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The Joy of Mathematics: Discovering Mathematics All Around You Paperback – January 23, 1993

by Theoni Pappas (Author)

16 customer reviews

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Part of the joy of mathematics is that it is everywhere-in soap bubbles, electricity, da Vinci's masterpieces, even in an ocean wave. Written by the well-known mathematics teacher consultant, this volume's collection of over 200 clearly illustrated mathematical ideas, concepts, puzzles, and games shows where they turn up in the "real" world. You'll find out what a googol is, visit hotel infinity, read a thorny logic problem that was stumping them back in the 8th century.

THE JOY OF MATHEMATICS is designed to be opened at random…it's mini essays are self-contained providing the reader with an enjoyable way to explore and experience mathematics at its best.

The Joy of Mathematics: Discovering Mathematics All Around You

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Product Details

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Wide World Publishing; 2nd edition (January 23, 1993)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0933174659
ISBN-13: 978-0933174658
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #48 in Books > Science & Math > Mathematics > Reference
- #94 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Math Games
- #168 in Books > Science & Math > Mathematics > History

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Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars

5 star		56%
4 star		19%
3 star		6%
2 star		6%
1 star		13%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful

These are vignettes, designed to inspire further exploration

By Julie Brennan on April 9, 2005

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

The widely divergent reviews reflect a lack of understanding of the purpose of this book. It is meant to touch on many mathematical ideas, not to go into depth on any one idea. My son read this at age 8, then at 10, and again at 12 - getting something more out of it every time. Many of the ideas intrigued and inspired him to seek out more information on his own, to research and understand more deeply. For that purpose, it deserves the highest rating.

I did not give 5 stars because there are some instances where I did find errors, these do not detract from the purpose of the book, but they are annoying to those of us who try to delve deeper. What I consistently found myself doing is researching from the internet and other print resources. But the idea originated from the overview in the book.

Many recreational mathematics books are inaccessible to beginners or math phobes. This book allows you to sample many, many ideas without feeling overwhelmed by details you may not understand. If you want details, you go explore the world opened up by the book.

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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful

An excellent book for mathematicans *and* non-mathematicians

By A Customer on July 2, 1997

Format: Paperback

This is an excellent book that covers many areas of math. Each subject is covered in 1-4 pages making the book very easy to read, and useful to teachers as a resource for enrichment. This book may be too simple or "shallow" for some of the more serious mathematicians, but the fun feeling of the book makes up for it.

The book also includes many tie-ins to areas such as science, art, and other fields.
Definitely worth reading, a MUST for the library of any middle or high school math teacher.

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110 of 128 people found the following review helpful

A pathetic little book that could have been good

By A Customer on July 13, 2003

Format: Paperback

This book could have been good if the author had done a careful job of writing the text, and perhaps if the illustrations were original, and above all if the author had understood the material she was writing about. Sadly these are often not the case with this book.
Rather, this book gives every sign of being essentially copied from bits of many dozens of other books. All the illustrations appear to be low-quality xerographic copies from other books (clearly used without any permissions).
But worst of all, the book is chock full of misstatements, misconceptions, and sentences that don't convey any meaning.
This book gives the non-expert reader the impression that he or she is learning something, but a great deal of the time this is just the illusion of learning.
I will list a few of the errors and illusory learning that I can readily find:
________
p. 6: The illustration of the cycloid curve should show it to be in a vertical direction where one arch meets another; instead it is at 45 degrees to the vertical.
________
p. 7: It is stated that when marbles are released in a cycloid-shaped container, they will reach the bottom at the same time. This phenomenon occurs for a bowl whose cross-section is an *inverted* cycloid, but that is omitted.
________
p. 13: Both the "impossible tribar" and "Hyzer's optical illusion" are NOT mathematically impossible, contrary to what is written. (They can be constructed in 3 dimensions.) Twistors are mentioned but not defined, even in a rough, metaphoric way -- just not at all.
________
p. 18: It is mentioned that pi cannot be the solution of an algebraic equation with integral coefficients, but there is no discussion in the book of what such an equation is.
__________
p.Read more ›

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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

Too cursory for much use, very often misleading.

By Kersi Von Zerububbel VINE VOICE on September 9, 2004

Format: Paperback

Sorry to say but this book is a dud. While the concept of presenting interesting mathematical facts is great the presentation is so brief, so wrought with errors, and so incomplete that the work is not worth perusing.

Some of the "chapters" have answers at the back of the book and some do not. It appears that the author could not make up her mind wether this was to be a "math tricks" book or a "popular mathematics" presentation substantiated by theory.

There are many other excellent books that are more fulfilling. Journey Through Genius comes to mind.

All in all a disappointing work.

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Notice more around you than just what you see

By Marek Nocon on December 17, 2007

Format: Paperback

My appreciation for Theoni Pappas is enormous as for an observer and admirer of the world around her and mathematician. These factors cannot be separated, as at first you have to do more than just look around, but you have to have a beautiful mind of a child and be an intellectualist at the same time, not just to take things for granted, but as a child be curious and ask questions and finally as an intellectualist and mathematician find answers to them.
Yet, there is more to it. It is so, as the author popularizes mathematics. She answers the basic questions about role of mathematics in our lives. Most people associate mathematics as calculating especially money, yet in mathematics the theory models or formula are created, and it occurs that they find application in our material world sometimes even centuries afterwards. Let us look at some examples in the book "The joy of mathematics": - earthquakes and logarithms- connection lies in the method to calculate earthquakes' magnitudes by means of Richter scale, which is logarithmic, - the catenary & the parabolic curves- who takes as an obvious phenomena- the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco- it looks gorgeous, but what it looks like is connected with construction equations, which contribute to the fundamental thing, that it really is invulnerable and cannot be destroyed by the mass itself, as well as additional natural forces. Even Galileo noticed the curve to be parabola, - Thales & the Great Pyramid- Egiptians' calculations of the height of a pyramid were based on shadows and similar triangles, -the Dome of Milan -Gothic plans incorporating the application of geometry and symmetry in architecture, and lots of stuff like that. If you like to notice more around you, astound your friends, you should read such books, as there is more beauty around you than what you just see.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Four Stars

Nice book worth reading

Published 8 months ago by Badr A. Albassam

Five Stars

Excellent Item and Fast Shipping! Thanks!

Published 10 months ago by James M Wu

i love this excellent book

This is a very fun creative book.It is very informative on the subject of Mathematics .it has many wonderful illustrations

Published 19 months ago by Kevin Todd Clepps

The Joy of Mathematics: Discovering Mathematics All Around You

fun book

some known some new stuff

go get it Maths nerds

now just putting down words to complete the word count

Published on February 21, 2013 by Brian Dolly

Make more appreciative what was only difficult.

Opens new meaning to what you live amongst and wakes new thoughts where none were available to self explain themselves.

Published on November 21, 2012 by Salvador Torres Morales

Fun facts about math

If you or your kid like math and how its applied, then this is a fun book for you.
Its light reading with about one topic per page.

Published on July 19, 2011 by Riaz Syed

Of Course these are re-written ideas; They're from the Ancients!

These mathematical examples portray the arithmetic behind everyday observances in our lives. The magic of a perfect spiral as defined by formulaic numbers; the beauty of a wave... Read more

Published on June 13, 2011 by iolanthee

engaging

if the discoverable arithmetic of the everyday natural world interests you, try this; and then you may want to explore her other work along this line.

Published on October 21, 2007 by David McCann

"THE JOY OF HAVING THIS BOOK"

"The Joy of Mathematics" is just EXCELLENT!! This is the perfect tool to understand mathematics and its usage. Read more

Published on August 8, 2001 by Alexis Vera Perez

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