Reviews
Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature by Sarah Hart
sapphicsoilscientist's review
100% am going to buy myself a copy instead of just borrow. Saving the rest so I can make annotations.
randomly's review
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
Playful and informative, this book is perfect for any math or literature enthusiast. Feels like catching up with a smart friend over good coffee. The structure can be a bit jumpy, as if the author was saying "Here's a cool thing... and here's another cool thing..." but that only adds to the charm.
Prof. Hart also gives public/online lectures on fun topics like "the maths of B-movie monsters" and "how to prove 1 = 0 and other maths illusions" (details on her Gresham College web page).
Prof. Hart also gives public/online lectures on fun topics like "the maths of B-movie monsters" and "how to prove 1 = 0 and other maths illusions" (details on her Gresham College web page).
kayu99's review
5.0
I received a digital ARC from Flatiron Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book instantly caught my attention with its punny title. Both math and literature are wide ranging subjects, and this book does a good job in demonstrating its scope. Explanations are clearly written and easy to follow. The author's love for teaching definitely comes through and adds to the overall enjoyment of reading this book. The organization is logical and has good progression. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in literature, math, or history, and anyone who likes learning more about patterns, structure, logic, and organization.
This book instantly caught my attention with its punny title. Both math and literature are wide ranging subjects, and this book does a good job in demonstrating its scope. Explanations are clearly written and easy to follow. The author's love for teaching definitely comes through and adds to the overall enjoyment of reading this book. The organization is logical and has good progression. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in literature, math, or history, and anyone who likes learning more about patterns, structure, logic, and organization.
tylercritchfield's review against another edition
5.0
Fun, witty, clever, informative, and nerdy. Loved it. If you like math, you're going to enjoy this book. If you don't like math, I think this book will help you appreciate it a bit more. I definitely added more books to my to-read list as I went through it.
My only complaint is Hart didn't discuss The Phantom Tollbooth and it's math-focused city Digitopolis. But I'd say the other stuff she did include make up for it :)
My only complaint is Hart didn't discuss The Phantom Tollbooth and it's math-focused city Digitopolis. But I'd say the other stuff she did include make up for it :)