Let's start at the beginning

I like those movies where the hero, which in this case is me of course, is in some sort of predicament and then the movie goes back in time to show how this present situation came about. Time shifting is fun but it can get confusing, so we will just start at the beginning to provide context for everything that follows.

When I was 12 I realized that I liked math and decided I wanted to learn more about it. Since neither of my parents were math professors, I just went over to my local library to check out some books. Then I realized I needed more time to read them so I started going to used bookstores in my neighborhood to purchase cheap math books using my allowance. I found one book I was looking for called "One, Two ,Three,...Infinity" by George Gamow and another called "The Gentle Art of Mathematics" written by the unfortunately named Daniel Pedoe.  My understanding is that he wasn't.

Both of these books are excellent but they both contained pictures which shocked me and I never forgot them.  First the Gamow pic

Now the Pedoe pic

The pictures are self explanatory. I was young and impressionable but I wasn't stupid and I understood the message being conveyed. I was also appropriately angry, and knew that these pictures could not be allowed to pass without incident (Equilibrium reference) and I would have to address them someday. Kind of like when Arnold says, "I'll be back." (Terminator reference) Forty five years later, I'm back, and to quote Liam Neeson "I told you I would find you." (Taken reference) I just found the books on my bookshelf.

Speaking of bookshelves, here are the bookshelves I found these books on in 1978.

This the math book section at Powell's books on 57th street in Hyde Park. It used to be just the one shelf on the left but turned into two shelves over the years. Before the internet, when the library didn't have your book, this was an affordable alternative if you got lucky!