A REPORT ON MY QUEST FOR A COLLEGE EDUCATION

So far, I have flunked out of calculus. It is a really complicated method of calculating problems that are continually changing. Sounds interesting but it is beyond my current capabilities. However, I am not giving up. I have enrolled in a Stanford University course called Introduction to mathematical thinking. It is supposed to help get me prepared for calculus.

My course at Edinburgh University about philosophy is going well. I have passed the first 4 weekly quizzes. Philosophy is an academic discipline that exercises reason and logic in an attempt to understand reality and answer important questions about knowledge, life, morality and human nature. Philosophers try to take some of the mystery out of life. The ancient philosophers wrote long, circular sentences that are difficult to understand but modern philosophers do answer some important questions in a language that can be understood. My favorite modern philosopher is Nassim Nicholas Teleb. He is able to speak 6 different languages fluently and has conquered all the advanced fields of mathematics. He is a well known risk manager in the world of options and derivatives. After making a ton of money in that field, he became an author and distinguished professor of Risk Engineering at New York University. His book, ANTIFRAGILE: THINGS THAT GAIN FROM DISORDER is the very best non-fiction book that I have ever read. It changed my view of how the world works. I recommend that you read it!