There was once a bumper sticker that read, "Remember the good old days when air was clean and sex was dirty?" Indeed, some of us are old enough to remember not only those good old days, but even the days when Math was/un(!), not the ponderous THEOREM, PROOF, THEOREM, PROOF, . . . , but the whimsical, "I've got a good prob lem. " Why did the mood change? What misguided educational philoso phy transformed graduate mathematics from a passionate activity to a form of passive scholarship? In less sentimental terms, why have the graduate schools dropped the Problem Seminar? We therefore offer "A Problem Seminar" to those students who haven't enjoyed the fun and games of problem solving. CONTENTS Preface v Format I Problems 3 Estimation Theory 11 Generating Functions 17 Limits of Integrals 19 Expectations 21 Prime Factors 23 Category Arguments 25 Convexity 27 Hints 29 Solutions 41 FORMAT This book has three parts: first, the list of problems, briefly punctuated by some descriptive pages; second, a list of hints, which are merely meant as words to the (very) wise; and third, the (almost) complete solutions. Thus, the problems can be viewed on any of three levels: as somewhat difficult challenges (without the hints), as more routine problems (with the hints), or as a textbook on "how to solve it" (when the solutions are read). Of course it is our hope that the book can be enjoyed on any of these three levels.

How you can enrich your life by becoming a more skillful and engaged reader of literature We are what we read, according to Robert DiYanni. Reading may delight us or move us; we may read for instruction or inspiration. But more than this, in reading we discover ourselves. We gain access to the lives of others, explore the limitless possibilities of human existence, develop our understanding of the world around us, and find respite from the hectic demands of everyday life. In You Are What You Read, DiYanni provides a practical guide that shows how we can increase the benefits and pleasures of literature by becoming more skillful and engaged readers. DiYanni suggests that we attend first to what authors say and the way in which they say it, rather than rushing to decide what they mean. He considers the various forms of literature, from the essay to the novel, the short story to the poem, demonstrating rewarding approaches to each in sample readings of classic works. Through a series of illuminating oppositions, he explores the paradoxical pleasures of reading: solitary versus social reading, submitting to or resisting the author, reading inwardly or outwardly, and more. DiYanni closes with nine recommended reading practices, thoughts on the different experiences of print and digital reading, and advice on what to read and why. Written in a clear, inviting, and natural style, You Are What You Read is an essential guide for all who want to enrich their reading—and their life.