The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity [Hardcover]

Steven Strogatz (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 2, 2012

A world-class mathematician and regular contributor to the New York Times hosts a delightful tour of the greatest ideas of math, revealing how it connects to literature, philosophy, law, medicine, art, business, even pop culture in ways we never imagined

Did O.J. do it? How should you flip your mattress to get the maximum wear out of it? How does Google search the Internet? How many people should you date before settling down? Believe it or not, math plays a crucial role in answering all of these questions and more.

Math underpins everything in the cosmos, including us, yet too few of us understand this universal language well enough to revel in its wisdom, its beauty — and its joy. This deeply enlightening, vastly entertaining volume translates math in a way that is at once intelligible and thrilling. Each trenchant chapter of The Joy of x offers an “aha!” moment, starting with why numbers are so helpful, and progressing through the wondrous truths implicit in π, the Pythagorean theorem, irrational numbers, fat tails, even the rigors and surprising charms of calculus. Showing why he has won awards as a professor at Cornell and garnered extensive praise for his articles about math for the New York Times, Strogatz presumes of his readers only curiosity and common sense. And he rewards them with clear, ingenious, and often funny explanations of the most vital and exciting principles of his discipline.

Whether you aced integral calculus or aren’t sure what an integer is, you’ll find profound wisdom and persistent delight in The Joy of x.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Guest Review by Janna Levin

Janna Levin is a Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Barnard College of Columbia University. She has contributed to an understanding of black holes, the cosmology of extra dimensions, and gravitational waves in the shape of space time. She is the author of the popular-science book, How the Universe Got Its Spots and a novel, A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines, which won the PEN/Bingham prize. Janna was recently named a Guggenheim Fellow (2012).

I loved this beautiful book from the first page.

Mathematicians are in a peculiar predicament. Mathematical beauty is patent to them. And in the perception of that beauty is pleasure, is joy. But that pleasure is not easily shared. Mathematical beauty eludes many others, or even most others.

Steven Strogatz wants to share that joy. He sees the beauty of pi and 0 and infinity. But he doesn’t want to impose his impressions on you or to report on the view from his privileged perspective. He wants you to see it too. He doesn’t want to argue that mathematics is creative and beautiful. He wants you to experience the visceral pleasure for yourself.

To that end, he disassembles mathematics as a discipline, both feared and revered, and reassembles mathematics as a world, both accessible and magical.

If you have never braved this grand world, put away your math anxiety, your preconceptions. This book is the most welcoming entree to mathematical thinking that I know of.

If you have braved this grand world, you will find a collection of gems, new ways of inhabiting the domain. Strogatz links historical anecdotes to new insights, as though the math itself is sculptural, composed of forms that are simultaneously familiar and ethereal. The logic seems effortless so that each module snaps into its complement with a gratifying click.

This book is a rebuttal to the accusation that mathematical abstraction is cold or inhuman. Mathematics is no more intrinsically cold or inhuman than language. And Strogatz lends a warmth and humanity to both.

The Joy of x is, well, a joy.

From Booklist

When Strogatz invites grade-schoolers to construct Möbius strips with scissors, crayons, and tape, he is not expecting them to discover revolutionary new mathematical principles. But he does expect them to experience the kind of intellectual joy that sustains a lifetime of mathematical inquiry. Readers share that joy by joining Strogatz on a high-spirited romp through complex numbers, standard deviations, infinite sums, differential equations, and other mathematical playgrounds. The math arrives in such delightful episodes—a hike through a snow-covered field, for example, or an excited dinner conversation over symbols scribbled on a napkin—and is so often connected to poetry, sports, and popular TV shows that even math phobes will find themselves swept up in the fun. (Who knew that The Sopranos could help us fathom calculus?) To be sure, Strogatz occasionally points well-schooled readers to the rigorous analyses identified in his endnotes. But even those reluctant to venture into deeper waters will finish this book with a new relish for mathematics as a thrilling adventure, not a dreary chore. --Bryce Christensen

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 4RTH PRINTING edition (October 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780547517650
• ISBN-13: 978-0547517650
• ASIN: 0547517653
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (128 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Mathematics

More About the Author

Steven Strogatz is the Schurman Professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University. A renowned teacher and one of the world's most highly cited mathematicians, he has been a frequent guest on National Public Radio's Radiolab. Among his honors are MIT's highest teaching prize, membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a lifetime achievement award for communication of math to the general public, awarded by the four major American mathematical societies. He also wrote a popular New York Times online column, "The Elements of Math," which formed the basis for his new book, The Joy of x. He lives in Ithaca, New York with his wife and two daughters.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 72 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkably enjoyable tour through the mathematical universe October 2, 2012

By J. Chambers TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

Struggling through several years of higher math in engineering school in the 1960s didn't engender a love of mathematics in me. It wasn't until years later that I began to value the beauty and elegance of mathematics. A big part of my appreciation came from mathematicians like Steven Strogatz who wrote about math for readers who appreciated the concepts but had no desire to wade into a morass of complex equations.

In The Joy of x, Strogatz has done a masterful job as our tour guide through the elements of mathematics, and he's done it without "dumbing it down" or making it just another refresher course for the subject. He presented the various mathematical elements and concepts in fresh new ways, but he clearly expected the reader to exercise their mind to understand. The reward was a new appreciation of the beauty of mathematics and for how our knowledge of the subject advanced in fits and starts over several thousand years.

The book has six parts, each presenting certain elements of mathematics: Numbers, Relationships, Shapes, Change, Data, and Frontiers. These sections represent a grand tour through the history and development of mathematics, including the practical - and some whimsical - applications. Never again will I fall into the trap of bungling the answer to the classic "If three men paint three fences in three hours, how long will it take for one man to paint one fence?" (answer: 3 hours). Now I understand why a piece of paper can't be folded in half more than 7-8 times, and how a high school junior was able to beat the record using a monstrously long roll of... toilet paper! I know how Luke could guarantee himself a win over Darth Vader in a game of laser tag (hint: it involves a conic section). For young lovers, mathematics could help in finding the perfect mate (if you make a few simplistic assumptions, that is). And if the prosecution in the O.J. Simpson murder trial had understood probability and statistics, could they have gotten a conviction?

As enjoyable as the first five sections of the book were, my favorite section was the last, "Frontiers," where the author covered topics including prime numbers, where I learned that no one has ever found an exact formula to find primes; group theory, which bridges the arts and sciences; topology; spherical geometry; and infinite series. This section presented some fascinating ideas. For example, group theory suggests how to get the most even wear from a mattress and confirms the old mnemonic "spin in the spring, flip in the fall." For topology, the famous Möbius strip is examined. I thought I understood the properties of a Möbius strip, but they're actually more remarkable than I would have guessed. And the most mind-blowing concept was that some infinities are larger than others. This finding, which was bitterly contested at the time, is brilliantly demonstrated with a parable named the Hilbert Hotel.

I don't always read all of the footnotes or endnotes in a book, but the endnotes in The Joy of x are not to be missed. There are dozens of links to websites and online videos that demonstrate or expound on the concepts presented in the book. Some of these were so intriguing that I spent a couple of hours being spellbound by them.

For anyone who's been disappointed by other math books written for laypersons, The Joy of x may be the book they've been hoping for. With keen insight, a light touch, and a bit of humor, author Steven Strogatz has written a splendid book for anyone who wants a broader understanding of mathematics.

Note: I read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Whirlwind Tour of Mathematics September 4, 2012

By Louis N. Gruber VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This math-challenged reviewer would not ordinarily consider "joy" in connection with mathematics, so this little book sounded interesting. It is not a textbook of mathematics, not even an introductory one, but rather a quick tour through a range of mathematical ideas and concepts, aimed at the curious, but baffled layman. It covers everything--from numbers and counting, to negative numbers, imaginary numbers, algebra, the elements of calculus, probability, sine waves, geometry, trigonometry, solid geometry, topology, and the challenging problems of infinity. Will you understand all these things after reading "Joy"? No, but the terms and concepts will sound a little more familiar, less intimidating.

Author Steven Strogatz is no dull professor. He writes in a light-hearted entertaining way, with constant reference to the practical applications of mathematics. Along the way he presents some counter-intuitive problems for the reader to play with, amusing illustrations, and personal anecdotes.

No, you won't learn much mathematics from this delightful little book, but you'll learn some interesting things ABOUT mathematics that would never have occurred to you. I enjoyed this book and I may go back and read some chapters again. Forget about those painful experiences with long division when you were in school. This can actually be fun. I recommend it. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyment=attitude x (aptitude + interest) / ln(perseverance) December 27, 2012

By Andy in Washington TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Before you buy this book, take a second to examine yourself. If you always hated math, don't bother with this book. You will just use it to reinforce your dislikes. But if you have ever looked at numbers, triangles, or even google page rankings and wondered how anyone ever figured any of that stuff out, this might be your book.

=== The Good Stuff ===

* This is not a math book. You won't learn how to calculate the area of a triangle, the odds of a no-hitter or the present value of a 40 year annuity. But if you are willing to read carefully and think about the concepts presented, you will have a better understanding of how math is used to model and predict the way the world works.

* I am an Electrical Engineer, a field that uses moderate level math on a daily basis. Even though none of this material was new to me, there was some interesting ways of explaining things which I had never considered before. This always comes in handy, even among fellow techies. And there were numerous facts and observations which, while I probably could derive them myself, were interesting enough to spend some time examining.

* All the material presented in the book is certainly at the level that any high-school graduate could understand. You might not be able to grasp the nuances of the material, or be able to use the concepts to solve real world problems, but you will have an understanding of how the math works. Depending on the amount of math your have been exposed to, some topics might require the reader to think a bit to understand the concepts.

Think about a two page article that describes how an internal combustion engine works. After reading it, you might understand the basic concept operation-gas/air mixture igniting and driving pistons, which rotate a shaft, which drives the wheels. You certainly couldn't design one, or fix one, and you would not know how to drive a car. But you certainly would have a better appreciation for what goes on under the hood, and it might spark your interest to learn more.

* All of the sections are short, and err on the side of over simplification and minimal explanation. This is not a math textbook, or a history of math. It is more an overview of various topics.

=== The Not So Good Stuff ===

* Strogatz tries to do too much. As an example, the equations of James Clerk Maxwell are some of the most profound mathematical models ever conceived by the human race. They predict and allow analysis of just about anything in the world that uses electricity or magnetism. But they are not at all simple, either in conception or mathematical constructs. A three page summary of them borders on the absurd. I doubt whether any person without a decent physics and math background would ever see the beauty or elegance of them.

* The chapters all seem to need to be the same length, likely a result of the newspaper articles this material was originally developed for. As a result, some simple topics seem stretched out to fill space, while some of the more complex topics are condensed beyond usefulness.

* "Advanced" math users, such as those who have studied differential and integral calculus, analytic geometry and differential equations will find some limited tidbits, but will mostly be bored by the book.

=== Summary ===

Strogatz sets himself a fairly difficult task. He tries to write a single book, which gives introductory explanations of topics ranging from integers and rational numbers all the way to linear algebra and differential equations. He tries to do this is a "mass market" book, targeted at readers with a wide gamut of math experience.

I am not sure that is a reasonable goal. In fact, I think it borders on the impossible.

Still, Strogatz makes as valiant an attempt as possible. I believe the book is "readable" by users of advanced math, and there are enough tidbits and interesting ways of explaining things to hold their interest. The book is also simple enough that most anyone can work their way through the examples and appreciate the concepts.

I enjoyed it, but not sure I would recommend it.