Home › Books › x + y: A Mathematician's Manifesto for Rethinking…
x + y: A Mathematician's Manifesto for Rethinking Gender
by
30/99
Critics
29/99
Readers
n/a
Scholars
27/99
Rating
34/99
Volume
18/99
Rating
40/99
Volume
—
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
A brilliant mathematician's new path out of gender inequalityWhy are men in charge? After years in the male-dominated field of mathematics and in the female-dominated field of art, Eugenia Cheng has heard the question many times. In x + y, Cheng argues that her mathematical specialty -- category theory -- reveals why. Category theory deals more with context, relationships, and nuanced versions of equality than with intrinsic characteristics. Category theory also emphasizes dimensionality: much as a cube can cast a square or diamond shadow, depending on your perspective, so too do gender politics appear to change with how we examine them. Because society often rewards traits that it associates with males, such as competitiveness, we treat the problems those traits can create as male. But putting competitive women in charge will leave many unjust relationships in place. If we want real change, we need to transform the contexts in which we all exist, and not simply who we think we are.
Preview
Reviews
"It's easy to criticize this book."
"And, though she carefully explains the ways in which anyone can exercise congressive power and influence, a cynical reader is likely to wonder why, even in this egalitarian system, it still seems likely that ingressive people (mostly men) are going to go on making tonnes of money, while congressive people (mostly women) will be putting others first ..."
"Her approach to mathematics is open-ended, exploratory, collaborative and rather life-affirming ..."
"Mathematician and math popularizer Cheng takes a positive view ..."
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!