ANATHEM—Neal Stephenson—Erasmus (Raz to friends), a mathic pseudo monk (avout) in a Concent (cloister, sort of) on the world Arbre is the hero and guide thorugh this 890 page novel with a 20 page Glossary and an additional 25 page description of solutions to mathmatical problems posed in the text. This is not an easy book to read, but well worth it for the story line based on a concept of multiple universes, the physics, the growth and perpetuation of philosophical and mathematical ideas, examples of tight logical reasoning the list goes on. Stephenson's characters, and that they are, become full dimensional. He carefuly builds his world—treating the reader to a new vocabulary which, blessedly, is contained in the Glossary (and to which I frequently referred). As his world takes shape, it it threatened and the Avout are called to help the Seculars (those out of Concent) defend their world, their tiny place in the vastness of the universe, or universes. Challenging it is, but wonderful at multiple levels.