Chief Academics Officer Tawney Pens Math Book “For Life”

Great Hearts Chief Academic Officer, Jake Tawney, can now add published author to his title. His new book, Another Sort of Mathematics: Selected Proofs Necessary to Finally Acquire an Education in Mathematics was officially released on Amazon by publisher, Encounter Books. While Tawney oversees much of the curriculum for Great Hearts academies, he shared that this is not a math textbook, but a journey through mathematical beauty, inviting one to reclaim the discipline as a human pursuit rather than a utilitarian one. A book “for life.”

“I wanted to read a book about mathematics in classical education. When I couldn’t find one, I decided to write it. In other words, I wrote the book I wanted to read,” shared Tawney. In a note to his Great Hearts colleagues, Tawney shared that this book, “has truly been a labor of love,” adding that he is, “grateful to all of the hearts and minds that have shaped my thoughts over the years.”

Tawney’s Introduction in his book explains that it is a tribute to James V. Schall’s Another Sort of Learning, a book he had read years ago. “Schall’s short book sets out to list some things you should read but probably were never required to read… Similarly, this book you have in your hands is not a curriculum. It is, however, a sort of list of some things from mathematics you should experience but probably were not ever required to experience,” wrote Tawney. “There is something unique in the human soul that can only be satisfied by wondering about mathematics.”

Tawney has been enamored by mathematics for as long as he can remember, from kindergarten to calculus. But he truly fell in love with it during his sophomore year at Denison University during a course on mathematical proofs. After completing an undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science from Denison, he continued his studies at The Ohio State University. There he earned a master’s degree in mathematics, submitting a thesis on the mathematics of juggling. During his time in Ohio, Tawney taught at Upper Arlington High School and the Pontifical College Josephinum, including courses in Euclid and the philosophy of mathematics.

In 2014 he relocated to Phoenix, Arizona with his wife, Christina, and their six children, to join Great Hearts. Tawney is now the proud father of eight children, and the apples have not fallen far from the Tawney tree. Three of his children are also published authors who have written and published The Perilous Quest and The Fountain of Oblivion, the first two books of The Wanderer’s Trilogy that they have created. Read full article, A Family That Writes Together, Stays Together.

At Great Hearts, we celebrate the classical arts, not just in the classroom, but in the lives of our faculty, staff, and leadership. We believe the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty is a collective pursuit for both students and staff. Join us is congratulating Tawney for this milestone in his own journey into wonder as a life-long learner.

“There is something unique in the human soul that can only be satisfied by wondering about mathematics.” – Jake Tawney, Another Sort of Mathematics: Selected Proofs Necessary to Finally Acquire an Education in Mathematics.

Order your copy of Another Sort of Mathematics today on Amazon or directly from the publisher.

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