The Math Book (Big Ideas) Kindle Edition

CONTENT REVIEW UPDATE!!!So I've had a couple of days to read a few chapters and I have to say that the content is just great! I love both math and philosophy and this book certainly takes a walk on that very journey of discovery!It has fascinating histories throughout the book as well as graphics to represent concepts (like why positive numbers have two square roots, or how doubling quickly increases exponentially). This is certainly a cornerstone of these books and "The Math Book" certainly keeps delivering in this aspect.Of the chapters I've read, I feel like the contributors do a good job of providing historical facts and references along with contrasting ideas at the time (if any of relevance appear). The chapters feel balanced this way. I also really appreciated reading about how a new discovery was perceived by the peoples of its time which was not often in a positive manner.The contents of this book are really great and although the construction leaves MUCH to be desired, I feel like the contents are still an amazing addition to this series.I've updated the review score and taken away 1 star due to the obviously poor construction. I feel like 3 stars is too low because people that like Math would enjoy this book even in tatters, on the other hand 4 stars feels too high to support such an unexpected quality dip (in construction, not contents).Finally I settled on 4 stars because I feel the content is amazing. 3.5 is where I would have voted.I want you to be aware of the construction quality but also know that if you do decide to purchase this, that the contents will still be amazing and although it may fall apart over time, if you can find some glue to keep it together you'll still enjoy each chapter as the small history/math/philosophy lesson that it brings.THE REST OF THIS REVIEW is not about the contents but instead it is about the quality of construction.I've been a buyer of this series since the beginning and the quality has always been superb. At least the last two volumes ("Ecology Book" and "The Feminism Book") have shown a reduction in paper thickness. Considering that these books tend to stay right at 352 pages, it is easy to tell the difference.- The first quality dip is the lack of a dust jacket. Yes this is purely cosmetic but all the other books have one and this is the first volume that came without it. As a pre-order customer, it was unexpected and disappointing.- The second is the hard cover itself. All previous books have a glossy finish and this is the first one that is matte. Yes, this is also purely cosmetic but it just keeps the quality low. Yet another visual difference when compared to all previous books.- Third, the binding, I'm actually concerned for the longevity of this book. Please follow along with the pictures. The Math book (black cover) is compared to The Psychology book (red cover).--First picture shows the signatures (that's those little books made up of typically 8 pages) are quite a bit loose, this is most likely due to the fact that the spine itself does not have a tight glue binding but just a glue strip. Please also notice how the book lays when it is opened half way and notice how the spine is bent at almost a right angle. This sharp angle is not good on the life of the spine.--Second picture shows the Psychology book (an early volume in this collection) opened on top of the Math book. Notice the glue visible all along the signatures (right at the spine) and notice how flat the spine is. Yes the book doesn't open as flat but this is great for a long lasting spine.--Third picture shows the thickness of the Math book (left) vs. Psychology book (right). Both 352 pages but very different page thickness. Again, the last couple of volumes have also had their page thickness reduced but at least the spine and binding were still of higher quality.--Fourth picture shows the spines side-by-side--Fifth picture shows the thickness measured. It's hard to tell from the picture but the pages alone (not including the covers) are 3/4" thick for the Math book and 7/8" for the Psychology book (on even denominators: 6/8" vs 7/8") that thickness really matters when pages need to last a long time.--Sixth picture shows the number of pages. The Math book has an Acknowledgment page without the number on the top left but I'm showing the page 350 just behind it, making the page number at 352 while the Psychology book ends right at page 352 as shown.--Seventh picture shows the stitches used in the Psychology book: count 6 stitches!! Nice and tight along the page height.--Eight picture shows the stitches used in the Math book, a bit harder to see but there are only 5 stitches. The page height is the same so this means fewer stitches spread farther out, giving less strength to the binding itself--Ninth and final picture shows the lack of glue from the spine of the Math book (on top) vs a thick glue binding on the Psychology book (bottom).For the price paid for this book, I'd say that the quality change is baffling. I'm certainly hoping that quality resumes in future volumes.PUBLISHER: if you're reading this, when you cut quality so explicitly (and really blatantly), you make a wonderful product into a much cheaper version of itself.THINKING ABOUT COLLECTING THIS SERIES?: beware of construction quality. That's what this review is about. If you like the series, just be aware that not all volumes hold the same construction standards and this book in particular may not last as long as the previous books.A personal disappointment: The low construction quality on this volume was really hurtful. I love these books and I'm so disappointed with the quality of this volume. The contents of these books has always been great, why cheapen the product with such poor materials and construction?

I really did not expect that I could understand and so much enjoy this book. This, because I have no formal education in mathematics. On the other hand, I have an informal self-education and, above all, a positive life-long attitude towards mathematics as the basis of science and tecnology. And, a recent experience of three excellent DK-books in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. No difficulty of understanding, but mathematics is, however, mathematics, something above the common sense of the man of the street.But it soon turned out that my education was enough and allowed me to understand everything presented in this book. Not due so much to myself, but to the tradition of the DK-Books and the authhors of this particular book, a completely fantastic experience. Not just a dry sequence of definitions and formulas, but succulent and colourful story behind every concept. When I say story it means really the history up to the person, his education, working, family and frienship background. Own chapter is devoted to all important subjects with specific references as sources before and applications after the appearance of the subject matter. Never seen that kind of presentation outside the DK-books. Nor the systematic internal linkage of all persons and subjects in the text, say at least average of three on every page making up to at least three thousand alltogether. Take or leave, in general leave, of courss. But this very linkage is an indication of the importance of the aubject. Such mames as Gauss, Newton, Kepler etc. appear tens of times as links leading to their lifework. There is, of course, the usual appendices of indexes of persons and subjects at the end of the book. Because of the thorough internal linkage the importance of these indices is reduced. In these do I find the only object for my crititicism. The contents of both these indices seems to be random and ungrounded. The persons are either completely unknown in the text or already better specified in the text, the most important ones. In the subject index I pay notice that differential and differential equation are included, but not difference and difference equations. Now I reveal the result of my private extra mathematical education: as economics professor, the latter two have been for me more important than the former. I have for fwenty years given lectures in the medium level mathematical economics, with special interes on the structure and equilibrium of econometric macromodel, that is a group of difference equations.Anyway, full, overfull five stars as a general assessment of this DK-book, agenre of its own.@@@

This is extremely well written and interesting book on mathematics. However, any of the reviewers who say that they understand everything in this book, are either mathematicians, geniuses, or are deceiving themselves. Highly recommended if you are interested in mathematics, or are exceptionally intelligent, or just like to read about mathematics and be baffled and amazed.

This is a good book for surveying many math topics on an historical basis. It's arranged chronologically, and delves into each topic at varying levels of explanation. Sidebars include biographical information on important mathematicians involved with each topic. Few errors or typos in the text.

This is a good book for what it is - an overview and short synopsis of many areas of mathematical discoveries and concepts. The book is separated into major time periods (ancient & classical periods, Middle Ages, Renaissance, modern mathematics, etc). No concept or mathematician are discussed in much detail, as this book is very general. This book is very easy to read and interesting. I recommend this book. Please mark if you find my review helpful. Thank you so much!

I purchased this book for my bright Math loving 8 year old.She loves it, so do I.It is well written and we love how it talks about the history of Math and some famous people of math.

Fascinating book, if you can see the words. Font is not good, hard to read, close.

My 11 year old avid reader loves this book! He can understand elements now and it will also grow with him as he learns advanced math concepts. Great illustrations, makes advanced concepts easy to understand.

This is very comprehensive book and worth buying. It does not however explain Maths in a Simple way (as it is advertised). This isn't because it's a bad book, but becuase it covers complicated topics. Be prepared to do extra reading to get to the bottom of some of the topics. There is a lot of use of terminology which is baffling, and I spent alot of time looking up definitions (which still don't make sense to me). The book has definitely succeeded in sparking my curiosity on Maths and wanting to know more. You can pick up this book and read a few topics per day and it's not intimidating. The Physics book in this range did a better job at explaining Big ideas. I have since ordered the Cosmology book.Update - I've finished this book and now lowered the rating to a three. It actually made me quite annoyed that some of the authors used so so much terminology and jargon in a book that is supposed to explain ideas 'simply'. I think the editor should have been stricter

With a strong Physics and Engineering background everything gets REALLY complex and mathematical very quickly when trying to explain some of the concepts. What this style of books does is remind you of some of the basic principles without maths, allowing me to talk to my kids about the things in science that I'm passionate about.Some of the topics are a little skimmed over, but to be fair they still explain the importance of the ideas. We have the Physics, Technology, and Maths books. All a great style, easily accessible and my 11YO daughter can happily browse without help as the writing style is perfect for her Harry Potter level lexicon.Across the 3 books we have, some highlights:Maths: Fourier analysis (weak explanation but conveys the message well), Group theory and the rubix cube, number theory and development.Technology: Central Heating systems, Helicopters, Lasers, The Internet, Locks, hydraulicsPhysics: Quantum field theory (written SO well), nuclear power and bombs, RelatviityAs I said, some incredibly important topics that permeate or lives but kids never get access too until they're grown ups. These books help provide the context for amazing scientific and mathematical discoveries. Stay with me here, but I believe that scientific fields have now advanced so far into areas completely inaccessible to the lay person that a sense of distrust and knowledge elitism has overwhelmed the amazing work our human society is doing. So what these books do amazingly well is help to bridge this gap, and help any reader to feel like the topics are more inclusive to them. And this is what great writing and education is all about. (Sorry, rant over).

I just love this series. I have pretty much all of them except sherlock Holmes. It's just to have these kind of books which DO simply explain stuff in bite size chunks.

Comprehensive and well written, charting and explaining the development of mathematical concepts from antiquity to the present day. Not a book I imagine most people would read in one sitting, but nevertheless an interesting book to dip into.

Important to say this is NOT a how to do maths book. Nevertheless it's a brilliant story of maths from ancient times to the 21st century. All the major figures are here along with their discoveries. A biography of maths. If you love maths it's indispensable.