Mathematics for the Million: How to Master the Magic of Numbers (Paperback)

~ Lancelot Hogben (Author) "WHEN ONE speaks of a branch of knowledge called mathematics at its most primitive level one signifies the existence of at least simple rules about..." (more)
Key Phrases: vanishing triangle, priestly astronomers, simultaneous draw, New York, Great Bear, Omar Khayyám (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

First published in 1937 and reprinted several times since, Hogben's book took everybody's worst subject and explained it in a way that made it comprehensible to the average person. For this edition, the 98-year-old author updates the text and adds new illustrations. A premiere title for both academic and public libraries.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

A great book, a book of first-class importance. -- H. G. Wells

A great book, a book of first-class importance. (H. G. Wells )

It makes alive the contents of the elements of mathematics. -- Albert Einstein

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Product Details

• Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; Rev Sub edition (September 17, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039331071X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393310719
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #185,548 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As important as it is exceptional., February 28, 1999

By	Chris Hanks ([e-mail]) (Irvine, CA) - See all my reviews

In "Mathematics for the Million," Hogben takes the reader through the entire evolution of mathematics. He begins with ancient farmers whose meager math skills consisted of knowing the values 1, 2, 3, and "more than three," and shows how these skills grew out of necessity as societies became more complex. Hogben's goals are twofold. First, he means to educate the average person so that math won't remain the esoteric domain of academics. Second, he means to demonstrate that mathematical advances occur when math is used to solve real problems, and not when it's used as intellectual entertainment for an idle leisure class. Hogben succeeds on both accounts, and in doing so he (very subtly) develops a theory which anticipates the structural Marxism of the '50s and '60s, including the work of Louis Althusser, Herbert Marcuse, and Jurgen Habermas. But Hogben's real magic is that he makes all this accessible to anyone: Even those with no math background at all will be doing calculus by the end of the book, even performing calculations to measure the Earth's circumference or the distance to the moon. Never has such an opaque subject been as lucid as in "Mathematics for the Million."

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book!, November 21, 1998

By A Customer

This book is a must for anyone who wants to understand the basis of many mathematical concepts that are taken for granted! Many concepts that are not fully explained in school are delineated brilliantly in M. for the M.! Everything is presented in its historical and societal contexts, thus adding even more meaning to the mathematical principles we use everyday (from basic math to calculus and probability).

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How mathematics was learned, December 7, 2006

By	Sheldon Lebowitz "math book maven" (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought a used copy of this book 3 years ago (it was published in 1944). To think that it was written for ordinary people 60 or more years ago is astonishing. One can learn all the math that 99% of people need during their lives. If todays high school students would take the time to learn what is so excellently explained in this book, they would score 650 - 800 on the math SAT exam. One example is: there is a chapter where the author walks you through all the calculations and probabilities needed to set up your own life insurance company! This beats calculating the probability of drawing 3 green balls out of an urn filled with green and red balls. Buy It.