The Mathematical Magpie [Paperback]

Clifton Fadiman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 1997

The companion volume to Fadiman's Fantasia Mathematica, this second anthology of mathematical writings is even more varied and contains stories, cartoons, essays, rhymes, music, anecdotes, aphorisms, and other oddments. Authors include Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll, and many other renowned figures.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Clifton Fadiman's prolific career as an essayist, critic, anthologist, and radio show host has spanned the last five decades. His books include The Lifetime Reading Plan and a collection of essays, Party of One. He served for many years on the board of editors of the Book-of-the-Month Club.

Product Details

• Paperback: 303 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 2nd edition (April 4, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038794950X
• ISBN-13: 978-0387949505
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,828,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great sequel, May 3, 2000

By 

Bill Smythe (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mathematical Magpie (Paperback)

This anthology might as well be titled Fantasia Mathematica, Volume 2. When Volume 1 first appeared in 1958, readers couldn't get enough, so this work followed in 1962, and is now back in print. I first read Volume 1 as a teenager, so the current title doesn't carry for me the nostalgia of the original, but there's still lots of good stuff. This time, the best section appears first, A Set of Imaginaries, to get the reader hooked. Two of the better stories are The Appendix And The Spectacles, and Coconuts. As with the original, you don't have to be mathematically inclined, but it helps -- or does it hurt?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The appearance of mathematical ideas in fiction was both exciting and inspiring, October 2, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: The Mathematical Magpie (Paperback)

Being a fundamental component of the human experience, it is natural that mathematics will appear in literature. In this book, Fadiman has brought together a collection of fiction works where mathematics plays a role in the plot. The level of involvement is varied, in some stories it is fundamental and in others it is incidental. However, in all cases it is exciting to see how it is used to flesh out a significant story.
The level of mathematics is rarely beyond what the educated person would expect to pick up in high school and when it does exceed that plateau, it is nothing that cannot be understood from the context. Many areas are included, from music to verse. I enjoyed the stories, they were a joy to read and as a writer, they caused me toss around some mathematical ideas that I would like to try to exploit in a fictional context. They are successful in two areas, exciting and inspiring.

5.0 out of 5 stars The appearance of mathematical ideas in fiction was both exciting and inspiring, October 2, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: Mathematical Magpie (Paperback)

Being a fundamental component of the human experience, it is natural that mathematics will appear in literature. In this book, Fadiman has brought together a collection of fiction works where mathematics plays a role in the plot. The level of involvement is varied, in some stories it is fundamental and in others it is incidental. However, in all cases it is exciting to see how it is used to flesh out a significant story.
The level of mathematics is rarely beyond what the educated person would expect to pick up in high school and when it does exceed that plateau, it is nothing that cannot be understood from the context. Many areas are included, from music to verse. I enjoyed the stories, they were a joy to read and as a writer, they caused me toss around some mathematical ideas that I would like to try to exploit in a fictional context. They are successful in two areas, exciting and inspiring.