There were three of us in our sophomore year at the Eastside High School of Paterson, New Jersey, who got to be known as the three math nuts. We were Al (Albert), Lou (Louis), and myself. We lived and breathed mathematics and were never happier than when we were struggling over some difficult mathematics problem.

We had been hearing a great deal about a remarkable branch of mathematics called “the calculus.” Though today it is not uncommon to find a beginning course in calculus taught in high school, back then the practice was unheard of, and one had to await the sophomore year in college before being able to take the course. We just couldn't wait that long, and so we decided to learn the subject on our own. Now by far the most-used calculus book in those days was Granville's Calculus. What a mint of royalties that book must have earned, for it was the book almost universally adopted in the colleges throughout the country. We accordingly ordered three copies of the famous book and, at bi-weekly evening meetings at one another's home, we began teaching the subject to ourselves.

I know that today one is supposed to make disparaging remarks about the Granville calculus book, but I shall never be able to do this, for I admired and enjoyed the book enormously and learned a great deal from it.