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All the Math that's Fit to Print: Articles from The Guardian (Spectrum)

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Mathematics and mathematicians can be the objects of public interest, if there are individuals capable of explaining those items in a form that the intelligent reader can follow. Keith Devlin is such a person and the editors of the British paper, The Manchester Guardian, were intelligent enough to understand that. The result is a mathematically simple-minded yet enjoyable collection of 143 brief vignettes covering mathematics and computer science.
Generally, only one and one-half pages in length, most articles earn the accolade, "touche." As many writers point out, the short piece is often the hardest to write, as every word must count. Devlin succeeds in the most difficult of arenas, in that enough background must be given so that the naïve reader can understand the topic and the point is resolved with sufficient clarity. And all this is done with a minimum of formulas. While sophisticated mathematicians and computer scientists will find the material limp, this work is capable of standing on its own as a piece of entertainment.
An existence proof that mathematics and computer science can be made understandable to an intelligent public that is interested, this book should be an element of every public library.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.