The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity by Steven Strogatz

3.92 AVERAGE

chilg1128's review against another edition

4.0
Fun read. I'd say that it was immensely interesting, but I don't know that someone who doesn't have as much exposure to math, or an interest in the ideas that were being explained (i.e. topology and the number of ways you can rotate a mattress) would really enjoy this book. Of course, if someone were to pick this up and not realize they were going to be driven (very quickly) down a freeway of mathematical ideas, then that's their fault.

I think that Strogatz does a great job of explaining complex ideas in either visual or relatable terms. Some of the concepts didn't lend themselves to be very colorful, which kind of lost me on those topics (like the idea that there are many different 'shortest' avenues around a cylinder). However, that can hardly be the fault of the author. Overall, it was fun and definitely rekindled a lot of interest I had in these topics from school. If you have an interest in the large concepts that math can bring in, I'd say this is a very fun and very high level view on that broad topic of math.

reader3307's review against another edition

5.0
I wish it wasn’t over...

felixk's review

3.0
fast-paced
skateanddonate's profile picture

skateanddonate's review

5.0
I love math. I loved this conversational book on different math topics. It was a great read. Reminded me how much joy I get out of doing algebraic problems. Somehow the ability to solve for X or X and Y always restores my confidence when my life is spinning out out of control from the chaos of multiple variables.
careythesixth's profile picture

careythesixth's review

3.0
The author gets mega bonus points for writing this book in a way that should be accessible to math idiots. However, a lot of it still went over my head. I have a hard time visualizing math and have always been more of a words person. As the book went on, I also felt more and more unsettled, thinking I was reading a hidden, yet dire code meant to call forth the Elder Gods. This book is more a primer for evil wizards than anything else. I tried it and it wasn't really for me but that's okay.

lenni's review against another edition

4.0
Wait, what? Although I had to re-read several paragraphs, I very much enjoyed this exploration of the less esoteric (and more fun) aspects of math.
angelakay's profile picture

angelakay's review

5.0
I love this book. My only regret is that I couldn't read it in high school, when I was *actually* struggling with math. At this point (having degrees & math & math education & have spent over a decade teaching the subject and/or teachers of it), I read it more from the point of view of, "How could I use pieces of this with students and/or the teachers that I work with?"

In these 30 short essays--a couple of which I had read before in his Time column--Strogatz begins at the beginning (with the concept of counting) and winds his way through everything from basic algebra to calculus to advanced topics like group theory and topology, discussing each topic in a way that is not only friendly and approachable for the mathematical neophite (or phobic), but fascinating. And for all that the book is aimed at a general audience, I have to admit that I learned a few fascinating things about some topics that I didn't even learn in my advanced semester-long college classes. (Did you know there are real-world applications from infinite series? I didn't!)

So yes, this is a book about math, but it isn't just for math lovers. In fact, it's probably more for people who felt like they "never really got it" in school but are maybe just a little intrigued and kind of want another crack at it (in a way that doesn't involve doing homework). I also think it makes a GREAT resource for math teachers. (I used the two calculus essays as introductions to each semester of the course, differential & integral respectively. They give a really great, 30,000 ft overview that I thought might help the students see what it was we were really doing and why before we got bogged down in problem sets.)

whitethief's profile picture

whitethief's review

3.0
No sé que estaba esperando, cada capítulo empezaba super interesante y luego, repentinamente, terminaba, yo sólo quería que siguieran hablando del tema en mano: sacrificaron contenido por cantidad de capítulos, pero igual recomendable, sí lo disfruté.
vanreads's profile picture

vanreads's review

5.0
I love this book. It makes math make sense and fun and why didn’t I have this in high school? Make your kids read it.

kartiknarayanan's review

3.0
The main premise of the Joy of X is to explain mathematical concepts for adults in a way that they can relate to it to now (as opposed to rote learning in schools). The other premise is to basically answer the question which most adults (who have found maths to be a nightmare) have - why should I learn this topic? I think the book succeeds in some areas while falling flat in others. The Joy of X is a collection of articles written for a magazine about various topics in mathematics. While a few were interesting and offered insights, I found the overall quality to be a hit or miss. So overall, it is worth a read but I don't think it lives up to its goals.