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Book ReviewOriginally published in The British Journal of Healthcare Computing & Information Management. |
Brian Butterworth (1999). The Mathematical Brain. Macmillan.
Walking from house number 3555 in ascending order to 3832 is a 15 minute stroll through several streets in Venice that takes you back to the square from which you started. This short journey is one of many illustrations incorporated within a wonderful historical and cultural voyage of discovery mapped out by Brian Butterworth. The central thesis is that humans have a hard-wired number module within the brain which provides the foundations for our mathematical knowledge. Evidence is collated from all sources, starting with marks on prehistoric bones, progressing through records from ancient civilisations, and comparing counting mechanisms within present-day tribal cultures. The conclusion is compelling: the ability to count and calculate is not the result of an invention but due to the evolution of specialist neural organisations for perceiving "numerosity"---the amount of objects within a set. It is supported by developmental psychology, animal studies, and neuropsychological research into people who have suffered brain-damage.
This is an uplifting book which demystifies mathematics. Apart from a few special cases, we are all capable of being numerate and the main attribute that distinguishes geniuses is copious practice. An important chapter convincingly argues that our innate number abilities require development through understanding relationships between numbers and operations, not by rote learning of tables and abstract procedures. Among the many asides is a splendid slap-down of Kenneth Baker and the previous Conservative Government's attitude to maths and science. However, there is no room for complacency and Brian Butterworth has some salutary words about the current "numeracy hour". Teachers and politicians should read this book and plan strategies based on psychological reality rather than retrogressive ritual.