Off the Deep End: Diary of a Mathematician

This is Scott Axelrod's diary from the summer of 2011. In it, he finds his voice as a writer piecing together his life. His story is framed by a transformative experience he had when a manic episode led him to believe he could "solve the human condition." But that's not really possible, is it? Is the human condition, the circumstances of our lives on this earth, a problem to be solved? Sixteen years after his singular manic episode, Axelrod tries to integrate his thoughts about the social world with his work with some of the highest-level physicists and mathematicians in the world. He tries to understand the communities that shaped and absorb him. He shows us how his interactions with family and friends help him as he goes "off the deep end"--and then deeper and deeper. While writing the diary, Axelrod goes through a personal transformation. Archimedes said, "Give me a place to stand on and with a lever I will move the whole world." Maybe if enough people read this book and listen to its messages, it could change the world or touch a human heart.