A review by futurelegend
The Magical Maze by Ian Stewart
4.0
I read this in between other things, in a Kindle edition that came free from Amazon.
This is something unusual: a book about mathematics which is aimed at a general audience but doesn't restrict itself to trivia. So it's a satisfying read for somebody like me, a non-mathematician who nevertheless has had more than a basic exposure to the subject and who continues to take an interest in it at more than a superficial level. That's a gap that there's all too little on the shelves to fill. Though there are few heavy formulae here, Professor Stewart probes more deeply into his material than most.
It follows that those without a mathematical background looking for an overview might find it heavy going. Not that I'd want to put anybody off who wants to make the effort – it's well worth while.
This is something unusual: a book about mathematics which is aimed at a general audience but doesn't restrict itself to trivia. So it's a satisfying read for somebody like me, a non-mathematician who nevertheless has had more than a basic exposure to the subject and who continues to take an interest in it at more than a superficial level. That's a gap that there's all too little on the shelves to fill. Though there are few heavy formulae here, Professor Stewart probes more deeply into his material than most.
It follows that those without a mathematical background looking for an overview might find it heavy going. Not that I'd want to put anybody off who wants to make the effort – it's well worth while.