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A Mathematical spectrum miscellany: Selections from Mathematical spectrum, 1967-1994

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This collection of short papers on a wide variety of mathematical topics is an excellent introduction to those topics. There are six main sections:

*) The Spirit of Mathematics.
*) Some History of Mathematics: Biographies of Mathematicians.
*) Recent Advances in Mathematics.
*) The Lure of Pure Mathematics and Geometry.
*) Simple Applications of Mathematics.
*) The Mathematics of Randomness.

Examples of a paper from each section are:

*) How Obvious It It? - a set of quick deductions when the problem appears complex.
*) Women in Mathematics - short biographies of some famous female mathematicians.
*) Fermat's Last Theorem - a Theorem at Last - a brief history of the theorem including the resolution by Andrew Wiles.
*) The Legend of Leonardo of Pisa - a brief biography of Fibonacci.
*) Animal Mathematics - an analysis of why larger and heavier animals cannot fly.
*) A Bayesian Look at the Jury System - an analysis of the probability that a defendant that is found guilty is in fact guilty.

While there are proofs, most are not difficult to follow, and can be understood by a first year college math major. The articles provide a sound selection of brief papers that are well suited for use in a course in the history of mathematics. I also recommend them as the starting point for student research projects.