Aha! Insight [Paperback]

Martin Gardner (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 179 pages
• Publisher: W H Freeman & Co (Sd) (June 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071671017X
• ISBN-13: 978-0716710172
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #805,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best effort by Gardner, November 18, 2000

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Aha! Insight (Paperback)

I consider Martin Gardner to be the best there ever was in writing about mathematics. His essays are always entertaining and contain enough content to suggest other applications of the main point of his thesis. This book contains a series of short puzzles, most of which have quick solutions based on an "alternate" form of reasoning. That form is described as an "Aha" moment, where looking at the problem a different way leads to a simple solution to what appears to be a hard problem.
I first read this book when it was first published over twenty years ago and recently read it again. It has stood the test of time quite well and I consider it to be the best of the collections of material by Gardner. I have three children under the age of ten and they are occasionally subjected to a puzzle in this book. It is always interesting to see how well they do. Quite frankly, there are occasions when they get the aha! answer faster than I did.
Recent research indicates that the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease can be reduced by constantly stressing your mental abilities. Martin Gardner has received many accolades in his life, We can now add that his books can help prevent serious mental diseases. Go ahead and clap, he has earned the applause.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mathematical puzzles for all ages, May 31, 2001

By 

Pumpkin King - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aha! Insight (Paperback)

This book gave me a lot to think about when I was young, and of all the books with math and logic puzzles I enjoyed, this was one of the best. Gardner has a way of turning problems into challenges, making the solving of them fun, and he also provides interesting explanations of problems with simplicity and clarity. For children, this book is an opportunity to explore math as something other than repetitive calculations or irrelevant word problems from bad textbooks. Adults too can use this book to hone their problem solving skills.

The difficulty of aha! insights is the lack of technique in coming to such an insight. It's a spontaneous reaction, something sudden and unexpected when you discover a simple solution. These problems do not teach you how to have these insights, but allows for practice in order that they may become more frequent. But the point is: it's recreational math... Enjoy it for the sake of enjoyment.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best puzzle book ever, December 8, 1998

By 

Roger Wellington-Oguri ([e-mail]) (San Diego, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aha! Insight (Paperback)

This book is about tough problems with easy answers -- easy, that is, once seen in the right way. Illustrated with cartoons and full of humor, it is readily enjoyable by many people who wouldn't normally touch a book on recreational mathematics. We have given at least a dozen copies as gifts.