For over fifty years Martin Gardner has been writing witty, entertaining, and highly intelligent articles on an amazing range of topics. Best known for his works on popular science and mathematics, and as an incisive skeptical commentator on the paranormal, Gardner is also an accomplished writer of children's literature, a novelist, and essayist on religion and philosophy. This collection of essays and book reviews takes its name from the bookend articles, "The Wandering Jew and the Second Coming" and "The Faith of William Buckley," which in themselves demonstrate the extent of Gardner's interests.
Besides the legend of the Wandering Jew, its relation to the Second Coming, and Bill Buckley's religious convictions, Gardner also takes on the subjects of astrology, psychic surgery, word play in the stories of L. Frank Baum (author of "The Wizard of Oz"), and the history of a forgotten children's magazine. In addition, there are reviews of books by astronomer Carl Sagan, philosopher Paul Edwards, and science fiction writer H. G. Wells, along with commentary on mathematics, Lewis Carroll, chess, Christian Science, science fads, and more.
Longtime Gardner fans and intellectually curious newcomers will welcome this entertaining and literate collection by one of America's most brilliant essayists.
- ISBN10 1615929347
- ISBN13 9781615929344
- Publish Date 2 June 2010 (first published 1 October 2000)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Prometheus Books
- Format eBook
- Pages 350
- Language English