"The Calculus of Friendship" is the story of an extraordinary connection between a teacher and a student, as chronicled through more than thirty years of letters between them. What makes their relationship unique is that it is based almost entirely on a shared love of calculus. For them, calculus is more than a branch of mathematics; it is a game they love playing together, a constant when all else is in flux. The teacher goes from the prime of his career to retirement, competes in whitewater kayaking at the international level, and loses a son. The student matures from high school math whiz to Ivy League professor, suffers the sudden death of a parent, and blunders into a marriage destined to fail. Yet through it all they take refuge in the haven of calculus - until a day comes when calculus is no longer enough. Like calculus itself, "The Calculus of Friendship" is an exploration of change. It's about the transformation that takes place in a student's heart, as he and his teacher reverse roles, as they age, as they are buffeted by life itself. Written by a renowned teacher and communicator of mathematics, "The Calculus of Friendship" is warm, intimate, and deeply moving. The most inspiring ideas of calculus, differential equations, and chaos theory are explained through metaphors, images, and anecdotes in a way that all readers will find beautiful, and even poignant. Math enthusiasts, from high school students to professionals, will delight in the offbeat problems and lucid explanations in the letters. For anyone whose life has been changed by a mentor, "The Calculus of Friendship" will be an unforgettable journey.

史蒂芬•斯托加茨

 美國康奈爾大學應用數學係教授，專攻方嚮：動力係統理論、數學生物學和復雜網絡理論。

 曾榮獲麻省理工E.M. Baker 傑齣教師奬，康奈爾大學Tau Beta Pi 卓越教師奬，美國JPBM 教師交流奬。

 1998年在《自然》期刊刊錶的《“小世界”網絡中的集體動力學》(Collective dynamics of 'small-world' networks)，被視為學習復雜網絡的基礎，是1998—2008年，該領域引用次數最高的論文。

 從2010年1月開始，他開始為《紐約時報》“每周數學”專欄撰文，為企業傢和管理人士提供重要決策的數學解決方案。