MAR 2, 2014  

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my carry-on companion

I’ve considered and reconsidered more than once to write about books which influenced my life the most. And it turns out, again and again, that it shouldn’t be a simple list, one-dimensional, but at least two-dimensional with my maturity time line incorporated. Quite a requirement, to say at least. Not ready, yet.

Now, if you ask me which book is my companion for the most of my lifetime, that’s easy - it’s a math guide/manual for the engineers and college students in engineering:

И.Н. Бронштейн и К.А. Семендяев:

Справочник по математике

для инженеров и учащихся втузов

(Spravočnik po matematike dlja inženerov i učaščichsja vtuzov by I.N. Bronštejn and K. A. Semendjaev, Izdanie 7-oe, stereotipnoe, 1957). When I bought it as a Croatian high school senior in 1957, I didn’t know its true value and worldwide reputation, later I’ve learned that it has been translated into a dozen languages, including those with highest technical standards, like German.

Well, Spravočnik was my companion through the high education in Croatia and Slovenia, all the way to Physics Ph.D, my research and teaching 1962-84 in Croatia, my postdoctoral studies 1967-9 in Canada, summer school on magnetic resonance 

Spravocnik po matematike

1970 in Norway, research year 1970/71 in Soviet Union (Spravočnik was back in his mother- land!), teaching and research 1984-92 at four US universities in New York, Ohio and Colorado, and finally, 1993-2005 research at Eltron Research in Boulder, Colorado.

Do I have to say more?

Nowadays, both Spravočnik and I are retirees, both look rather old. We rarely, on very few instances, encounter a problem together. But Spravočnik has a distinguished position on the bookshelf and we watch each other with some nostalgia.

 

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