# Read The Masters, Not Their Pupils

> It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathemati
> cs, one should study the masters and not the pupils.
>
> Niels Henrik Abel

Caution: Masters != Ancients.

Read the masters, not their pupils. An introductory book is good t
o know what to study. After that, go for the masters. Do not waste
time on textbooks.

If you want Euclidean geometry, read Euclid.
If you want Kantian philosophy, start with Critique of Pure Reason
by Kant.

The masters do not always mean the originals.

Newton made calculus. But read Euler instead. He is the master. Pr
incipia is useless except for historical purposes.

> Read Euler, he is the master of us all.
>
> Pierre-Simon Laplace

This applies any other domain like film, music, &c. too.