Author(s): Alex Bellos

Philosophy

In this richly entertaining and accessible book, Alex Bellos explodes the myth that maths is best left to the geeks. Covering subjects from adding to algebra, from set theory to statistics, and from logarithms to logical paradoxes, he explains how mathematical ideas underpin just about everything in our lives. Alex explains the surprising geometry of the 50p piece, and the strategy of how best to gamble it in a casino. He shines a light on the mathematical patterns in nature, and on the peculiar predictability of random behavior. He eats a potato crisp whose revolutionary shape was unpalatable to the ancient Greeks, and he shows the deep connections between maths, religion and philosophy. Alex weaves a journey from primary school to university level maths, from ancient history to the computing frontline, and from St Louis, Missouri, to Braintree, Essex. He meets the world's fastest mental calculators in Germany, consults a numerologist in the US desert, meets a startlingly numerate chimpanzee in Japan, and seeks advice from a venerable Hindu sage in India. An unlikely but exhilarating cocktail of history, reportage and mathematical proofs, Alex's dispatches from 'Numberland' show the world of maths to be a much friendlier and more colourful place than you might have imagined. Review: 'Alex's enthusiasm for mathematics shines from every page... deserves to become an instant classic' Ian Stewart, author of PROFESSOR STEWART'S CABINET OF MATHEMATICAL CURIOSITIES 'An unforgettable journey of intellectual discovery, a true transcultural Magical Mystery Tour' Apostolos Doxiadis, author of LOGICOMIX and UNCLE PETROS AND GOLDBACH'S CONJECTURE 'A truly marvellous survey of modern mathematics... a book that would have delighted Lewis Carroll' Martin Gardner, for more than 25 years author of the 'Mathematical Games' column in Scientific American US title : Here's Looking at Euclid First published 2010.