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The Spirit of Mathematics: Algebra and All That
by David Acheson
What makes mathematics so special? Whether you have anxious memories of the subject from school, or solve quadratic equations for fun, David Acheson's book will make you look at mathematics afresh. Following on from his previous bestsellers, The Calculus Story and The Wonder Book of Geometry, here Acheson highlights the power of algebra, combining it with arithmetic and geometry to capture the spirit of mathematics. This short book encompasses an astonishing array of ideas and concepts, from number tricks and magic squares to infinite series and imaginary numbers. Acheson's enthusiasm is infectious, and, as ever, a sense of quirkiness and fun pervades the book. But it also seeks to crystallize what is special about mathematics: the delight of discovery; the importance of proof; and the joy of contemplating an elegant solution. Using only the simplest of materials, it conjures up the depth and the magic of the subject.
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Liberty's Grid: A Founding Father, a Mathematical Dreamland, and the Shaping of America
by Amir Alexander
From the halls of Congress to the open prairies, and from the fight against George III to the Trail of Tears, Liberty's Grid tells the story of the continuing battle between grid-makers and their opponents. On the one side are the rectilinear streets of Manhattan and the squared corn fields of Kansas, on the other the curvy paths of Central Park and the cliffs of Yosemite Valley. To grid creators, America appears a land of limitless freedom; to those beholden to the rhythms of nature and history, the naturalistic is an escape from moral collapse. Their conflict, Alexander shows, is written on our landscape.
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Math-Ish: Finding Creativity, Diversity, and Meaning in Mathematics
by Jo Boaler
Mathematics is a fundamental part of life, yet every one of us has a unique relationship with learning and understanding the subject. Working with numbers may inspire confidence in our abilities or provoke anxiety and trepidation. Stanford researcher, mathematics education professor, and the leading expert on math learning Dr. Jo Boaler argues that our differences are the key to unlocking our greatest mathematics potential. In Math-ish, Boaler shares new neuroscientific research on how embracing the concept of math-ish--a theory of mathematics as it exists in the real world--changes the way we think about mathematics, data, and ourselves. When we can see the value of diversity among people and multi-faceted approaches to learning math, we are free to truly flourish. Utilizing the latest research on math education, Jo guides us through seven principles that can radically reframe our relationship with the subject.--
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Unequal: The Math of When Things Do and Don't Add Up
by Eugenia Cheng
Math is famous for its equations: 1 + 1 = 2, a 2 + b 2 = c 2, or y = mx + b. Much of the time it can seem like that's all mathematics is: following steps to show that what's on one side of an equation is the same as what's on the other. In Unequal, Eugenia Cheng shows that's just part of the story, and the boring part to boot. Mathematics isn't only about showing how numbers and symbols are the same. It isn't even just about numbers and symbols at all, but a world of shapes, symmetries, logical ideas, and more. And in that world, the boundary between things being equal and unequal is a gray area, or perhaps a rainbow of beautiful, vibrant, subtly nuanced color. As Unequal shows, once you go over that rainbow, almost everything can be considered equal and unequal at the same time, whether it's shapes (seen from the right perspective, a circle is the same as an ellipse), words (synonyms), or people--even numbers It all depends on what features we care about. And it's up to us what we do about it. That's because mathematics isn't a series of rules, facts, or answers. It's an invitation to a more powerful way of thinking.
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Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator
by Keith Houston
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice The hidden history of the pocket calculator--a device that ushered in modern mathematics, helped build the atomic bomb, and went with us to the moon--and the mathematicians, designers, and inventors who brought it to life.
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The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Hidden History of Math's Unsung Trailblazers
by Kate Kitagawa
Mathematics shapes almost everything we do. But despite its reputation as the study of fundamental truths, the stories we have been told about it are wrong--warped like the sixteenth-century map that enlarged Europe at the expense of Africa, Asia and the Americas. In The Secret Lives of Numbers, renowned math historian Kate Kitagawa and journalist Timothy Revell make the case that the history of math is infinitely deeper, broader, and richer than the narrative we think we know.
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Love Triangle: How Trigonometry Shapes the World
by Matt Parker
Trigonometry is perhaps the most essential concept humans have ever devised. The simple yet versatile triangle allows us to record music, map the world, launch rockets into space, and be slightly less bad at pool. Triangles underpin our day-to-day lives and civilization as we know it. Matt Parker argues we should all show a lot more love for triangles, along with all the useful trigonometry and geometry they enable. To prove his point, he uses triangles to create his own digital avatar, survive a harrowing motorcycle ride, cut a sandwich, fall in love, measure tall buildings in a few awkward bounds, and make some unusual art. Along the way, he tells extraordinary and entertaining stories of the mathematicians, engineers, and philosophers-starting with Pythagoras-who dared to take triangles seriously--
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Math Makers: The Lives and Works of 50 Famous Mathematicians
by Alfred S. Posamentier
Two veteran math educators concisely profile leading mathematicians throughout history highlighting their often unusual personalities and lives while giving average readers insights into the importance of their mathematical discoveries.--
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The Language of Mathematics: The Stories Behind the Symbols
by Raúl Rojas
The Language of Mathematics is a wide-ranging and beautifully illustrated collection of short, colorful histories of the most commonly used symbols in mathematics, providing readers with an engaging introduction to the origins, evolution, and conceptual meaning of each one. In dozens of lively and informative entries, Raúl Rojas shows how today's mathematics stands on the shoulders of giants, mathematicians from around the world who developed mathematical notation through centuries of collective effort. He tells the stories of such figures as al-Khwrizm, René Descartes, Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Carl Friedrich Gauss, Augustin-Louis Cauchy, Karl Weierstrass, Sofia Kovalevskaya, David Hilbert, and Kenneth Iverson. Topics range from numbers and variables to sets and functions, constants, and combinatorics. Rojas describes the mathematical problems associated with different symbols and reveals how mathematical notation has sometimes been an accidental process. The entries are self-contained and can be read in any order, each one examining one or two symbols, their history, and the variants they may have had over time.
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Math Mind: The Simple Path to Loving Math
by Shalinee Sharma
Shalinee Sharma is one of the world's top experts on math learning, but when she was in school, she sat in the back row, unsure if she could ever master the subject. Many of us buy into the idea that some people are innately good at math and others just won't ever succeed at it-but it's not true. Sharma shows how complex problem solving and puzzle solving, abstract and logical thinking, and cultivating a growth mindset are crucial skills for success that can be taught to everyone, and how math, far from being a dry, dull exercise, shares common ground with art, creativity, and wonder. She also explodes the myths that hold us back from enjoying math, with chapters dedicated to the three roadblocks that hold both kids and adults back and discourage them from learning. With instructive line drawings throughout, Sharma explains the math instinct that all humans have from birth, and better, more intuitive ways to solve math problems. Whether you are an educator, a parent, or an adult who has always thought you're bad at math but wants to get good, Math Sense contains the guidance, takeaways, and specific approaches you need to learn to love numbers--
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