Once while working on a problem, someone was kind enough to point out to me that my problem was in the "Scottish Book. " I had not then heard of the Scottish Book and certainly did not realize that this book had no connection with Scotland. But, since that introduction I've become more and more aware of the magic of the mathematicians and the mathematics involved in its birth.
The Scottish Book offers a unique opportunity to communicate with the men and ideas of a time and place, Lwow, Poland, which have had an enormous influence on the development of mathematics. The history of the Scottish Book as detailed in the following lecture by Stanisfaw Ulam, provides amazing insight into the mathematical environment in Lwow before World War II.