Readers can count on a good time with this book of numerical mysteries. They'll dig into clever number puzzles and gain confidence in their problem-solving skills. Engaging riddles make math, logic, and reasoning fun even for reluctant readers. They'll develop critical and creative thinking skills. Original illustrations bring charm to each puzzle. Helpful hints encourage readers to find every answer. Accessible and interactive, this fun book will be popular in any library.
"Of immense interest to those who enjoy recreational maths and puzzles . . . even the most hardened puzzler will find something new." -- Mathematical Gazette Puzzles are as old as history itself, following an arc like that of technology: centuries of slow progress, followed by rapid expansion in the 1800s, and an explosion of activity in the twentieth century. This collection by bestselling author David Wells, a Cambridge math scholar and teacher, follows that pattern. Its first part is devoted to puzzles from ancient Egypt and Babylon and subsequent sources, featuring those devised by Lewis Carroll, Eduard Lucas, Sam Loyd, and other master puzzlers of the Victorian era. The second part demonstrates the tremendous variety of twentieth-century puzzles. More than 560 puzzles are included, from the "mind sharpeners" of a medieval monk to the eighteenth-century Ladies' Diary, the Hindu Bhakshali manuscript, and riddles and popular rhymes. None requires any mathematics beyond the most elementary algebra and geometry -- and few require even that. Complete answers appear at the end.
'The whizz-kid making maths supercool. . . A brilliant book that takes everything we know (and fear) about maths out of the equation - starting with numbers' The Times 'A cheerful, chatty, and charming trip through the world of mathematics. . . Everyone should read this delightful book' Ian Stewart, author of Do Dice Play God? The only numbers in this book are the page numbers. The three main branches of abstract math - topology, analysis, and algebra - turn out to be surprisingly easy to grasp. Or at least, they are when our guide is a math prodigy. With forthright wit and warm charm, Milo Beckman upends the conventional approach to mathematics, inviting us to think creatively about shape and dimension, the infinite and the infinitesimal, symmetries, proofs, and all how all these concepts fit together. Why is there a million dollar prize for counting shapes? Is anything bigger than infinity? And how is the 'truth' of mathematics actually decided? A vivid and wholly original guide to the math that makes the world tick and the planets revolve, Math Without Numbers makes human and understandable the elevated and hypothetical, allowing us to clearly see abstract math for what it is: bizarre, beautiful, and head-scratchingly wonderful.
This engaging range of different types of puzzles lets readers stretch all their problem-solving muscles. They'll develop math, language, logic, reasoning, and critical thinking skills while having a blast. This unique combination of visual, number-based, and language-based riddles will keep readers entertained for hours. Playful illustrations add charm to every problem. Helpful introductions to each problem give readers a handy starting point. Age-appropriate, accessible, and fun, this collection of engaging puzzles will be a favorite in any library or classroom.
British-Israeli recreational mathematician, communicator and educator, Yossi Elran explores in-depth six of the most ingenious math puzzles, exposing their long 'tails': the stories, trivia, quirks and oddities of their history and, of course, the math and mathematicians behind them. In his unique 'talmudic', associative way, Elran shows the hidden connections between Lewis Carroll's 'Cats and Rats' puzzle and the math of taxi driving, a number pyramid magic trick and Hollywood movie fractals, and even how packing puzzles are related to COVID-19!Elran has a great talent for explaining difficult topics — including quantum mechanics, a topic he relates to some original 'operator' puzzles — making the book very accessible for all audiences.With over 40 additional, original puzzles, and touching on dozens of hot math topics, this is a perfect book for math lovers, educators, kids and adults, and anyone who loves a great read.Yossi Elran is co-author of our bestselling The Paper Puzzle Book, and heads the Innovation Center at the Davidson Institute of Science Education, the educational arm of the world-renowned Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
There's more than what meets the eye in these puzzling pictures. Readers will pour over the pages of this immersive book of image-based riddles. Even reluctant readers will love engaging with these mysterious visual conundrums. Each puzzle features charming illustrations. Handy intros to each puzzle help readers get started. As they progress through each problem, readers will develop critical and creative thinking skills. They'll practice logic and reasoning. Fun and accessible, these unique puzzles will entertain readers for hours, making this a popular addition to any library or classroom.
Party on with puzzles geared to the hip and young, with themes focusing on hot celebrities, chartbusting music, blockbuster movies, must-watch TV, must-have fashions, chilling at the mall, extreme sports, dances, hangin out, cars, romance, the Internet you name it. Plus: a hidden message in every grid."
