The finger and the moon
Letters to a young mathematician has some good moments. Some good pages that can help (for example teachers) inspiring students by showing that there is something behind (or above) the boring Math that is thaught in schools.
Stewart points us the moon of fun mathematics in the first chapters. Unfortunately he nevers brings us there. He just waves his big finger closer and closer to our eyes as if we were stupid.
The concept that Math is much more than the boring bookeeping of arithmetics is repeated on and on for the rest of the book.
I also found irritating the clumsyness with which Stewart deals with the "women in Math business". Stewart is fighting an important battle there but, in my opinion, he is late on the battle field and carries no weapons.
All in all Letters to a young mathematician is an enjoyable, easy-reading book with few good sparkles. If you hate repetitions and overexplanations this is probably not a book for you. Mathematics is in the background, it is very difficult to be able to see it because of Stewart's big finger in the foreground.
