The Math Explorer: A Journey Through the Beauty of Mathematics [Paperback]

Jefferson Hane Weaver (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2003

This stress-free layperson's introduction to the intriguing world of numbers is designed to acquaint the general reader with the elegance and wonder of mathematics. This enjoyable volume gives readers a working knowledge of math's most important concepts, an appreciation of its elegant logical structure, and an understanding of its historical significance in creating our contemporary world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

People for whom "mathematics has an air of mystery with its sometimes forbidding nomenclature and its hieroglyphic symbols" can begin to overcome their math phobia with this smart primer. An experienced science writer, Weaver (What Are the Odds?) takes readers on what he calls a "walking tour" of mathematics, touching on some of the highlights from the field's ancient beginnings up through the post-Newtonian world. Weaver's writing is clear and reassuring to the novice, as his tour traverses the fairly easy ground of algebra and geometry and the rougher terrain of trigonometry, probability and statistics. And he humanizes his subject, not only by showing how it relates to daily life but by offering portraits of five men who advanced mathematics: Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes and Newton. Weaver skillfully opens up this "intellectual wonderland" to the curious.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...a stress-free survey of the math world...creative and fun...highly recommended, especially for math-allergic adults!" -- Library Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review, December 2004

"...provides a layperson's guide to numbers, explaining and inviting readers to sample topics..." -- The Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review library newsletter, June 2004

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591021375
• ISBN-13: 978-1591021377
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,401,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Designed with non-specialist general readers in mind, December 13, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Math Explorer: A Journey Through the Beauty of Mathematics (Paperback)

If it's a stress-free survey of the math world which is needed, look no further than Jefferson Hane Weaver's The Math Explorer:a Journey Through The Berauty Of Mathematics. Specifically designed with non-specialist general readers in mind, The Math Explorer provides a 'walking tour' to math which is geared to no particular knowledge base, and offers creative and fun coverages of all the basics, from real and imaginary numbers to vectors, chance and more. History weaves through the math focus and provides a satisfying diverse tone lending to browsing and even enjoyment. Highly recommended, especially for math-allergic adults!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Careless mistakes, June 11, 2009

By 

Dr. Russell A. Jones (Chattanooga, Tn USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Math Explorer: A Journey Through the Beauty of Mathematics (Paperback)

This book is not terrible, but it is not worth buying either. The author has a talent in simplifying the complicated. For example, in the section on probability, he gave a clear presentation of the often confused terms "mutually exclusive" and "independent" variables. The terms mean different things. He distilled the number system very succinctly in the first chapter. Unfortunately, I found two errors in the space of three pages in the algebra section. On page 73, 4x-square +2x + 2 = 14 does not solve for x= 2. Since this is a quadratic equation, it in fact has two solutions for x (but not x= 2).It solves for x= -2 or x= 1.5. Three pages later on page 76, 4x + 5 = 5x - 13 does not solve for x= -8, but rather for x= 18. These seem so careless but the reader wonders about the rest of the information. That is unfortunate. A good editor might have caught these errors and maybe others as well.