Number Freak: From 1 to 200- The Hidden Language of Numbers Revealed [Paperback]

Derrick Niederman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 4, 2009

A compulsively readable look at the secret language of numbers- their role in nature, movies, science, and everything in between.

What do Fight Club, wallpaper patterns, George Balanchine's Serenade, and Italian superstitions have in common? They're all included in the entry for the number 17 in this engaging book about numbers- detailing their unique properties, patterns, appeal, history, and lore.

Author Derrick Niederman takes readers on a guided tour of the numbers 1 to 300-covering everything from basic mathematical principles to ancient unsolved theorems, from sublime theory to delightfully arcane trivia.

Illustrated with diagrams, drawings, and photographs, plus 50 challenging mathematical brainteasers (with answers), this book will fascinate and engage readers of all levels of mathematical skill and knowledge. Includes such gems as:

? There are 42 eyes in a deck of cards, and 42 dots on a pair of dice
? In order to fill in a map so that neighboring regions never get the same color, one never needs more than four colors
? Hells Angels use the number 81 in their insignia because the initials "H" and "A" are the eighth and first numbers in the alphabet respectively

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This book is a complete joy. It made me smile. A lot.' - Carol Vorderman. 'There's more to maths than just numbers - but, as this entertaining and engaging book amply demonstrates, the depth and variety of mathematical ideas that appear when you start with 1, 2, 3 and keep going is astonishing. Once you start reading "Number Freak" it's just like the number system itself - impossible to stop' - Ian Stewart, author of "Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities". 'A great maths book for geeks and non-geeks alike' - Johnny Ball. 'A fascinating parade of diverse numerical characters... An entertaining mix of numerical fun and theory' - Booklist. 'A fun book... definitely challenging' - Vanity Fair. 'All sorts of fascinating mathematical minutiae' - Time Out, Chicago. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Derrick Niederman is a mathematician turned investment writer. He is the author of several previous books on numbers and finance, including "What the Numbers Say" and "The Inner Game of Investing". He has written a series of mathematical puzzle books and is a regular contributor of crossword puzzles to the "New York Times". He is also the inventor of the '36 cube', a three-dimensional puzzle. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade; Original edition (August 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399534598
• ISBN-13: 978-0399534591
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #665,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice introduction to the love of numbers, January 31, 2010

By 

Peter St Wecker (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Number Freak: From 1 to 200- The Hidden Language of Numbers Revealed (Paperback)

In "Number Freak", Derrick Niederman sets out to write something interesting about each number from 1 to 200. The results are from a mix of disciplines, including:

- Math: "28 is the second perfect number. It equals the sum of its proper factors (1+2+4+7+14=28)"

- Literature: "...Catch-22 may be the most recognizable use of the number 22 in modern culture."

- Religion: "...40 days of Lent to the traditional 40 days of mourning in the Muslim faith."

- Language: "...the most complex Chinese character still in use....involves 57 separate pen strokes...."

and lots of trivia (39 is the highest number on a standard Master combination lock, The Roman Catholic Church has 194 dioceses within the United States, Studio 54 was located at 254 West 54th Street, etc.)

As a trained mathematician, it's no surprise that Niederman devotes the most space to math properties of many numbers. While the other information can be interesting, the math examples seem to be the most fascinating and unique. Indeed, from reading the introduction it seems that the author himself worries about juxtaposing important mathematics with "fun and silly stuff." As a lover of trivia myself, I always enjoy learning new random facts about everything, but I also found it a bit distracting from the interesting math history and unique properties of various numbers.

Readers who are interested in a book that focuses more on math should definitely seek out The Penguin Book of Curious and Interesting Numbers: Revised Edition (Penguin Press Science) by David Wells. This book looks at numbers from -1 to a very, very large number (called Graham's Number), and stays within the world of math facts.

Finally, there were a few things that I would have liked to have seen in this book. First, the introduction mentions a glossary, but I couldn't find any. Second, some in-text references would have been helpful for the reader who is interested in learning more about certain math properties. Finally, an index would have been useful. Also, the book has a number of puzzles scattered throughout that are answered in the back. However, I found these to be a distraction and didn't really fit in with the rest of the book.

Niederman's book is definitely one to be enjoyed in small doses, and in that aspect it succeeds well. In addition, if by bridging math and popular culture it can bring a new audience to the love of numbers, then it will clearly be a success.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun book, but...., January 10, 2011

By 

Nikon Owner "sja" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Number Freak: From 1 to 200- The Hidden Language of Numbers Revealed (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book but have been frustrated by a fair number of typos - such as 1/2 + 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/12 = 1 and the magic hexagon that has 15 in it twice. Be careful before you scratch your head too long trying to understand something, it may be a typo!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Whow!, December 25, 2010

By 

Domingo Soria Martin - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Number Freak: From 1 to 200- The Hidden Language of Numbers Revealed (Paperback)

If you thought that Basic Math had no surprises for you, you should read this book from cover to cover