FOM: Hersh's Book

[Stephen Cook]

In outlining his book Reuben Hersh (Dec 22) makes the case that mathematics
is a "social-cultural-historic" reality.  Who would disagree?  But so
are all academic disciplines.  It seems to me that a more important question
which should be addressed by a book on the nature of mathematics is: 
What is it that distinguished mathematics from other academic disciplines?

Stephen Cook