Here’s Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion Through the Astonishing World of Math by Alex Bellos (PDF)

Description

Too often math gets a bad rap, characterized as dry and difficult. But, Alex Bellos says, “math can be inspiring and brilliantly creative. Mathematical thought is one of the great achievements of the human race, and arguably the foundation of all human progress. The world of mathematics is a remarkable place.”Bellos has traveled all around the globe and has plunged into history to uncover fascinating stories of mathematical achievement, from the breakthroughs of Euclid, the greatest mathematician of all time, to the creations of the Zen master of origami, one of the hottest areas of mathematical work today. Taking us into the wilds of the Amazon, he tells the story of a tribe there who can count only to five and reports on the latest findings about the math instinct—including the revelation that ants can actually count how many steps they’ve taken. Journeying to the Bay of Bengal, he interviews a Hindu sage about the brilliant mathematical insights of the Buddha, while in Japan he visits the godfather of Sudoku and introduces the brainteasing delights of mathematical games.Exploring the mysteries of randomness, he explains why it is impossible for our iPods to truly randomly select songs. In probing the many intrigues of that most beloved of numbers, pi, he visits with two brothers so obsessed with the elusive number that they built a supercomputer in their Manhattan apartment to study it. Throughout, the journey is enhanced with a wealth of intriguing illustrations, such as of the clever puzzles known as tangrams and the crochet creation of an American math professor who suddenly realized one day that she could knit a representation of higher dimensional space that no one had been able to visualize. Whether writing about how algebra solved Swedish traffic problems, visiting the Mental Calculation World Cup to disclose the secrets of lightning calculation, or exploring the links between pineapples and beautiful teeth, Bellos is a wonderfully engaging guide who never fails to delight even as he edifies. Here’s Looking at Euclid is a rare gem that brings the beauty of math to life.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Bellos’ excursion into the world of numbers sits somewhere between a history book and a pop culture examination. It isn’t encompassing enough to be considered a history of mathematics, but what it lacks in sheer breadth, it makes up for in enthusiasm and relatability. Consider this book an introduction to the world of mathematics for people who think they don’t like or understand math.A relatively quick read, but with excellent depth in what subjects it does examine, Bellos’ exploration of key mathematical concepts weaves a story about this often dense subject matter that leaves the reader with several concepts per chapter that they will find themselves repeating to friends later that night. Information about base 10 and 12 systems (and evidence for why base 12 might be the better system), origami, the invention of the modern numerals, the concept of zero, pi, how algebra and geometry finally connected (and why exactly we use “x” so much), probability (while looking at gambling), the golden ratio and non-Euclidean geometry all jump out from the pages thanks to historical stories and Bellos’ excellent writing style.The only drawback is that you get so used to Bellos making math subjects interesting that when you hit the few dryer portions of the book, the text seems to drone a bit. This occurs in two particular parts. At the beginning with the overly discussed Munduruku tribe, and at the end with the discussion of multiple infinities. One might even get a bit bored with the examination of distributions in statistics, but it’s still a fascinating concept if you take the time to understand how it has influenced the world.Mathematics are so important to education, life and the science and technology that influences our lives that it is a shame so many students adopt an attitude of antipathy towards it. Bellos’ book, on the other hand, could potentially change that. If freshman math courses offered a marking period on the history of math, it could open up students to a better appreciation for the material. This book does just that.

⭐Surprising, indeed! This book (and my puchase of it) is proof that a great title can sell a book. I’d never heard of the author. I’m not particularly interested in math, and have certainly never intentionally read over 300 pages about it. A month ago it would have been difficult for me to conceive of something so seemingly dull as a book about math.But I loved this book!Part of the appeal of the book is its author. I am convinced that Alex Bellos could make anything interesting. He is a gifted writer, who just happens also to be a gifted mathematician; the perfect left/right-brained combination to make something like this work.The book is ordered into twelve chapters (numbered 0-11; Chapter Zero is, fittingly, about the concept of zero and how it’s invention changed the world). Each chapter can be read individually, which, as Bellos says, means you can skip any chapters that you find boring… but I can pretty much guarantee that won’t happen. For a book about numbers, the content is largely narrative, as opposed to being arranged in lists, tables, and other mathematical ways. The author uses his skills as a journalist to track down some remarkable people from all parts of the world, and engages readers in their fascinating stories.The “World of Math” truly is astonishing. From ancient philosophy and counting monkeys to sudoku puzzles and how to beat the odds in the casino, my mind was consistently blown on every page (but in a good way!) If I start listing individual facts that amazed me, I wouldn’t be able to stop, so you’re going to just have to read this book for yourself.You don’t have to know advanced math to enjoy this book. Honestly, you probably don’t need to know much at all about math, or be particularly good at it. Bellos never assumes too much about his audience. You merely need to love a good story, and be prepared to be thoroughly entertained.P.S. — This book has opened my eyes to an entire genre that I never knew existed: “Recreational Math Books”. I’ll definitely be returning to this well!

⭐I loved the book, but the Kindle edition is almost unreadable. After talking to Amazon Customer Service I emailed the books author, Alex Bellos, the following:”I have enjoyed “Here’s Looking at Euclid” so much, but the Kindle version was a big disappointment. Formatting of fractions, symbols, and some images make parts of the book unreadable. I wish I had invested in a hard cover edition instead of the Kindle edition. Hopefully you can influence your publisher to fix the problems with the Kindle version. Amazon said they will send updated versions of Kindle books when updates become available.”Here is what the author Alex Bellos said:”Thanks John for your kind words about the book. Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about the Kindle version – Amazon is only interested in converting books as cheaply as possible, and for years we have been complaining about their kindle conversions. The only solution is to persuade Jeff Bezos….or buy the hard copy!BestAlex”Some good news though. Amazon said they would refund me for the Kindle version of the book. I have ordered a paper back version for about the same price as the Kindle version. I also ordered a hard copy of his book “The Grapes of Math”. I love reading on my Kindle, but plan to avoid Kindle versions of books with maps, images, symbols, etc.

⭐great

⭐Book was in very good condition. Happy with the purchase.

⭐Although it gets off to a rather slow start, and is at times too wordy about the (usually I must admit most impressive and interesting) mathematicians whom the author has met, this very-very-easy-to-read book does cover a great deal of absolutely fascinating aspects of numbers and the wonderful, even mind-boggling discoveries of many geniuses throughout the ages. A book particularly suitable for young people who would like to know more about big subjects like Pi and infinity and probabilities and (astounding) number series and much much more.

⭐Great book – all books by Alex Bellos are excellent math books.

⭐Book is good but paper quality is very sub-standard in paperback.

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