- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: Allen Lane (3 July 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0713997575
- ISBN-13: 978-0713997576
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 13.4 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 521,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Lewis Carroll in Numberland
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'A fascinating story ... Wilson could not be better qualified to write a book on [Carroll's] career in numbers' - Jonathan Bate, Sunday Telegraph 'First-rate ... Wilson conjures the spirit of a man who delighted in paradox' Nature 'A loving mathematician's biography ! revel in the unravelling of an intricate and exquisite mind' Independent 'A delightful blend of whimsy, satire, endlessly ingenious puns, brain-teasers and unexpected (but very accessible) mathematical insights' - Matthew Reisz, The Times Higher Education Supplement
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
Lewis Carroll's writings have inspired and entertained generations of readers, but now his forgotten achievements in the world of numbers are finally brought to light by highly acclaimed author and mathematician Robin Wilson. Here Wilson explores the singular imagination of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson - known to millions around the world as Lewis Carroll - the creator of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass". "Lewis Carroll in Numberland" shows how this incredible mind was not limited to the exuberant fantasy and word play of his children's books which brim with mathematical allusions - arithmetical, geometrical, logical and mechanical. Dodgson's exceptional talent as a mathematician won him the Christ Church Mathematical Lectureship at Oxford, a position he held for over twenty-six years. During this time he published extensively and brilliantly in the traditional fields of geometry, logic and algebra. Wilson's passionate celebration of Dodgson's mathematical achievements reveals that his work in numbers went far beyond the purely academic. We are taken inside the mind of a man who turned his mathematical genius to the study of voting patterns, to the design of tennis tournaments and even to the prolific creation and popularization of imaginative, numerical puzzles. This absorbing book introduces us to the mind behind the myth and shows the true range of Carroll's extraordinary talents and numerous contributions to British society.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
"Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the looking-glass" are classics, and Lewis Carroll is also known as a pioneer of photography, but his mathematics is less well-known. This excellent book is a very readable account of Carroll's mathematics: his puzzles, his occasional pieces like "The Dynamics of a Parti-cle", his defence of Euclid, and his more serious work on the mathematics of voting systems, determinants and logic. Appropriately, this book is very entertaining: Carroll and Wilson share a love of jokes! You don't need to be a mathematician to enjoy this: if you want to know about Carroll's life beyond the Alice books, this is an excellent place to start.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Lewis Carroll in Numberland is written in the warm and witty style characteristic of Professor Robin Wilson. It is an excellent introduction to the mathematical interests and achievements of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (pron. Dodson!), aka Lewis Carroll, a man known much more for his Alice books than his mathematical prowess, which was considerable. It also gives something of the attitude and outlook of this most interesting man, the period he lived in and fin de siècle Oxford University.
If you're anything like me some of the more mathematical chapters will have you reaching for pen and paper, but that's certainly not mandatory, and there's plenty here for people who baulk at the mere mention of equations. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on logic and would recommend it to anyone who would like an introduction to this fascinating subject.
The style of the writing mirrors the playful and humorous style one associates with Carroll, a man who delighted in entertaining his friends, children and adults alike, with puzzles and games. The book is divided into short, easily digestible chapters -- which makes it perfect for the commute to work! A highly enjoyable read and I heartily recommend it.
If you're anything like me some of the more mathematical chapters will have you reaching for pen and paper, but that's certainly not mandatory, and there's plenty here for people who baulk at the mere mention of equations. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on logic and would recommend it to anyone who would like an introduction to this fascinating subject.
The style of the writing mirrors the playful and humorous style one associates with Carroll, a man who delighted in entertaining his friends, children and adults alike, with puzzles and games. The book is divided into short, easily digestible chapters -- which makes it perfect for the commute to work! A highly enjoyable read and I heartily recommend it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The book comprised a nice balance of biography and a range of maths based content, which provide a clear accessible outline of the developments he made without going into too much detail. I peronally would have prefered less enphasis on the puzzles but it was a major interest of his.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
adds up well
lewis carrol in numberland by robin wilson story of CL dodgson the author of An Elementary Treatise on Determinants, With Their Application to Simultaneous Linear Equations and... Read more
Published 2 months ago by mark1000
Fun & informative, let down by poor formatting
This helpful & fun little book does two things: it provides a miniature biography of Carroll (there's especially good and interesting coverage of his childhood and the years... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Michael Stillwell
A Pleasant Diversion
Upon re-reading my original review of this book (and getting an 'un-helpful' response) I can see why. Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2010 by Mr. I. B. Mott
A very entertaining look at this subject.
Mathematics isn't everyone's cup of tea but this is a really entertaining look at carroll's fascination for numbers. Highly recommended, and with much food for thought.
Published on 11 Mar 2010 by charles1832
Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Wilson
Review of Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Wilson.
The book tells the story of Charles Dodgson who is better known as Lewis Carroll the author of various fictions such as... Read more
The book tells the story of Charles Dodgson who is better known as Lewis Carroll the author of various fictions such as... Read more
Published on 28 Oct 2008 by K. Singh
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
