1089 and All That - A Journey into Mathematics: Amazon.co.uk: David Acheson: Books

Review

... attractively produced ... The author has an easy, light style which should appeal to most readers. (The Mathematical Gazette )

There are more fascinating things in the book that cannot be described here. So, here is the message to all potential readers of this type of mathematical writing: even though you have doubtless read everything by Keith Devlin, Simon Singh, Martin Gardner, Raymond Smullyan, Lewis Carroll and you-name-it, this wonderful work is yet another 'must' for your bookshelf! (EMS )

...pages filled with a contagious enthusiasm... It has been produced with great care: at more than one point, one notices how artfully figures were placed. For example, at least twice a surprising conclusion appears just as we turn the page... This book packs a lifetime of wisdom and delight into sixteen brief chapters. (MAA Online )

I was surprised to see how much substantial mathematics David Acheson has squeezed into this well-crafted litte book... Even mathematicians will find fresh perspectives on old themes in this playful and inventive book. (John Mighton, The Mathematical Intelligence )

... this wonderful work is yet another 'must' for your bookshelf!... Well-known topics are not missing in the book, [readers] will always find something new and interesting in this book... each reader, whether mathematician or keen layman, will be delighted. (European Mathematical Society Newsletter )

... parts of this book are extremely funny... [It is] an ideal stocking filler... an ideal present for friends and relatives who are not mathematicians, but have enough curiosity to spend a gentle afternoon trying to find out what mathematics is about... Buy this book. (London Mathematical Society Newsletter )

This is an excellent and entertaining little book... Every teenage mathematician and every school library should have a copy... a most entertaining read. (Symmetry Plus )

It's an adorable, lovable, inspiring little masterpiece! (MAA Online )

... easy, light style ... covers many classic 'gems' of mathematics with the aim of providing the reader with a feel and, where possible, a readable explanation of the more intriguing parts of the subject. (The Mathematical Gazette )

On the surface this book is another of those 'let's look at the funny things about numbers' books. But no, this one was far more than that. It treated subjects briefly but in depth and breadth, linked them together, didn't make assumptions about my mathematical understanding, but neither did it waste time looking into all the minutiae of the subject. Truly inspiring and a great read over a weekend. (Mathematics Teaching )

This is a splendid little book. It has something for everyone, from the most "mathematically disadvantaged" even as far as those gnarled and bruised from a lifetime's engagement with such doughty opponents as the Navier-Stokes equations! David Acheson has brought together a collection of familiar topics which combine a solid mathematical content with a capacity to intrigue... the reader is left with a sense of the magic of mathematics. (UK Nonlinear News )

There are a few mathematicians who succeed in writing popular accounts of their craft without being superficial or condescending. With this book Acheson has joined the best of them. (Times Higher Education Supplement )

Most readers will find something to stimulate them in this book... The book is well illustrated with a nice balance of photos, diagrams and cartoons, and the text is easy to read, conveying the author's enjoyment of his subject. Anyone teaching mathematics would be stimulated by 1089 and all that: A Journey into Mathematics and it should find a place on the library shelves wherever mathematics is taught beyond GCSE. (Mathematics in School )

Who would like this book? Absolutely anyone. It is so nicely written, so charming, and so entertainingly lighthearted, that it is an absolute little gem. (Plus Magazine )

One of the happier effects of the explosion in popular science books is that every so often an author presents scientific ideas in a new way... Starting from such minimalist material, David Acheson works his way up to chaos and catastrophe. Not a page passes without at least one intriguing insight... This is a clever book, and anything but trivial... all mathematicians should buy at least a dozen copies to hand out to people they meet at parties. My enthusiasm for it knows no bounds. (New Scientist )

A lovely little book. (Simon Singh, author of Fermat's Last Theorem )

European Mathematical Society Newsletter

"... this wonderful work is yet another 'must' for your bookshelf!"

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46 of 48 people found the following review helpful

I never thought a book about Maths could be so good! 8 May 2003

By M. Marikar VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I had never thought that the words 'Maths book' and 'page-turner' could possibly go together, but David Acheson's small book "1089 and All That" proved me totally wrong.

You don't need any more than an AS-Level knowledge of Maths (even GCSE Higher would do) to be able to understand this book, as Acheson starts from the basics. Concepts are explained rapidly and succintly, without all the boring mumbo-jumbo that made you hate Maths lessons at school.

The most amazing thing about this book is the way Acheson explains the concepts, showing us where all these formulas and mathematical functions came from, and, most amazing of all, where they can be found in nature.

Whether you liked or disliked Maths at school, this book will change your perception of Maths completely. I found myself either thinking or exclaiming aloud "Wow!" every few pages! This book will probably make you despise your old Maths teachers even more, as you'll find that the 'boring' equations and functions you were taught in school have another side (or can be explained in another way) which most teachers never mention - and which is much more interesting and relevant to real life.

What this book proves is that Maths is a science of discovery - it's not about weirdo geniuses making up complex equations to confuse everyone else. You'll learn that things like pi and e can be found in real life - and thereby realise that they were discovered, not invented. You'll also find that the "Indian Rope Trick" is actually possible, in the right conditions (I won't go further, as that'll spoil the book).

At the time of buying this book, I was undecided about what subject to do at university. Due to the way I had been taught Maths, I came to regard it as a 'boring but necessary' subject. This book left me in wonder - it changed my perception of Maths completely. By the time I had finished reading it I had decided that I was going to do Maths at university.

But don't let that scare you off! Whether you intend to study Maths or not, this book is a fascinating read. Buy it now - it's worth every penny and I guarantee you'll love it.

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39 of 41 people found the following review helpful

A delightful book ! 16 Jun 2003

By A Customer

David Acheson has written a beautiful introduction to mathematics, showing why the subject is facinating and fun. The 'icing on the cake' of this book is its delightful & quirky illustrations which range from cartoons to pictures of a model train set (perhaps the author's own?).
I'm convinced anyone interested in maths can read this book with enjoyment and profit - from teenagers to those who were scared off the subject first time round. Mathematics is a facinating & enjoyable subject full of depth & surprises- but unfortunately it is also a subject which many people are needlessly frightened of. If you are one of those people, or if you are the sort of person who just likes a good read- then buy this book - I promise you that you won't be disappointed.
As a post script, if you are a student studying maths at university; you'll still enjoy this book (I did and I'm a mathematics lecturer!) but a book which you'll enjoy far more & will be helpful in your studies is Acheson's 'From Calculus to Chaos' also published by OUP & also a 'five star' read.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

A fascinating little book! 20 Mar 2004

By H. Nye

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am currently training to be a maths teacher, and bought this book largely out of curiosity. But what a great little book! It is written in a style that is understandable to anyone without a great deal of mathematical knowledge, but is still interesting to anyone with a maths background. The style is lively and entertaining, and there are plenty of pictures and diagrams. Chapters such as 'The Trouble with Algebra', 'On being as Small as Possible', 'Are We Nearly There?', 'What is the secret of All Life', and 'Not Quite the Indian Rope Trick' introduce topics such as algebra, geometry, caluculus, infinity and far, far more. It has lots of fascinating little snippits that appealed not only to me, but also to my husband (who is not a mathematician), and my 13 year-old son. A lovely little book!