- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Profile Books; 1st edition edition (20 Mar 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1861972229
- ISBN-13: 978-1861972224
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.4 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
383,932 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #13 in Books > Biography > Science, Mathematics & Technology > Mathematics
- #79 in Books > Biography > Science, Mathematics & Technology > Computers
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More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Sarah Flannery is the Irish teenager who last year stunned the world by inventing a way of making public-key encryption much more efficient. Given that this is the underlying security technology of e-commerce, that is an achievement that many of the world's leading research laboratories would have been proud of. That it came from a modest, well-adjusted, cheerful Irish teenager is nothing short of miraculous.
In Code is the story of how she did it, and of what happened to her and her family as a result. It's an engaging, almost playful, book in which the reader is encouraged to spend lots of time working out mathematical puzzles set by the authors. This is not sadism on their part, but a cunning plot to get the reader thinking like a cryptographer. It's also a reflection of the way the Flannery family works, for it's clear that puzzle-solving is as much a part of their communal life as eating. The puzzles are interwoven with a narrative of Sarah's annus mirabilis, in which she found a stupendously clever way of easing the computational load which public-key cryptography imposes on machines. What's striking about this account is its level-headed, self-deprecating, eminently sane tone. This is a girl whose head hasn't been turned by fame. And that, in a way, is her greatest achievement.--John Naughton
Product Description
At the age of 16, the author became the Irish Young Scientist of the Year with a highly innovative, speedy and secure system of encoding data on the Internet. An inspiring account of a mathematical education with many puzzles and examples it offers into cryptography and numeracy.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a fascinating study of cryptography,
By A Customer
This review is from: In Code: A Mathematical Journey: A Mathematical Adventure (Paperback)
In her remarkable book, In Code, Sarah Flannery demonstrates a flair for explanation and a genius for mathematics that would be remarkable in any seasoned academic. In a sixteen-year old girl, it is nothing short of miraculous. This engaging, and rather touching story, is sprinkled with very digestible chunks of mathematics, ranging from the simple to the very complex, and some marvellous puzzles which really challenge the mind.Sarah's beautiful writing style has drawn comparisons with other esteemed mathematical writers such as Simon Singh and Martin Rees, and justifiably so. My sole complaint with the book is the lack of description on Cayley-Purser, Sarah's algorithm, and the subject of the book. This is a fantastic book, and its combination of fascinating mathematics and an inspiring storyline is sure to interest everybody from the experienced cryptographer to the general reader.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An inspiring and encouraging book,
By A. K. Johnston "(www.andrewj.com/books)" (LEATHERHEAD United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: In Code: A Mathematical Journey: A Mathematical Adventure (Paperback)
This is an inspiring book, telling the story of a young woman's introduction to, and enamourment with, of all things, mathematics. In an era where enthusiasm for the sciences is often seen as "uncool", it is delightfully encouraging to read the story of a family, and in particular the author herself, who understand both the value and the pleasure of such interests.The book balances two quite separate elements. On the one hand there's the story of how Sarah became interested in mathematics, did an interesting science project, and got a lot of attention when as a seventeen year old Irish girl she nearly invented a powerful new cryptographic system. On the other hand there's a very clear introduction to the mathematics underlying modern cryptography, presented using a range of interesting examples, puzzles and clear explanations. After an introduction to Sarah, her family, and the intellectual training methods of her parents, the first two thirds of the book focus mainly on the mathematical background, interspersed with regular anecdotes explaining how Sarah came to understand and use different skills and areas of knowledge. If you want an introduction to this area of mathematics you could do a lot worse than this book. The last third of the book focuses on how she did her science project, and what happened when she won a major prize in the annual Irish Young Scientist competition, including how she and her family dealt with quite unexpected fame and media attention. What is interesting is how seriously the Irish establishment and media seem to take these things, and puts to shame the British indifference to this sort of achievement. Finally a couple of appendixes present answers to the puzzles, and a few key pieces of mathematical background in more detail. The book is co-written by Sarah's father David. He's a mathematics lecturer, and on the evidence of both the explanations in the book, and the way he inspired his children it appears he's a very good one. Between the father's very strong skills in presenting mathematics, and the daughter's refreshing simplicity and honesty about all that's happened to her, they make a very powerful team. I would definitely recommend this book to any youngster interested in the sciences, or any sort of academic endeavour. I'd also recommend it to older readers, an encouraging proof that such interests have not been entirely abandoned.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A delightful tour of Maths via Blarney.,
By A Customer
This review is from: In Code: A Mathematical Journey (Hardcover)
Sarah Flannery and her father David have written a delightful book on mathematics and how Sarah caused hysteria in the world of cryptography last year when she appeared to have found a method of encrypting sensitive information which was 22 times faster than a method developed in 1977.The story of how she did this is told with refreshing charm, intelligence and wit. First off you are invited into her home to meet her family and then you are welcome to join her in solving mathematical puzzles set by her father. This is where the fun begins and in no time at all you are with Sarah preparing for her project on cryptography and the dramatic events which ensued from her success. The book is a wonderful read and full of wholesome good sense, warmth and laughter. It should be required reading for all parents and teachers of maths.
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