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Everything and More: Cantor & Zeno & mathematics & abstraction & 鈭� (Great Discoveries series) by David Foster Wallace, W. W. Norton, $23.95, ISBN 0393003388 Reviewed by Michael Brooks

THERE aren鈥檛 many books about mathematics that will have you laughing out loud, but this is one of them. It鈥檚 a great read. And when a novelist takes on a difficult subject, you might expect something a bit watery, or perhaps a purely historical approach. But Everything and More, a novelist鈥檚 (and novel) look at infinity, has the maths and the history, as well as dry and very funny asides and 鈥� most impressive of all 鈥� the flair and style to pull all of it together.

There are moments where David Foster Wallace pulls off a very convincing impression of maverick writer Dave Eggers鈥檚 style. While never letting up on the concept and exploration of infinity, Foster Wallace manages to give the story a confessional and witty tone while maintaining the sense that you are in the company of a trustworthy and knowledgeable guide.

I particularly like the emergency glossary and the 鈥淚YI鈥� (鈥渋f you鈥檙e interested鈥�) footnotes. Foster Wallace confesses in his 鈥淪mall But Necessary Foreword鈥� that this phrase was getting over-used in the early drafts, so he decided to make a virtue of it. The device works superbly. His opening consideration of the perils of abstract thought is possibly even better. Suddenly you鈥檙e wondering why you think it鈥檚 safe to get out of bed in the morning. Then you鈥檙e back in Foster Wallace鈥檚 childhood as he considers the (unsavoury) fate of Mr Chicken. Read it and you鈥檒l understand鈥�

I can live without equations; I skipped, rather than pondered, most of them, I admit. But they鈥檙e there if you want them. This book could be considered authoritative or fun 鈥� you decide. I should mention just one drawback: the version I read had no chapter breaks. So you鈥檒l have to find the discipline to put it down, and get back out into the finite.