1089 and All That - A Journey into Mathematics (Hardcover)

~ David Acheson (Author) "Think of a three-figure number..." (more)
Key Phrases: Indian Rope Trick, Daniel Bernoulli, Fermat's Last Theorem (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of the happier effects of the explosion in popular science books is that every so often an author presents scientific ideas in a new way. 1089 and All That is one of those small, quirky illustrated books that often arrive a few months before Christmas. ... Not a page passes without at least one intriguing insight. ... Anyone who is baffled by mathematics should buy it. And all mathematicians should buy at least a dozen copies to hand out to people they meet at parties. My enthusiasm for it knows no bounds."--New Scientist

Product Description

This books aims to make mathematics accessible to non-experts and the lay reader. Providing an entertaining overview of the subject, the text includes several fascinating mathematical conundrums. The author's writing ability is second to none and Acheson provides a clear, unpatronising explanation of mathematics. The book contains several cartoons, sketches and photos making it entertaining and compulsive reading.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198516231
• ISBN-13: 978-0198516231
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #707,674 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short is beautiful, July 13, 2004

By	Tom Verhoeff (Eindhoven, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a delightful short book, not just about mathematics, but actually doing it. Each of the 16 chapters touches on a well-chosen piece of important mathematics. The coverage is broad (in math terms: number theory, algebra, geometry, combinatorics, proof, topology, calculus, differential equations, chaos and catastrophy, and applications as well). The many (black and white) illustrations (including cartoons) make for fast reading, and before you know it, you have finished another chapter. There are numerous connections between chapters.

The book has no preface or introduction; you just jump in. (The library copy that I borrowed had lost its dust jacket, and I looked in vain for an explanation of the "purpose" of the book. Why did the author write it? But once I started reading, that question quickly turned out to be irrelevant.) The single page of references for further reading is well chosen. The index spans almost four pages. The typography and layout are beyond reproach. The writing style is concise, informative, precise, inviting, and certainly not dry (reflective and historic tidbits are interspersed).

Some minor comments. (1) The (algebraic) explanation of the 1089 number trick does not mention the role of the requirement (which is mentioned) that the first and last digit of the starting number need to differ 2 or more. (2) The reader needs the ability to deal with formulae involving variables, including raising to a power, and ellipses (... to denote infinite series). I don't think this is a limitation for the seriously interested reader. (3) The book is somewhat biased towards "continuous" mathematics, rather than "discrete" mathematics. This is easily explained by the author's background, and again I didn't find it a limitation. My background is more in "discrete" than "continuous" math. I did learn a few new things from the book, such as Malfatti's circles-in-triangle problem, Kakeya's unsolvable needle-turning problem, and the upside-down pendulum theorem. (These may seem strange to you to include in a short math book, but they serve their purpose well.)

In such a short book it is very difficult to please everyone. The author has done a wonderful job. Everyone should know at least this much (about) mathematics.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a splendid little book, October 18, 2007

By	Lars Tackmann (Copenhagen, Denmark) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is simply a delightful little journey into mathematics, not to light to be boring for the working mathematician nor to hard for someone who is not a math head. Many beautiful results are presented in a simple yet marvelous way, ranging from the 1089 number trick through inverted n-linked pendulums and ending with the stunning connection between pi, e and imaginary numbers.

In short a delightful read, from an author who obviously loves math and masterly shares this passions with the rest of us. If you find yourself marveling over this book then I can highly recommend picking up Proofs from THE BOOK, which although being quite more math heavy shares many qualities with this book.