|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
Review
“An expansive overview of numbers and figures, and those who find them irresistible….A smorgasbord for math fans of all abilities.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A lively romp through many different fields of mathematics.”
“A lively romp through many different fields of mathematics.”
—Library Journal
“A delightful worldwide tour of the most interesting and weirdest in math.”—The Daily Beast
Product Description
Too often math gets a bad rap, characterized as dry and difficult. But, Alex Bellos says, "math can be inspiring and brilliantly creative. Mathematical thought is one of the great achievements of the human race, and arguably the foundation of all human progress. The world of mathematics is a remarkable place."Bellos has traveled all around the globe and has plunged into history to uncover fascinating stories of mathematical achievement, from the breakthroughs of Euclid, the greatest mathematician of all time, to the creations of the Zen master of origami, one of the hottest areas of mathematical work today. Taking us into the wilds of the Amazon, he tells the story of a tribe there who can count only to five and reports on the latest findings about the math instinct—including the revelation that ants can actually count how many steps they’ve taken. Journeying to the Bay of Bengal, he interviews a Hindu sage about the brilliant mathematical insights of the Buddha, while in Japan he visits the godfather of Sudoku and introduces the brainteasing delights of mathematical games.Exploring the mysteries of randomness, he explains why it is impossible for our iPods to truly randomly select songs. In probing the many intrigues of that most beloved of numbers, pi, he visits with two brothers so obsessed with the elusive number that they built a supercomputer in their Manhattan apartment to study it. Throughout, the journey is enhanced with a wealth of intriguing illustrations, such as of the clever puzzles known as tangrams and the crochet creation of an American math professor who suddenly realized one day that she could knit a representation of higher dimensional space that no one had been able to visualize.
Whether writing about how algebra solved Swedish traffic problems, visiting the Mental Calculation World Cup to disclose the secrets of lightning calculation, or exploring the links between pineapples and beautiful teeth, Bellos is a wonderfully engaging guide who never fails to delight even as he edifies. Here’s Looking at Euclid is a rare gem that brings the beauty of math to life.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Number theory for dummies like me,
By RMS (Paris, France) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Here's Looking at Euclid: From Counting Ants to Games of Chance-- An Awe-Inspiring Journey Through the World of Numbers (Paperback)
Although it gets off to a rather slow start, and is at times too wordy about the (usually I must admit most impressive and interesting) mathematicians whom the author has met, this very-very-easy-to-read book does cover a great deal of absolutely fascinating aspects of numbers and the wonderful, even mind-boggling discoveries of many geniuses throughout the ages. A book particularly suitable for young people who would like to know more about big subjects like Pi and infinity and probabilities and (astounding) number series and much much more.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Amazing World of Mathematics - For Everyone,
By
This review is from: Here's Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion Through the Astonishing World of Math (Hardcover)
This is a book in which just about everyone should find something of interest, mainly because the author's topics are so wide-ranging. In the first chapters, he discusses how the brain works when solving mathematical problems. He then moves on to how primitive societies started counting and how mathematical concepts evolved. In subsequent chapters, the reader is treated to discussions on a variety of topics including: geometry, origami, number games (e.g., Sudoku), number theory, logarithms, devices used for calculating (abacus, slide rule, etc.), graphing, infinities, the golden mean, pi, probability (especially as applied to gambling), and statistics. In each case, the reader is introduced to some history, various related anecdotes as well as key people (some of whom the author has interviewed) who are currently involved in some of these topics. The author notes that the chapters can be read in any order, but suggests that the usual progression may be best.Naturally, in a book that is so sweeping in its topics, a given reader may enjoy some chapters more than others; that certainly was my case. However, throughout, the writing style is lively, friendly, accessible, authoritative and quite engaging (depending, of course, on the reader's topics of preference). I do believe that this book has something for everyone. Those who are math phobic may find clues as to why they are that way, i.e., how their brains may work when they are confronted with a math problem; maths buffs may find fascinating historical information as well current developments in some fields of mathematics that are less known to them. Gamblers may find information that could improve their odds at winning at certain games, or they could learn why they may lose more than they win. Those simply interested in math for its own sake will find plenty here to explore and enjoy.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fact-filled, fun read,
By S. Latendresse (Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Here's Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion Through the Astonishing World of Math (Hardcover)
This book is a marvelous introduction to the science of numbers. Compared to other books about numbers, this one has a clear structure, gives enough details to back his facts, and is easy to understand. In each chapter he gradually introduces the more bizarre aspects of math and numbers: logic and magic squares, tips for ultra-fast multiplications, the golden number and pi, geometry, series, irrational numbers, infinity... All packaged so that you discover and understand why they're so exciting. This is what is missing from all the math courses I've ever taken.Too bad that some passages are missing from the US version; but if you really want to, you can read excerpts from them on the author's website. Overall, a very interesting book for those who want to see the fun side of math.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Cultural
- Books > Science > Mathematics
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
