The Great Mental Calculators: The Psychology, Methods, and Lives of Calculating Prodigies Past and Present [Hardcover]

Steven B. Smith (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 374 pages
• Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr (October 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231056400
• ISBN-13: 978-0231056403
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,397,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written and extremely comprehensive, November 21, 1999

By 

David Collins (Los Alamos, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Mental Calculators: The Psychology, Methods, and Lives of Calculating Prodigies Past and Present (Hardcover)

The book is divided into three sections, covering the psychological aspects of rapid mental calculation, the mathematical methods involved, and brief summaries of the lives of the great calculators (which include particular methods used by each person). There are extensive quotations from the calculators themselves, explaining their methods and how they learned. The book is so well-written it's hard to put down, yet it covers the topic in great depth. Smith surveys all the prior literature on the subject, and has also interviewed many of the living calculators. His knowledge of both math and psychology is impressive. This is a MUST for anyone interested in the subject, or just interested in improving their calculating abilities.

5.0 out of 5 stars The more complete book on this subject!, September 7, 2009

By 

Bertolotti Guido Enrico - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Mental Calculators: The Psychology, Methods, and Lives of Calculating Prodigies Past and Present (Paperback)

In this book the subject of mental calculation is developed in all its aspects. The reader may be bored by some of the detailed description of the calculators' performances. But those description are necessary for a complete discussion. There is also a thorough discussion of the various psychological implications and technical aspects of mental calculation.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic books for poeple who want develop his memory, May 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Great Mental Calculators: The Psychology, Methods, and Lives of Calculating Prodigies Past and Present (Hardcover)

If you love maths and play with numbers it is a great book for you