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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
I learned more about the "why" of calculus in this book than I did in a full year of AP Calculus in high school. It made me want to break out my old text book to rediscover the "how."
That said, the book is a very quick read (took me about 4 hours to finish, give or take) and skims the surface of a wide breadth of topics rather than delving into a few. A background in higher math is helpful if only for grasping concepts like vector calculus.
That said, the book is a very quick read (took me about 4 hours to finish, give or take) and skims the surface of a wide breadth of topics rather than delving into a few. A background in higher math is helpful if only for grasping concepts like vector calculus.
Fun read! I learned a good bit that I hadn’t picked up in other math courses. It started to get a bit over my head later in the book but that’s mainly my fault.
I loved this book. I always thought I sucked at math because I had terrible math teachers. They would never answer the question "WHY?" As a result, math seemed like a vague, abstract waste of time.
During the era of the television show "Numb3rs", I decided to revisit my phobia of math, and I have since embarked on a math re-education project for myself, of which this book has been a part. I now understand why a rational number is called a "rational" number. It's a number that has to do with ratios. And that a squared number actually has something to do with the physical shape of a square. Math confirms some of our prejudices about the world, and absolutely, categorically disproves others. I now understand what algebra is for, and what calculus is for. I never got past algebra, and barely passed that. But, at least, now I know what the point of the whole enterprise is. I had no idea before I read this book.
Math used to terrorize me. I remember my dad standing over my head as I sweated out seventh grade pre-algebra homework. I remember him saying "This is easy! This is the easiest thing in the world! Why don't you get it?" As I sat there and tried not to cry, because it made no sense to me at all. But if I used math in an applied way, say, in an oceanography class, doing soundings of a simulated ocean floor, or calculating vectors in aeronautics--all of a sudden it made perfect sense. But, somehow, I still thought I was stupid at math. Really, what I was missing was the "how come?" of math. When I was in grade school, I don't think my teachers ever understood the "how come?", which made them awful at math instruction. So, beginning with Numb3rs, I began to learn. I did some research into math education. A couple of years ago, I got the Singapore Math Curriculum and started teaching myself all over again, from first grade on. I am now a third grade math student, and I get it now, and I will one day know algebra, and calculus and maybe even trig.
Steven H. Strogatz, I don't know if you ever read reviews of your books, but your book is just the inspiration I needed to continue down this mathematical path. The fictional Charlie Eppes was right, and so are you. Math really, really is beautiful. Thank you for writing this wonderful book to encourage those of us who are just beginning to realize its power.
During the era of the television show "Numb3rs", I decided to revisit my phobia of math, and I have since embarked on a math re-education project for myself, of which this book has been a part. I now understand why a rational number is called a "rational" number. It's a number that has to do with ratios. And that a squared number actually has something to do with the physical shape of a square. Math confirms some of our prejudices about the world, and absolutely, categorically disproves others. I now understand what algebra is for, and what calculus is for. I never got past algebra, and barely passed that. But, at least, now I know what the point of the whole enterprise is. I had no idea before I read this book.
Math used to terrorize me. I remember my dad standing over my head as I sweated out seventh grade pre-algebra homework. I remember him saying "This is easy! This is the easiest thing in the world! Why don't you get it?" As I sat there and tried not to cry, because it made no sense to me at all. But if I used math in an applied way, say, in an oceanography class, doing soundings of a simulated ocean floor, or calculating vectors in aeronautics--all of a sudden it made perfect sense. But, somehow, I still thought I was stupid at math. Really, what I was missing was the "how come?" of math. When I was in grade school, I don't think my teachers ever understood the "how come?", which made them awful at math instruction. So, beginning with Numb3rs, I began to learn. I did some research into math education. A couple of years ago, I got the Singapore Math Curriculum and started teaching myself all over again, from first grade on. I am now a third grade math student, and I get it now, and I will one day know algebra, and calculus and maybe even trig.
Steven H. Strogatz, I don't know if you ever read reviews of your books, but your book is just the inspiration I needed to continue down this mathematical path. The fictional Charlie Eppes was right, and so are you. Math really, really is beautiful. Thank you for writing this wonderful book to encourage those of us who are just beginning to realize its power.
informative
fast-paced
This book is a gem!
It is a collection of short math topics based on Steven Strogatz's New York Times series, increasing in level of difficulty, but presented in a brilliant and very accessible way.
I loved it and savored it: I did not want to rush as I enjoyed letting the notions simmer a bit before moving to the next chapter. My favorite chapters have been Working Your Quads with a geometric proof of the quadratic formula and the Twist and Shout on the Mobius strip and topology.
I totally agree that looking at concepts in a different way allows you to embrace their inner beauty.
Exceptionally, this book is also very elegant in regards of the notes: instead of having a bunch of footnotes or a lot of references at the end of the book, the notes are usually worth reading and contain a lot of material to learn more on a certain topic, still with an accessible style. I love to read about math, though sometimes I am a bit concerned I might stumble on a book too advanced for my level. I will definitely read some of the books and articles referenced by the author.
I have already shared some chapters and illustrations with others and they had the same effect as they had for me: a pleasant surprise, the "oh! it looks so obvious explained like this!" reaction. I might try the Mobius activities with my kids, too.
I definitely recommend it, especially to those interested in math but maybe forgot what they learnt and want to refresh it, have a bit of a brain challenge and explore some modern twists to old classics.
Happy reading!
It is a collection of short math topics based on Steven Strogatz's New York Times series, increasing in level of difficulty, but presented in a brilliant and very accessible way.
I loved it and savored it: I did not want to rush as I enjoyed letting the notions simmer a bit before moving to the next chapter. My favorite chapters have been Working Your Quads with a geometric proof of the quadratic formula and the Twist and Shout on the Mobius strip and topology.
I totally agree that looking at concepts in a different way allows you to embrace their inner beauty.
Exceptionally, this book is also very elegant in regards of the notes: instead of having a bunch of footnotes or a lot of references at the end of the book, the notes are usually worth reading and contain a lot of material to learn more on a certain topic, still with an accessible style. I love to read about math, though sometimes I am a bit concerned I might stumble on a book too advanced for my level. I will definitely read some of the books and articles referenced by the author.
I have already shared some chapters and illustrations with others and they had the same effect as they had for me: a pleasant surprise, the "oh! it looks so obvious explained like this!" reaction. I might try the Mobius activities with my kids, too.
I definitely recommend it, especially to those interested in math but maybe forgot what they learnt and want to refresh it, have a bit of a brain challenge and explore some modern twists to old classics.
Happy reading!
informative
medium-paced
Great background material for a person that was challenged with early math.
I think I compensated for it fine, but this filled in gaps on early proofs (pi, pythagorean, etc) that I didn't really realize were there.
Latter part of the book is a high level summary of many current analytics trends.
I think I compensated for it fine, but this filled in gaps on early proofs (pi, pythagorean, etc) that I didn't really realize were there.
Latter part of the book is a high level summary of many current analytics trends.
Beautiful.
This was a delightful listen, entertaining and informative. Math can be seductive; math can be wild.
This was a delightful listen, entertaining and informative. Math can be seductive; math can be wild.
Light reading, given the topic. I actually would have enjoyed some of the chapters to go a little more into some depth, but I did enjoy the read and learned some new things.