the idea that "the giant chiwangas are starting to sink" means that the day is almost over. Silly, calming and engaging.

This is a completely charming book, showing a child going through his day, from waking to sleep, in a world surrounded by imaginary and intriguing creatures. They are vaguely Dr. Suess-like, but the illustrations and simple, short rhymes appeal to even smaller children. My one-year old nephew loves it (again and again), and my child, now eight, enjoys these unique creatures and the made-up words. It is a book that I'm happy to read too, especially in the evening, since the child goes to sleep in the end. I highly recommend this book, with its great illustrations and rhythm.

Norah Wilson is a strong new voice in romance and definitely not to be missed. Haunted By Dreams is a contemporary second-chance-at-love story about Canadian Natives. When Cassandra Ashe walks into John Deadmarsh's university class after disappearing from his life 17 years ago, John is immediately swamped not only by feelings of unrequited love, but also betrayal. With wonderful characterization and detail, Ms. Wilson skillfully leads us along Cassandra's and John's rocky road to love. Haunted By Dreams will stay with you long after you've finished the last page.

The very first scene of Haunted By Dreams caused a delightful shiver to run up my spine. Cassandra Ashe meets her old lover John Deadmarsh at a university and Bang! the sparks fly. The more I read, the more intense their relationship. John is bitter, not trusting Cassandra one bit. To him, she's flighty, not to be trusted, but the reader knows better and yet, we understand him as well. Ms Wilson has done the extraordinary, written a long-overdue story about Native Canadians in a modern, realistic romance. Well done! This one's a keeper!

Haunted by dreams is a heart rending story of love, life's challenges. And, through struggle - success.

From the first page, I was hooked. John Deadmarsh is a scrumptious, larger than life, believable hero who has searched for his lost love for seventeen years.

We feel the struggles and disappointments Cassandra Ash suffers, even though, through it all, she's able to keep going.

This book delves into issues simmering under the surface of native society and faces them head on.

The immediate and growing emotions between the hero and heroine kept me turning pages with expectation until the very end.

A very satisfying read!

It will certainly change the way you look at life and it will make a beleiver out of you

This books gives wonderful background on the historical, factual evidence for life and death of Christ. The author systematically lays down the evidence point by point and chapter by chapter. One problem some readers may find is that the book is very academic at times and can seem like a text book to those who get bored easily. As an engineer, I enjoyed the way the book was logically laid out, but my wife couldn't get more than 1/3 of the way through before deciding that she'd had enough. It is also a lengthy book, over 300 pages, but it's well worth the time spent for those who are looking for bullets when discussing Jesus & the Bible's account of His life with non-believers.

One nugget - many literary scholars doubt the truthfulness of the Bible by claiming there are many inaccuracies that have crept in over the years. However, we have thousands of orginal manuscripts of the New Testament books - some dating to less than 100 yrs after the actual events. These same literary scholars have no problem with the accuaracy of the works of Archimedes or Socrates or Julius Caeser despite the earliests known manuscripts for their works dating almost 1000 yrs after the documents were written. Of course, this isn't really a literary issue - it's a God issue - but it's noteworthy nonetheless.

The writing is sometimes a little amateurish as it includes hand-tipping phrases like "in the next chapter we will be getting into..." etc., etc.
Nevertheless, the factual/historical information itself is such that it still renders it worthy of very high marks. It pretty much blows the doors off so-called "higher-critism" and shows you that Jesus was real, is real, and was and is exactly who He said He was/is. If an unbeliever reads this book and still goes away an unbeliever, he seriously has only himself to blame. They are without excuse (Romans 1).

This is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it for any woman over 35.
It addresses every health issue that may concern a woman of middle age, in a clear, direct and easy to undertand manner. It is a no-nonsense book: not only does the author let you know when to worry, but also when to NOT worry about a symptom. That is great for women who are suffering vague symptoms and do not know when or if they should see a doctor.

The author makes clear and convincing arguemnts for eating well, exercising and so on. There is nothing new there but she encourages small changes, rather than a major life overhaul. The small changes add up, as she illustrates with case studies of women who chose to take care of themselves and those who did not. The comparisons clearly show how much of our health is impacted by our own everyday choices.

Finally, I have never read a better explanation of why women should be very concerned with their bone health. I knew it was important, but after reading this book, I am going to take more steps to protect my bones. I know now how critical that it is thanks to this book. The section on osteoporosis alone can save your life, and the sections on heart disease and blood pressure can do the same. Well worth the price of the book.

I enjoyed the book and loaned it to my daughter- in-law and my daughter. Both found the information very informative and also classified it as excellent.

This book was loaded with current information I could use about myself. I think it will be as important as Our Body Ourselves and The Wisdom of Menopause in teaching women how their bodies work, how to keep themselves healthy, how to reduce stress, and how to manage in the medical system.

I really like stories with animals and kids in them. The heroine's cat and the kid she helps out are really neat. I had a little trouble with the hero being very cold in the beginning, but the letters he wrote to his dead wife in their courtship were great. I could see why the heroine fell in love with him after reading them. This was one of my favorite books this year.

As a postal clerk in the village of Santa Angelica, California, in 1897, Callida Prophet knows it's illegal to read other people's mail. But the heart-rending letters written faithfully by little Becky Lockhart are addressed to her mother in heaven, a deceased local woman named Anne Lockhart. Callie is determined to do anything she can to help the poor child cope with her terrible loss by writing back to Becky and signing her letters, "Mama." Everyone in town knows about, and eagerly follows, this unusual correspondence, which is sanctioned by Mr. Wilson, the Santa Angelica postmaster. Then Becky writes that her father is planning to hire her a nanny, and Callie feels compelled to quit her job and apply for the job.

Aubrey Lockhart, the wealthiest man in town, has been overcome by grief since his wife died a year ago. It is difficult for him to be with Becky, who reminds him of his lovely, gentle wife.

Though Callie is not stern and gray-haired as Aubrey thinks a nanny should be, he can't resist hiring her when he interviews her, because there is something very appealing about the lively Callie.

When Callie first meets Aubrey, he seems stubborn, cold and sarcastic. But when Becky finds the love letters Aubrey wrote to his wife years ago and asks Callie to read them to her, Callie discovers a completely different man who is poetic, passionate and utterly devoted.

Suddenly, Callie sees the moody, mysterious widower with new, more loving eyes....

In addition to a wonderful hero and heroine, with lots of snappy dialogue between them, Becky is an adorable child, and Callie's pet is a super cat named Monster. If you like a light, humorous read that is full of emotion and fascinating conflict, you'll really enjoy this book.

Callie Prophet might be the bane of Aubrey Lockhart's existence, but she is also his daughter Becky's salvation. When Aubrey looses himself too deeply in his own grief over his beloved wife to be emotionally available to his child, it is the town's post mistress who answers the child's letters addressed to her mother in heaven. And it is the same woman who gives up her job for an opportunity to become Becky's nanny. While she doesn't meet Aubrey's preconception of a nanny (they should be gray headed, hard of hearing and matronly), Callie does know how to bring laughter back into the child's life. Too bad Aubrey's own life can't be resolved so easily. Now his wife is dead, his daughter's in the clutches of a mad nanny, and a huge black cat named Monster is determined to wreck havoc upon his home.
Callie sometimes believes she's been left on the marriage shelf simply because she doesn't control her deplorable behavior. Outspoken, bodacious and daring, Callie doesn't hold her tongue in the face of wrong doing -- be it a child who's neglected by a father or a society matron bent upon passing along ruinous gossip. Further, it was letters that brought Becky into her life, and love letters Aubrey wrote to his deceased wife that caused her to fall in love with him. Too bad it could be letters that also destroy her chance at love before she's truly experienced it. If the plot follows convention a bit too predictably, then these remarkable characters become the breath of fresh air in HEAVEN SENT by Rachel Wilson. As his overwhelming grief abates, the hero's ability to laugh and to enjoy his daughter again can't help but touch the reader's heart. Further, the heroine's irrepressible spirit and determination to help the grieving child provide the perfect counterbalance to the hero's gloom. The pivot point, the six-year-old child that brings this couple together, is perfectly captured in both her newfound happiness, and her terror of the horrible great-aunt who threatens her home. This great-aunt is marvelous villain, as is the Monster cat that manages to wreck his own brand of havoc. Indeed, this extraordinary cast of characters results in a read that comes highly recommended.

In the preface to his "Life of Lincoln", William Herndon expounded that when writing the history of Lincoln's early life "the whole truth concerning him should be known" and there should be "nothing colored or suppressed." Having set the standard Herndon failed to follow it, for there were something's even Herndon must have felt should not be put into print. Scholars wishing to explore Lincoln's early life beyond the insights offered by Herndon's biography had to turn to examining the letters and notes collected for over a twenty year period by himself and his collaborator Jesse Weik. This often proved to be a daunting task. As the editor's in their introduction noted even though available on Micro roll film specific documents are "very hard to locate" and even if located are "very hard to read." To further complicate matters the index to the Herndon collection prepared by the Library of Congress is "neither accurate nor complete." What Editors Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis have done in their "Herndon's Informants" is to transcribe all of the known Herndon, Weik letters and notes into a readable and properly indexed Documentary Edition. What they have also done is create a masterpiece of scholarship that will be used by students of Lincoln for decades to come. "Herndon's Informants" offers the student the complete Herndon collection, unabridged and un-editorialized. To anyone who has a strong interest in learning more about Lincoln's early life this is just about all that is available and it simply must become a part of your personal library.

With Herndon's Informants Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis have made a tremendous contribution to Lincoln scholarship. Much of what we know of Lincoln's pre-presidential years, especially, was compiled through interviews and correspondence by Lincoln's last law partner William H. Herndon. Although many of these items were published decades ago in Emanuel Hertz's anthology The Hidden Lincoln, that collection's limitations have long frustrated Lincoln students. The only alternative was the expensive and awkward-to-use microfilm verison of Herndon's papers available from the Library of Congress.

Now, however, Wilson and Davis have made this treasure trove of firsthand information available in an affordable and convenient format. Moreover, they have carefully tried to reproduce texts exactly, retaining oddities of spelling and punctuation, a feature entertaining to ordinary readers and valuable to scholars. The book's presentation of documents in chronological order is welcome. Scholars will probably be the main consumers using this product.

This volume is a major contribution to Lincoln studies.

Forget authors, historians with agendas. Read what the people who actually knew Abraham Lincoln said about him.

Before Lincoln's body was cold, William Herndon, Lincoln's law partner for 17 years and friend for longer, began interviewing Lincoln's friends, family members, enemies, acquaintances, neighbors, etc. His goal was to collect as much information as possible about his friend, so he could write a completely truthful biography. "Warts and all" Herndon said. Unfortunately, Herndon soon realized he could not use some of the information he collected because it was very personal and Lincoln's image would be tarnished. Fortunately, some of this information he could not use you will find in this book. While 98% of this book contains very interesting information about all aspects of Lincoln's life. It is the remaining 2%, the unsavory stuff, that is so fascinating! For instance, I was surprised to read about the number of Lincoln's friends who told stories about Lincoln's involvement with prostitutes (before his marriage). Some friends even speculate about Lincoln maybe having one or two illegitimate children. This book contains information I never learned in school about Lincoln!