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What a thoroughly fun book! Yes, I got the book because of the title. I figured anyone with a good sense of humor like that might do a reasonable job on a popular math book. It exceeded expectations!
Bellos does a lively romp through various everyday (and some not so everyday) things with little resort to heavy equations or other soporific or brain-wrenching stuff. He covers sudoku, magic squares, number sequences, the probability and statistics of gambling and betting systems, pi and transcenden ...more
Bellos does a lively romp through various everyday (and some not so everyday) things with little resort to heavy equations or other soporific or brain-wrenching stuff. He covers sudoku, magic squares, number sequences, the probability and statistics of gambling and betting systems, pi and transcenden ...more

Jul 26, 2012
Cassandra Kay Silva
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mathematics
A very delightful approach to mathematics. It was lighthearted and touched on subjects that would interest most audiences. I think the statistical gambling section would be of particular interest to a few friends of mine and I will have to pass along at least these sections.

Loved it. I am no mathematician, but this book had me captivated from page one. I wish I would have had math presented to me in this manner when I was in school - I might have actually cared a little more about it! This book covers the history of math, from the development of numbers to the exploration of prime numbers to hyperbolic space and the conceptualization of infinity.
Honestly, I am not a math person, but I found myself amazed over and over again as I read through this book.
Honestly, I am not a math person, but I found myself amazed over and over again as I read through this book.


Jun 16, 2010
Angela Randall
marked it as to-read

Apr 05, 2011
²Ñ²¹²µ²Ôú²õ
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science-math

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Oct 18, 2015
Steven
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Mar 04, 2020
Navi
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May 18, 2020
Sterling
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Apr 04, 2021
Keeley
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Aug 24, 2021
Carol
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