Fractals, Googols, and Other Mathematical Tales (Paperback)

~ (Author) "For many years a point named decimal lay hidden among numbers..." (more)
Key Phrases: pancake world, place value system, golden rectangle, Doctor Spacemath, City of Truths, The Chinese (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A new treasure trove of stories that make mathematical ideas come to life with an unusual cast of characters. This book explores mathematical concepts and topics such as real numbers, exponents, dimensions, and geometry in both serious and humorous ways. 50 line drawings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Wide World Publishing, Tetra (February 16, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0933174896
• ISBN-13: 978-0933174894
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,228 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I had this when I was young, May 1, 2004

By	TeresaR "trartist" (currently IN United States) - See all my reviews

I discovered this book in a homeschooling catalog (FunBooks.com). The good review in there enticed me to buy it for my then 6 year old, who is a voracious but difficult to please reader. He devoured it, loved it, and insisted that I read it too!

The fascinating topics include decimals, magic squares, Fibonacci sequence, tangrams, the abacus, and much more. Some of the stories seem a little silly to me, but then that is probably the appeal for kids. :)

This is one of those books that you must own rather than borrow from the library because it covers such a range of topics that your child (and you!) will want and need to refer back to it every so often. In fact, I will likely buy all the other books involving Penrose the Cat if they are as educational and fun as this book is.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Attention Math Teachers, November 3, 2004

By	Michael Hunt (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book explores a wide range of mathematical concepts, including many of the traditional "fun" topics like Fibonacci numbers. For each topic (covered on two large pages typically) there is a simple story written to be accessible to even young children, followed by a franker and more mature mathematical discussion. This two part approach makes the text accessible to a wide audience while having a solid mathematical foundation. The articles serve as a solid foundation to spark student interest in further exploration, or stand alone as interesting mathematical shorts. Some of the topics will have direct curricular applications, including articles on the real number system and the transcendental number pi. This is a wonderful text and is suitable for elementary through high school students.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fractals and Googols. . . and Penrose, March 3, 2009

By	UU Parent (Maryland) - See all my reviews

Theoni Pappas has written several books of mathematical 'tales' including the well-know Penrose books.
"Fractals, Googols and other Mathematical Tales" includes a total of 22 topical tales.

The table of contents helpfully includes information as to the topic discussed in that tale, as the chapter titles, 'Dr. Spacemath', for example, do not always indicate what the topic is!
Unfortunately, if you already have the Penrose books, you will find that at least 9 of the chapters in "Fractals" are repeated from the Penrose books. Several of these have been condensed and it seems as though the author's commentary has been added to some in a purple side-bar in keeping with the style of the rest of the book.

While the Penrose books are clearly written for and to those new to the world of mathematics, "Fractals" includes small-print, purple side-bars that seem to be written to a parent/teacher.
As in the Penrose books, there is a section in the very back that includes solutions to puzzles and challenges posted in the book.

We are big fans of the Penrose books and Theoni Pappas, and while 'Fractals' does indicate topics in the table of contents, I wish that all these books had a good index to make it easier to find tales and activities that are relevant to a student's current topic of study.
I was also disappointed that so many of the tales in "Fractals" are repeats from the Penrose books.

However, if you do not already have Penrose, this would be a great book to introduce you to Pappas' unique approach to mathematical tales.