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Review
In a charming, conversational prose style, and with diagrams to ease brain stress, he draws us into a forbidding world, often going into the history of famous bits of maths, including the origins of Tetris and Rubik's Cube.
The most immediately fascinating chapter is on the application of probability theory to gambling, with insights into slot machines, insurance, lotteries and a neat explanation of Pascal's wager on the existence of God. --Metro
What Bellos calls "the wow factor" of mathematics leaps out at the reader from every page ... The stories prove so engaging, the personalities so colorful, that readers may forget
they are mastering some powerful mathematical concepts. --Booklist
`A mathematical wonder that will leave you hooked on numbers' --Daily Telegraph
`Spectacularly successful introduction to the excitement and wonder of mathematics.' --Sunday Times
`He renders the world of numbers accessible and captivating' --Daily Express
`A truly marvellous survey of modern mathematics' --Martin Gardner, for more than 25 years author of the 'Mathematical Games' column in Scientific American
`An unforgettable journey of intellectual discovery'
--Apostolos Doxiadis, author of Logicomix and Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture
Starting with chapter zero, all twelve chapters are a fascinating exploration of the wonders of maths.
--City A.M Newspaper
Review
'Original and highly entertaining' Sunday Times 'Will leave you hooked on numbers' Daily Telegraph 'A page turner about humanity's strange, never easy and, above all, never dull relationship with numbers' New Scientist 'Outstanding ... The style is laced with humour, but at all times, the star of the show is mathematics' Ian Stewart, Prospect
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
133 of 135 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Mathematics gets a bad press in school and elsewhere, characterized as dry and difficult ,is one of the most hated topics in a student can read. But for Alex Bellos math can be inspiring and brilliantly creative and he proves it in this book that can be read easily by most non-geeks.
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.
Exploring the mysteries of randomness, he explains why it is impossible for our iPods to 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.
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.From the Amazon forest he tells the story of a tribe there who can count only to five and reports on the latest findings about the math instinct and also the revelation that ants can actually count how many steps they've taken.In India he finds the brilliant mathematical insights of the Buddha and in Japan he visits the creator of Sudoku and explores the delights of mathematical games.
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.
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.
Exploring the mysteries of randomness, he explains why it is impossible for our iPods to 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.
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.From the Amazon forest he tells the story of a tribe there who can count only to five and reports on the latest findings about the math instinct and also the revelation that ants can actually count how many steps they've taken.In India he finds the brilliant mathematical insights of the Buddha and in Japan he visits the creator of Sudoku and explores the delights of mathematical games.
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.
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
I've just finished reading the Kindle edition of this book and really enjoyed it, but just had to comment on the slap-dash approach to the reproductions of most of the maths and equations in it.
Wherever a fraction is used in text, it's set in a minuscule font that most of the time is impossible to read. Similarly many of the more esoteric characters used when discussing alternate number systems or concepts are represented by tiny grey smudges.
Where longer equations are reproduced, they are often typo-riddled, or inconsistently transcribed. Sometimes powers are raised above the line, other times they're just a standard numeral. At other times the typos go beyond simple typographic quirks to the point of making the equations just plain wrong. Amusingly, throughout the book it insists that the symbol for infinity is "8".
I highly recommend the book, but if you're at all interested in the numbers you'll probably enjoy a paper version more.
Wherever a fraction is used in text, it's set in a minuscule font that most of the time is impossible to read. Similarly many of the more esoteric characters used when discussing alternate number systems or concepts are represented by tiny grey smudges.
Where longer equations are reproduced, they are often typo-riddled, or inconsistently transcribed. Sometimes powers are raised above the line, other times they're just a standard numeral. At other times the typos go beyond simple typographic quirks to the point of making the equations just plain wrong. Amusingly, throughout the book it insists that the symbol for infinity is "8".
I highly recommend the book, but if you're at all interested in the numbers you'll probably enjoy a paper version more.
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As one who, many years ago, just scraped by on the minimum amount of maths needed to pursue a career in chemistry, I've always enjoyed reading user-friendly books on maths --- with strictly no exam at the end --- but this one is in a class of its own. Every page-turn brings new vistas of mathematical marvels.
For all that, among the most interesting parts were those which dealt with might be thought, by comparison, more prosaic subjects, namely, the history of maths, right from man's first efforts at counting.
I didn't want the book to end!
For all that, among the most interesting parts were those which dealt with might be thought, by comparison, more prosaic subjects, namely, the history of maths, right from man's first efforts at counting.
I didn't want the book to end!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Value added taxes
Though far from being a senior wrangler, I hold my own at mathematics up to a point. So I embarked on Alex Bellos's journey with pleasure and, mostly, understanding. Read more
Published 4 days ago by G. M. Sinstadt
Brilliant!
I've bought this book about ten times now as I think it's so good I keep lending it to people who show the remotest interest in maths. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Esmerelda
A different approach
This was my first Kindle purchase.
The content is different and very interesting, but it is not really suited to a Kindle as there are diagrams and illustrations which do not... Read more
The content is different and very interesting, but it is not really suited to a Kindle as there are diagrams and illustrations which do not... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Keith I. Mentzel
Alex's Adventures in Numberland
This book is fascinating, entertaining and accessible.
I've read many mathematical books for the non-specialist, and this is easily the best. Read more
I've read many mathematical books for the non-specialist, and this is easily the best. Read more
Published 1 month ago by The Rational Skeptic
Alex's walking in a number wonderland
I enjoyed this book immensely. The author starts at chapter nought as this number hadn't been invented until after the others, and takes us on a journey from the Amazon jungle to... Read more
Published 2 months ago by David Wilson
Excellent book!!!
I'd highly recommend this very entertaining book! It sheds a lot of light on the beauty of the world of math, that we either take for granted or shy away from. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. Cs Travis
Well read maths
Playful and literary. Alex writes on a subject that he is passionate about and his enthusiasm is infections. Read more
Published 2 months ago by paul hensey
Good in parts
Having finished reading this book I have mixed feelings about it. Overall, for the price, it is quite a good read. Read more
Published 3 months ago by John Digswell
It all works out in the end!
Not being a whizz at maths at school, I felt that after 26 years, it was time to face my fear. I was surprised to find this book thoroughly riviting. I would recommend it. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Powners
Like Maths?
I bought this as a present for someone who enjoys maths and this book caught my eye. It was received with interest and found to be very interesting.
Published 4 months ago by quack
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