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Martin Gardner
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The Colossal Book of Mathematics: Classic Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Problems Hardcover – September 17, 2001

by Martin Gardner (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 153 ratings
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No amateur or math authority can be without this ultimate compendium from America's best-loved mathematical expert.

Whether discussing hexaflexagons or number theory, Klein bottles or the essence of "nothing," Martin Gardner has single-handedly created the field of "recreational mathematics." The Colossal Book of Mathematics collects together Gardner's most popular pieces from his legendary "Mathematical Games" column, which ran in Scientific American for twenty-five years. Gardner's array of absorbing puzzles and mind-twisting paradoxes opens mathematics up to the world at large, inspiring people to see past numbers and formulas and experience the application of mathematical principles to the mysterious world around them. With articles on topics ranging from simple algebra to the twisting surfaces of Mobius strips, from an endless game of Bulgarian solitaire to the unreachable dream of time travel, this volume comprises a substantial and definitive monument to Gardner's influence on mathematics, science, and culture.

In its twelve sections, The Colossal Book of Math explores a wide range of areas, each startlingly illuminated by Gardner's incisive expertise. Beginning with seemingly simple topics, Gardner expertly guides us through complicated and wondrous worlds: by way of basic algebra we contemplate the mesmerizing, often hilarious, linguistic and numerical possibilities of palindromes; using simple geometry, he dissects the principles of symmetry upon which the renowned mathematical artist M. C. Escher constructs his unique, dizzying universe. Gardner, like few thinkers today, melds a rigorous scientific skepticism with a profound artistic and imaginative impulse. His stunning exploration of "The Church of the Fourth Dimension," for example, bridges the disparate worlds of religion and science by brilliantly imagining the spatial possibility of God's presence in the world as a fourth dimension, at once "everywhere and nowhere."

With boundless wisdom and his trademark wit, Gardner allows the reader to further engage challenging topics like probability and game theory which have plagued clever gamblers, and famous mathematicians, for centuries. Whether debunking Pascal's wager with basic probability, making visual music with fractals, or uncoiling a "knotted doughnut" with introductory topology, Gardner continuously displays his fierce intelligence and gentle humor. His articles confront both the comfortingly mundane―"Generalized Ticktacktoe" and "Sprouts and Brussel Sprouts"―and the quakingly abstract―"Hexaflexagons," "Nothing," and "Everything." He navigates these staggeringly obscure topics with a deft intelligence and, with addendums and suggested reading lists, he informs these classic articles with new insight.

Admired by scientists and mathematicians, writers and readers alike, Gardner's vast knowledge and burning curiosity reveal themselves on every page. The culmination of a lifelong devotion to the wonders of mathematics, The Colossal Book of Mathematics is the largest and most comprehensive math book ever assembled by Gardner and remains an indispensable volume for the amateur and expert alike.
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  1. Print length
    736 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    September 17, 2001
  5. Dimensions
    7.3 x 1.8 x 9.6 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0393020231
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393020236
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This weighty collection, containing 50 of what the Annotated Alice annotator and popular science journalist considers his best Scientific American "Mathematical Games" columns, is sure to please the relatively small but intensely loyal coterie of Gardner fans. Arranged in 12 broad categories (arithmetic and algebra, plane geometry, topology, infinity, etc.), these pieces cover subjects that will delight recreational math buffs, such as Penrose tiles, hypercubes, Klein bottles and fractal music. In addition to an up-to-date bibliography, each section includes a new, sometimes lengthy addendum, which should be the main hook for those who already own the 15 volumes of Gardner's complete Scientific American columns. While books on math for general audiences by authors such as Amir Aczel have been in vogue of late, they've tended to focus on personalities and to avoid equations. Since this collection is filled with problems and expressions (illustrated with 320 line drawings) that require solving with pencil and paper, its appeal should be mainly limited to puzzle nuts, but Gardner's elegant style could draw in new aficionados. An enemy of charlatanry and pretension, who appreciates the beauty and complexity of language as well as numbers (and still actively writing at age 86), Gardner remains a model of clear prose, understated wit and intellectual honesty.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"For more than half a century, Martin Gardner has been the single brightest beacon defending rationality and good science. . . . He is also one of the most brilliant men and gracious writers I have known."
― Stephen Jay Gould

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; First Edition, Later Printing (September 17, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 736 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393020231
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393020236
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.99 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.3 x 1.8 x 9.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 153 ratings

About the author

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Martin Gardner

Martin Gardner

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For 25 of his 95 years, Martin Gardner wrote 'Mathematical Games and Recreations', a monthly column for Scientific American magazine. These columns have inspired hundreds of thousands of readers to delve more deeply into the large world of mathematics. He has also made significant contributions to magic, philosophy, debunking pseudoscience, and children's literature. He has produced more than 60 books, including many best sellers, most of which are still in print. His Annotated Alice has sold more than a million copies. He continues to write a regular column for the Skeptical Inquirer magazine.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
We don’t use a simple average to calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star. Our system gives more weight to certain factors—including how recent the review is and if the reviewer bought it on Amazon. Learn more
153 global ratings
Do NOT buy this for Kindle until graphic problems are fixed!!
1 Star
Do NOT buy this for Kindle until graphic problems are fixed!!
I love Martin Gardner and I've seen this book in stores. When I saw it was available for Kindle I bought it immediately. Well, while some pages and chapters are readable, the overall quality of the Kindle version is horrible. I should note that I only tried to open this in the Kindle app on my phone and not an actual Kindle device, I don't know if a Kindle device would show pages correctly.But in the Kindle app, some pages with all text came out ok, but any page with a Diagram on it, forget it, just a jumbled mess. I've attached some screen shots of these issues, some are from the introduction and others are from the chapter describing Gardner's legendary game learning "machine", Hexapawn.Again, this is from the Kindle App, I did not try viewing on a Kindle device.This is a great book, but don't get it for Kindle until these issues are fixed. I can't believe books can make it this far without being tested.Returning for refund
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Top reviews from the United States

NO
5.0 out of 5 stars Gardener is always great, and this a great collection
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2023
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The best articles are the matchbox tic tack tow and the Life program. From that, a person can easily program it into 'c' or Java. Every book that Gardener write is good, but this is an exceptional collection.
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Mycroft
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent compendium
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2021
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After enjoying Martin Gardners column for years as an avid reader of Scientific American, I was doing some research on River Meanders, and was reminded through that of SA and MG. It’s great to have so many of his columns collected in one omnibus volume.
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Jotoro
5.0 out of 5 stars Came in on time.
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2021
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A great book from a puzzle master.
One person found this helpful
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LedFoot Coyote
5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure Trove of Great Reading
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2013
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Martin Gardner is the foremost writer on recreational mathematics. Other reviewers will shed more light on his pedigree; I wish only to add that he is a great writer per se, and that the sheer size and range of this book, coupled with its excellent bibliographies (for each chapter!) and index, make it ideal reading and a great starting point for depper explorations into the mathematical universe.
5 people found this helpful
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Thomas Reiter
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2004
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I have never read any books on "recreational mathematics" so didn't know quite what to expect from this book--in general I found it entertaining and interesting, with a broad range of topics, including physics, statistics, logical paradoxes, higher dimensions, etc. You don't really have to be a math person to enjoy this book; almost anyone interested in stimulating topics should find at least parts of it interesting.

The book consists of numerous short articles with bibliographies for each. If one article bores you, move on to the next... I found the articles on statistics, logical paradoxes, a 2D Universe (Planiverse) and others very interesting and enjoyable. It is important to understand that this book is not a puzzle book per se; although almost every articles includes some task for hard-core readers to perform ("Prove that...", or "How many..."), it is really intended as reading material.

A few negatives: the articles almost all seem to have been written in the 1950s or 1960s (!); each article has an addendum which attempts to bring it up to date. Although this didn't matter that much to me, since I have never read anything on recreational mathematics, I doubt that much of the material would be new for anyone that reads the topic regularly. Similarly, it would have been more interesting to discover what topics are currently "hot" in this field. Also, the author spends too much time for my taste on trivial mathematical games such as folding paper into different shapes rather than on really thought-provoking mathematical topics (purely a personal preference, I suppose).
25 people found this helpful
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Katt
5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting and educational
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2020
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My college graduated grandson was excited getting these books as a gift!
One person found this helpful
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Paulamalu
5.0 out of 5 stars Granddaughter loves it!
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2019
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Birthday gift for 11-year old. She loved it and said she would devote herself to 5 pages per day on it. Win-win.
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Odelie Huet
5.0 out of 5 stars Keeps you in math mode
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2019
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I read it when I have spare time, always learn something new, love it
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Top reviews from other countries

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Livro físico, é execelente
5.0 out of 5 stars Livro físico
Reviewed in Brazil on July 14, 2023
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O livro chegou bem antes do que eu esperava, chegou bem rápido e primeiro q outro q eu havia comprado aqui no Brasil msm.
A capa não é a mesma que na foto, pois o da foto é só um papel, mas a capa é tipo aqueles livros antigos sem detalhes apenas umas letras gravadas.
A capa é tipo um roxo escuro, é bonita enfim.
As avaliações ruins pelo q vi Sao referentes a versão para kindle. Pois dei uma olhada e a impressão está excelente, não tenho, até o momento, do que reclamar
2 people found this helpful
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Francisco Gil Leyva García
5.0 out of 5 stars Un gran texto sobre matemáticas recreativas
Reviewed in Mexico on June 10, 2023
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Un libro hecho con material de Martin Gardner. Muy bueno para quienes disfrutamos de las matemáticas recreativas
One person found this helpful
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ckob
1.0 out of 5 stars Completely unusable
Reviewed in Germany on June 13, 2023
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Badly scanned and converted - page after page like the one in the picture at the beginning, and when it gets to text the font sizes are all over the place.
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ckob
1.0 out of 5 stars Completely unusable
Reviewed in Germany on June 13, 2023
Badly scanned and converted - page after page like the one in the picture at the beginning, and when it gets to text the font sizes are all over the place.
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Pat Garret
5.0 out of 5 stars Bible des « jeux mathématiques »
Reviewed in France on January 24, 2018
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Quel plaisir de retrouver cette sélection, tout y est des fantastiques article du Scientific American : les palindromes, les pavages de Penrose, les hypercubes, le monde d’Escher, la bouteille de Klein, les flexagones, le paradoxe de Newcomb, le jeu de la vie, et surtout l’hexapawn de 1962 qui a permis à toute une génération d’informaticiens de découvrir et de mettre en œuvre dans les années 70s l’intelligence artificielle et les machines auto-apprenantes.
3 people found this helpful
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DC
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on February 7, 2017
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Loved it.
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