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Of Men and Numbers: The Story of the Great Mathematicians (Dover Books on Mathematics) Paperback – February 9, 1996

by Jane Muir (Author)

10 customer reviews

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While mathematics itself may be a formidable subject for many, the lives and accomplishments of history's greatest mathematicians — from Pythagoras to Cantor — offer fascinating reading.
In this delightful and informative recounting, for example, we learn how Pascal's life was abruptly changed by a family of fanatical bonesetters, how Descartes was influenced by three dreams, and how the scholarly Swiss Leonhard Euler (whose famous conjecture was finally disproved in 1959, after 177 years) almost ended up in the Russian navy.
Here, too, are Cardano, the gambler who becomes the 16th century's most fashionable doctor; Archimedes, Newton, and Gauss, often considered the three greatest mathematicians of all times; Lobatchevsky, the inventor of non-Euclidean geometry; and the tragic Galois, a founder of modern higher algebra.
In addition to a wealth of interesting and informative anecdotes, presented in a delightfully conversational style, the author offers lucid, accessible explanations of these thinkers' invaluable contributions to the edifice of modern mathematical thought and to man's understanding of himself and his universe.

Of Men and Numbers: The Story of the Great Mathematicians (Dover Books on Mathematics)

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Product Details

Series: Dover Books on Mathematics
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Dover Publications (February 9, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0486289737
ISBN-13: 978-0486289731
Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.5 x 8.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #672,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #545 in Books > Science & Math > Mathematics > History
- #1260 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Scientists
- #3211 in Books > Science & Math > History & Philosophy

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Customer Reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars

5 star		40%
4 star		40%
3 star		0%
2 star		10%
1 star		10%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

Excellent non-technical book on the development of math!

By A Customer on August 23, 1998

Format: Paperback

This is an great book for anyone who has even a slight interest in mathematics. There are lots of references to interesting math ideas & concepts, but nothing overbearing or over-techincal. It doesn't read like a textbook at all. In fact, it reads like a biography - an intriguing look into the lives of famous mathematicians with plenty of math ideas to keep your mind going - all that can be understood with a minimal education in high school math. If there is anything to complain about the book, it is that sometimes it focuses too much on the lives of the mathematicians and not enough on their work (this is why I gave it 4 and not 5 stars). However, if you're into biographies AND math, then this is a must-read, 5-star book!

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

A brilliant book

By A Customer on January 3, 2004

Format: Paperback

I have been reading a lot of popular math/biography books, and this is one of the best books I have read. The way the author weaves history and math in a seamless manner is just awesome. Even the descriptions of the countries/cities where the mathematicians lived makes you want to grab a history textbook to know more.
P.S: You might be surprised by certain politically incorrect phrases like "we modern men", etc ...That is because this book was originally published in 1961

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

"Of Men & Numbers by Jane Muir - A review

By BRYAN LONG on January 24, 2001

Format: Paperback

This is an ENJOYABLE book. I am not a mathematician, but came across this book by chance while looking for some specific explanations. The book was so interesting and well written that I stopped my research and read it through. I would characterize it roughly as a chronological explanation of the lives of the world's great mathematicians. It relates their lives and contributions to knowledge to those who lived before and after them. The author strikes a very nice balance between explanation of their environment and their contribution to knowledge (and its acceptance, rejection, or being ignored). Its all nicely woven together. The book gave me the feeling of getting just the right amount of detail and explanation with plenty of references for those who wish to study deeper on many subjects covered in the book. Try it. You'll like it. End of review

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

A really awesome book.

By Mr. Math Expert on June 16, 2007

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

I've read Of Men and Numbers twice and have enjoyed the book immensely. It's so interesting and sometimes funny, and Jane Muir paints a great picture of the twelve most famous mathematicians that ever lived. Many mathematics books can be technical when presenting a story, but not in Of Men and Numbers. The writing is so simple that Jane Muir made the book extremely accessible for anyone and even for the kids. There are legends associated with many of the famous mathematicians, and they are all contained in this book. Before I read Of Men and Numbers for the first time, I had no idea of the men, only just their names associated with special numbers, proofs, etc., and afterwards, I felt my knowledge enriched by the colorful sketch of each man's biography. Of course, as I use the word "men," there is no biography of a female mathematician because the title Of Men and Numbers implies its omission. All in all, I greatly recommend Of Men and Numbers to anyone regardless of her/his interest in mathematics.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

One of the Best Books I've Ever Read

By Dan VandeBunte on March 28, 2009

Format: Paperback

I am a high school math teacher and picked this book out of one of my cupboards for some lame "read during school" promotion (It's not like they ever have "do math during school" promotions...). I found the book difficult to put down. The book is filled with intriguing information at several levels; the math, the biographies, the drama, etc. Terrific book.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Great Book!

Galois, one very bad cat! By far the most interesting mathematician in the whole book. However, many of the mathematicians in the book are very cool.

Published on April 4, 2012 by shadesofgray

Of Men and Numbers

Of Men and Numbers narrates the stories of the greatest known mathematicians that lived - their lives, personalities, struggles, faith, and inventions, while unraveling the... Read more

Published on May 1, 2011 by Prime reader

Not what I expected.

I dontated this book. Hopefully someone will like it but I didn't. It is boring.

Published on July 15, 2010 by Wayne

Good Historical Reference

This happened to be just what I was looking for: info on some of the more prominent mathematicians in history, in a short readable format. Read more

Published on June 27, 2009 by Dennis

E. T. Bell clone - shares his regrettable style

It is a pity that Jane Muir seems to have modeled her book on "Men of Mathematics" by E. T. Bell. Like him, she "embellishes" her biographies to the point of sacrificing... Read more

Published on May 14, 2007 by purveyor

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