Fascinating, but flawed, 01 Jan 2009
The Music of the Primes by Marcus du Sautoy is an interesting look at the history of mathematical discoveries surrounding the prime numbers. It's a tough topic though, and the author's attempts to make it more palatable to non-mathematicians sometimes backfire.

The problem is that you can't fully convey the importance and beauty of prime numbers without addressing some pretty complex mathematical issues. While du Sautoy does throw in the odd equation (and I finished the book feeling rather more mathematically accomplished than when I started it) he is obviously trying to keep things as simple as possible, trying to draw in as larger readership as possible. And the result is that all too often it's very hard to grasp quite what he's talking about. I'm no maths guru (far from it), but there were times when I found myself wishing he'd added a little more maths to the book, so I could at least try to follow him. All too often though he replaced the maths with rather fragile metaphors (most frequently, referring to the solutions of an the zeta function, an equation in four-dimensional space, as finding the "points at sea level"... which just left me wondering what the sea looks like in four dimensions).

I do feel sorry for Marcus du Sautoy: simplifying a subject which has taxed mathematicians greatest brains for some 200 years is never going to be easy. Never going to be possible, even. At the same time, I couldn't help thinking that at times his writing could be better. More than once I thought "is this really the new Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science?" Du Sautoy has a much harder topic to explain than his predecessor, Richard Dawkins, but he also doesn't seem to have quite Dawkins' skill with prose. Perhaps that will come with time?

Despite all that, it was a fascinating book, a bit of a struggle to get through but I managed it (I often don't), and by the end I felt that I knew a lot more about prime numbers, number theory, the Riemann hypothesis, and just how important all of this is to cryptography and the future security (or insecurity) of the Internet.

Good but not great, 14 Mar 2008
It was fascinating to read about all these famous mathematicians and their backgrounds. It was great to be able to put a face, a personality and a background to an equation that I have been using for all my life, like Cauchy, Descartes, Hilbert, etc. However, his analogies about Riemann's Hypothesis were not very effective, and were very hard to get through, even though I am a mathematician. Also, the lack of an appendix at the end explaining the math of it was disappointing. I ended up skipping over the mathematical bits and just jumping to the parts where he talked about other mathematicians. Maybe I should read a history of math book instead?

More about the mathematicians than the mathematics, 30 Dec 2007
It's said that for every equation you include in a book, you halve the number of readers of that book. That said, this one should be a best-seller because it includes hardly any equations at all.

I was expecting to like this, as I've experienced some of the author's presentations on the TV and I was impressed by his style. However, this book was disappointingly thin on substance.

If you're interested in mathematicians as a breed (who isn't? - we're fascinating little devils) then this book should amuse you. Sometimes it comes across as a gossip-column. For a solid history of the Riemann conjecture, however, the mathematical detail is remarkable in its absence.

I compare this book to reading a review of a symphonic work - all very well to be told it's great, but I'd much rather be hearing it.

insightful and complete account on Riemann Conjecture, 03 Sep 2007
Being a mathematician myself I have always found it difficult to find a maths book that was, on one side of a level that could be followed without being sitting in a library with a great aount of reference books, and of the other of a level enough not to get bored. Sure this is the best i've read. It's written following historical line and it becomes apage turner, as if it were a novel

Very good, but could have been better..., 25 Feb 2007
I really wanted this book to be as good as Simon Singh's 'Fermat's Last Theorem', and while it shares many of the same characteristics as Singh's excellent debut, for me it didn't quite match up.

Of course, there my be a couple of simple reasons why this may have been so. Firstly, the Riemann Hypothesis is a rather more conceptually difficult mathematical problem to grasp than Pierre de Fermat's simple but elusive conjecture. Du Sautoy tries to deal with this by using analogies to landscapes and music, but due to the gaps between my reading sessions, I sometimes forgot the origin of the analogical thread, which meant I had to search back through the text to 'catch up'.

The other main reason why this book was less satisfying is because nobody has yet proven Riemann's Hypthesis to be true, whereas Fermat's Last Theorem was finally proven by Andrew Wiles in the 1990's.

Lastly, the book could have benefited from a series of notes or appendices linked to the text, through which the keen reader could gain a mathematical explanation of what was being described in the text. Again, Singh's book is a beautiful example of how this should be done.

Overall though, a very good book, which I am sure I will read again.

Fascinating, but flawed, 01 Jan 2009
The Music of the Primes by Marcus du Sautoy is an interesting look at the history of mathematical discoveries surrounding the prime numbers. It's a tough topic though, and the author's attempts to make it more palatable to non-mathematicians sometimes backfire.

The problem is that you can't fully convey the importance and beauty of prime numbers without addressing some pretty complex mathematical issues. While du Sautoy does throw in the odd equation (and I finished the book feeling rather more mathematically accomplished than when I started it) he is obviously trying to keep things as simple as possible, trying to draw in as larger readership as possible. And the result is that all too often it's very hard to grasp quite what he's talking about. I'm no maths guru (far from it), but there were times when I found myself wishing he'd added a little more maths to the book, so I could at least try to follow him. All too often though he replaced the maths with rather fragile metaphors (most frequently, referring to the solutions of an the zeta function, an equation in four-dimensional space, as finding the "points at sea level"... which just left me wondering what the sea looks like in four dimensions).

I do feel sorry for Marcus du Sautoy: simplifying a subject which has taxed mathematicians greatest brains for some 200 years is never going to be easy. Never going to be possible, even. At the same time, I couldn't help thinking that at times his writing could be better. More than once I thought "is this really the new Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science?" Du Sautoy has a much harder topic to explain than his predecessor, Richard Dawkins, but he also doesn't seem to have quite Dawkins' skill with prose. Perhaps that will come with time?

Despite all that, it was a fascinating book, a bit of a struggle to get through but I managed it (I often don't), and by the end I felt that I knew a lot more about prime numbers, number theory, the Riemann hypothesis, and just how important all of this is to cryptography and the future security (or insecurity) of the Internet.

Good but not great, 14 Mar 2008
It was fascinating to read about all these famous mathematicians and their backgrounds. It was great to be able to put a face, a personality and a background to an equation that I have been using for all my life, like Cauchy, Descartes, Hilbert, etc. However, his analogies about Riemann's Hypothesis were not very effective, and were very hard to get through, even though I am a mathematician. Also, the lack of an appendix at the end explaining the math of it was disappointing. I ended up skipping over the mathematical bits and just jumping to the parts where he talked about other mathematicians. Maybe I should read a history of math book instead?

More about the mathematicians than the mathematics, 30 Dec 2007
It's said that for every equation you include in a book, you halve the number of readers of that book. That said, this one should be a best-seller because it includes hardly any equations at all.

I was expecting to like this, as I've experienced some of the author's presentations on the TV and I was impressed by his style. However, this book was disappointingly thin on substance.

If you're interested in mathematicians as a breed (who isn't? - we're fascinating little devils) then this book should amuse you. Sometimes it comes across as a gossip-column. For a solid history of the Riemann conjecture, however, the mathematical detail is remarkable in its absence.

I compare this book to reading a review of a symphonic work - all very well to be told it's great, but I'd much rather be hearing it.

insightful and complete account on Riemann Conjecture, 03 Sep 2007
Being a mathematician myself I have always found it difficult to find a maths book that was, on one side of a level that could be followed without being sitting in a library with a great aount of reference books, and of the other of a level enough not to get bored. Sure this is the best i've read. It's written following historical line and it becomes apage turner, as if it were a novel

Very good, but could have been better..., 25 Feb 2007
I really wanted this book to be as good as Simon Singh's 'Fermat's Last Theorem', and while it shares many of the same characteristics as Singh's excellent debut, for me it didn't quite match up.

Of course, there my be a couple of simple reasons why this may have been so. Firstly, the Riemann Hypothesis is a rather more conceptually difficult mathematical problem to grasp than Pierre de Fermat's simple but elusive conjecture. Du Sautoy tries to deal with this by using analogies to landscapes and music, but due to the gaps between my reading sessions, I sometimes forgot the origin of the analogical thread, which meant I had to search back through the text to 'catch up'.

The other main reason why this book was less satisfying is because nobody has yet proven Riemann's Hypthesis to be true, whereas Fermat's Last Theorem was finally proven by Andrew Wiles in the 1990's.

Lastly, the book could have benefited from a series of notes or appendices linked to the text, through which the keen reader could gain a mathematical explanation of what was being described in the text. Again, Singh's book is a beautiful example of how this should be done.

Overall though, a very good book, which I am sure I will read again.

a good book on maths, 25 Jun 2008
The book symmetry and finding moonshine in one reviewers entry they said they are the same book word for word that is true because one is the American release and the other the uk release, it is the same book. It is not a surprise that the publisher in the states would not use the title finding moonshine. Prof Du sautoy does a wonderful job in communicating maths and makes me wish i knew more about maths. Well written and i would encourage those who are thinking of buying to just go out and buy it.

Here's a great read., 12 May 2008
Histories of mathematics can be tedious but this book sparkles on every page: Du Sautoy provides a lively and compelling tour of the development of ideas about symmetry and engages us with the brilliance of the vision of some of the giants of mathematics. But what really lifts the book is the skilful way he weaves into the text a fascinating personal narrative about how he and other mathematicians work and think. The book not only provides insights into some important topics in mathematics, but also into what makes mathematicians tick. I was enthralled.



Warning, 25 Apr 2008
This is exactly the same book as "Symmetry" by the same author. Different name, different dust jacket, but all the chapters are the same, word for word.

Unique personal view on mathematics, 27 Mar 2008
This may be one of the most personal accounts of the mathematics business ever. Most popular mathematics books by insiders (Marcus du Sautoy is a top mathematician at Oxford) will do a fine job of explaining some branch of the trade, sprinkled with anekdotes and so forth. Such explaining has been done better than here, though mr. du Sautoy certainly gets his points through.

'Finding Moonshine' is unique in its description of a community of mathematicians operating at the edge of abstract knowledge. Mr. du Sautoy attempts to investigate his own motivations of being there, while not evading the issue of the many socially maladapted people hanging around in the scene. Frank but never loveless this is a gem of a book because of the picture it sketches of a subculture of lingering geniusses.

The best popular book I have ever read on Symmetry, 11 Feb 2008
Whether you like or dislike mathematics this is a book for you. I can't highly recommend it enough. Marcus Du Sautoy the author of highly admired book the music of the primes will take you this time on an inspiring journey of symmetry.
This book is definitely set to become one of the first & best classics of 21st century.

Fascinating, but flawed, 01 Jan 2009
The Music of the Primes by Marcus du Sautoy is an interesting look at the history of mathematical discoveries surrounding the prime numbers. It's a tough topic though, and the author's attempts to make it more palatable to non-mathematicians sometimes backfire.

The problem is that you can't fully convey the importance and beauty of prime numbers without addressing some pretty complex mathematical issues. While du Sautoy does throw in the odd equation (and I finished the book feeling rather more mathematically accomplished than when I started it) he is obviously trying to keep things as simple as possible, trying to draw in as larger readership as possible. And the result is that all too often it's very hard to grasp quite what he's talking about. I'm no maths guru (far from it), but there were times when I found myself wishing he'd added a little more maths to the book, so I could at least try to follow him. All too often though he replaced the maths with rather fragile metaphors (most frequently, referring to the solutions of an the zeta function, an equation in four-dimensional space, as finding the "points at sea level"... which just left me wondering what the sea looks like in four dimensions).

I do feel sorry for Marcus du Sautoy: simplifying a subject which has taxed mathematicians greatest brains for some 200 years is never going to be easy. Never going to be possible, even. At the same time, I couldn't help thinking that at times his writing could be better. More than once I thought "is this really the new Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science?" Du Sautoy has a much harder topic to explain than his predecessor, Richard Dawkins, but he also doesn't seem to have quite Dawkins' skill with prose. Perhaps that will come with time?

Despite all that, it was a fascinating book, a bit of a struggle to get through but I managed it (I often don't), and by the end I felt that I knew a lot more about prime numbers, number theory, the Riemann hypothesis, and just how important all of this is to cryptography and the future security (or insecurity) of the Internet.

Good but not great, 14 Mar 2008
It was fascinating to read about all these famous mathematicians and their backgrounds. It was great to be able to put a face, a personality and a background to an equation that I have been using for all my life, like Cauchy, Descartes, Hilbert, etc. However, his analogies about Riemann's Hypothesis were not very effective, and were very hard to get through, even though I am a mathematician. Also, the lack of an appendix at the end explaining the math of it was disappointing. I ended up skipping over the mathematical bits and just jumping to the parts where he talked about other mathematicians. Maybe I should read a history of math book instead?

More about the mathematicians than the mathematics, 30 Dec 2007
It's said that for every equation you include in a book, you halve the number of readers of that book. That said, this one should be a best-seller because it includes hardly any equations at all.

I was expecting to like this, as I've experienced some of the author's presentations on the TV and I was impressed by his style. However, this book was disappointingly thin on substance.

If you're interested in mathematicians as a breed (who isn't? - we're fascinating little devils) then this book should amuse you. Sometimes it comes across as a gossip-column. For a solid history of the Riemann conjecture, however, the mathematical detail is remarkable in its absence.

I compare this book to reading a review of a symphonic work - all very well to be told it's great, but I'd much rather be hearing it.

insightful and complete account on Riemann Conjecture, 03 Sep 2007
Being a mathematician myself I have always found it difficult to find a maths book that was, on one side of a level that could be followed without being sitting in a library with a great aount of reference books, and of the other of a level enough not to get bored. Sure this is the best i've read. It's written following historical line and it becomes apage turner, as if it were a novel

Very good, but could have been better..., 25 Feb 2007
I really wanted this book to be as good as Simon Singh's 'Fermat's Last Theorem', and while it shares many of the same characteristics as Singh's excellent debut, for me it didn't quite match up.

Of course, there my be a couple of simple reasons why this may have been so. Firstly, the Riemann Hypothesis is a rather more conceptually difficult mathematical problem to grasp than Pierre de Fermat's simple but elusive conjecture. Du Sautoy tries to deal with this by using analogies to landscapes and music, but due to the gaps between my reading sessions, I sometimes forgot the origin of the analogical thread, which meant I had to search back through the text to 'catch up'.

The other main reason why this book was less satisfying is because nobody has yet proven Riemann's Hypthesis to be true, whereas Fermat's Last Theorem was finally proven by Andrew Wiles in the 1990's.

Lastly, the book could have benefited from a series of notes or appendices linked to the text, through which the keen reader could gain a mathematical explanation of what was being described in the text. Again, Singh's book is a beautiful example of how this should be done.

Overall though, a very good book, which I am sure I will read again.

a good book on maths, 25 Jun 2008
The book symmetry and finding moonshine in one reviewers entry they said they are the same book word for word that is true because one is the American release and the other the uk release, it is the same book. It is not a surprise that the publisher in the states would not use the title finding moonshine. Prof Du sautoy does a wonderful job in communicating maths and makes me wish i knew more about maths. Well written and i would encourage those who are thinking of buying to just go out and buy it.

Here's a great read., 12 May 2008
Histories of mathematics can be tedious but this book sparkles on every page: Du Sautoy provides a lively and compelling tour of the development of ideas about symmetry and engages us with the brilliance of the vision of some of the giants of mathematics. But what really lifts the book is the skilful way he weaves into the text a fascinating personal narrative about how he and other mathematicians work and think. The book not only provides insights into some important topics in mathematics, but also into what makes mathematicians tick. I was enthralled.



Warning, 25 Apr 2008
This is exactly the same book as "Symmetry" by the same author. Different name, different dust jacket, but all the chapters are the same, word for word.

Unique personal view on mathematics, 27 Mar 2008
This may be one of the most personal accounts of the mathematics business ever. Most popular mathematics books by insiders (Marcus du Sautoy is a top mathematician at Oxford) will do a fine job of explaining some branch of the trade, sprinkled with anekdotes and so forth. Such explaining has been done better than here, though mr. du Sautoy certainly gets his points through.

'Finding Moonshine' is unique in its description of a community of mathematicians operating at the edge of abstract knowledge. Mr. du Sautoy attempts to investigate his own motivations of being there, while not evading the issue of the many socially maladapted people hanging around in the scene. Frank but never loveless this is a gem of a book because of the picture it sketches of a subculture of lingering geniusses.

The best popular book I have ever read on Symmetry, 11 Feb 2008
Whether you like or dislike mathematics this is a book for you. I can't highly recommend it enough. Marcus Du Sautoy the author of highly admired book the music of the primes will take you this time on an inspiring journey of symmetry.
This book is definitely set to become one of the first & best classics of 21st century.


Marvellous, but just a little caution advised., 20 Nov 2008
I'm an adult literacy and numeracy tutor and always looking for interesting ways of making information accessible to my students. This is an absolutely marvellous book, but I won't be recommending it to too many of them. The reason is that whilst being very well written, it does require a higher level of literacy skills than many books that are written for adult learners. I loved reading all the interesting facts and the way that Lawrence made mathematics come alive for me, but I know that many of my students don't want that. They have dyslexia and they want a book that is easy to read and tells them what they need to know.

For all that, I can't give this book any less than five. How, oh how, I wish I had read this as a student thirty-five years ago. So, if you are highly literate and highly innumerate, GET THIS - it's fantastic.

If you want to understand mathematics in a plain, no frills format get Chambers' Adult Learners Guide To Numeracy which does the job nicely.

Great backdrop to a beautiful subject!, 28 Apr 2008
I think this is a fantastic book. I teach mathematics at secondary school and found this book to be a great source of material for improving the clarity of explanations I give on basic mathematics... As a teacher I couldn't recommend it highly enough to other teachers; the book also provides a bank of neat little puzzles, some more challenging than others, and all amusing to read. EXCELLENT STUFF!!

Mathematics Minus Fear, 04 Feb 2008
For someone who has had a fear of mathmatics for many years, this book is fantastic, and actually very funny. Lawrence Potter walks you through how to add, divide, multiply, how to work out percentages in a non patronising way. Recommended.

Essential Open University Preparation, 25 Oct 2006
If you are in your 40s about to challenge your fear of Maths and claim back the night with an Open University Maths Degree this book is a great primer.
Essential therapy, like easing yourself into a cool pool on a baking hot day.

Fantastic - I am now a countdown genuis!!, 07 May 2006
I LOVE this book! I have been hopeless at maths since secondary school and when I came across it in a local bookstore read a few pages and thought it had to be worth a try - couquering my maths demons and all that!
It's written really well and he explains the history behind how and why we are taught maths the way we are in schools and, if you like, the evolution of the maths we use everyday!
I decided it was worth every penny when I could answer a question about binary in a local pub quiz! The question was how is the number 19 represented in binary? - the answer is in the book - needless to say my friends were very impressed!!

Fascinating, but flawed, 01 Jan 2009
The Music of the Primes by Marcus du Sautoy is an interesting look at the history of mathematical discoveries surrounding the prime numbers. It's a tough topic though, and the author's attempts to make it more palatable to non-mathematicians sometimes backfire.

The problem is that you can't fully convey the importance and beauty of prime numbers without addressing some pretty complex mathematical issues. While du Sautoy does throw in the odd equation (and I finished the book feeling rather more mathematically accomplished than when I started it) he is obviously trying to keep things as simple as possible, trying to draw in as larger readership as possible. And the result is that all too often it's very hard to grasp quite what he's talking about. I'm no maths guru (far from it), but there were times when I found myself wishing he'd added a little more maths to the book, so I could at least try to follow him. All too often though he replaced the maths with rather fragile metaphors (most frequently, referring to the solutions of an the zeta function, an equation in four-dimensional space, as finding the "points at sea level"... which just left me wondering what the sea looks like in four dimensions).

I do feel sorry for Marcus du Sautoy: simplifying a subject which has taxed mathematicians greatest brains for some 200 years is never going to be easy. Never going to be possible, even. At the same time, I couldn't help thinking that at times his writing could be better. More than once I thought "is this really the new Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science?" Du Sautoy has a much harder topic to explain than his predecessor, Richard Dawkins, but he also doesn't seem to have quite Dawkins' skill with prose. Perhaps that will come with time?

Despite all that, it was a fascinating book, a bit of a struggle to get through but I managed it (I often don't), and by the end I felt that I knew a lot more about prime numbers, number theory, the Riemann hypothesis, and just how important all of this is to cryptography and the future security (or insecurity) of the Internet.

Good but not great, 14 Mar 2008
It was fascinating to read about all these famous mathematicians and their backgrounds. It was great to be able to put a face, a personality and a background to an equation that I have been using for all my life, like Cauchy, Descartes, Hilbert, etc. However, his analogies about Riemann's Hypothesis were not very effective, and were very hard to get through, even though I am a mathematician. Also, the lack of an appendix at the end explaining the math of it was disappointing. I ended up skipping over the mathematical bits and just jumping to the parts where he talked about other mathematicians. Maybe I should read a history of math book instead?

More about the mathematicians than the mathematics, 30 Dec 2007
It's said that for every equation you include in a book, you halve the number of readers of that book. That said, this one should be a best-seller because it includes hardly any equations at all.

I was expecting to like this, as I've experienced some of the author's presentations on the TV and I was impressed by his style. However, this book was disappointingly thin on substance.

If you're interested in mathematicians as a breed (who isn't? - we're fascinating little devils) then this book should amuse you. Sometimes it comes across as a gossip-column. For a solid history of the Riemann conjecture, however, the mathematical detail is remarkable in its absence.

I compare this book to reading a review of a symphonic work - all very well to be told it's great, but I'd much rather be hearing it.

insightful and complete account on Riemann Conjecture, 03 Sep 2007
Being a mathematician myself I have always found it difficult to find a maths book that was, on one side of a level that could be followed without being sitting in a library with a great aount of reference books, and of the other of a level enough not to get bored. Sure this is the best i've read. It's written following historical line and it becomes apage turner, as if it were a novel

Very good, but could have been better..., 25 Feb 2007
I really wanted this book to be as good as Simon Singh's 'Fermat's Last Theorem', and while it shares many of the same characteristics as Singh's excellent debut, for me it didn't quite match up.

Of course, there my be a couple of simple reasons why this may have been so. Firstly, the Riemann Hypothesis is a rather more conceptually difficult mathematical problem to grasp than Pierre de Fermat's simple but elusive conjecture. Du Sautoy tries to deal with this by using analogies to landscapes and music, but due to the gaps between my reading sessions, I sometimes forgot the origin of the analogical thread, which meant I had to search back through the text to 'catch up'.

The other main reason why this book was less satisfying is because nobody has yet proven Riemann's Hypthesis to be true, whereas Fermat's Last Theorem was finally proven by Andrew Wiles in the 1990's.

Lastly, the book could have benefited from a series of notes or appendices linked to the text, through which the keen reader could gain a mathematical explanation of what was being described in the text. Again, Singh's book is a beautiful example of how this should be done.

Overall though, a very good book, which I am sure I will read again.

a good book on maths, 25 Jun 2008
The book symmetry and finding moonshine in one reviewers entry they said they are the same book word for word that is true because one is the American release and the other the uk release, it is the same book. It is not a surprise that the publisher in the states would not use the title finding moonshine. Prof Du sautoy does a wonderful job in communicating maths and makes me wish i knew more about maths. Well written and i would encourage those who are thinking of buying to just go out and buy it.

Here's a great read., 12 May 2008
Histories of mathematics can be tedious but this book sparkles on every page: Du Sautoy provides a lively and compelling tour of the development of ideas about symmetry and engages us with the brilliance of the vision of some of the giants of mathematics. But what really lifts the book is the skilful way he weaves into the text a fascinating personal narrative about how he and other mathematicians work and think. The book not only provides insights into some important topics in mathematics, but also into what makes mathematicians tick. I was enthralled.



Warning, 25 Apr 2008
This is exactly the same book as "Symmetry" by the same author. Different name, different dust jacket, but all the chapters are the same, word for word.

Unique personal view on mathematics, 27 Mar 2008
This may be one of the most personal accounts of the mathematics business ever. Most popular mathematics books by insiders (Marcus du Sautoy is a top mathematician at Oxford) will do a fine job of explaining some branch of the trade, sprinkled with anekdotes and so forth. Such explaining has been done better than here, though mr. du Sautoy certainly gets his points through.

'Finding Moonshine' is unique in its description of a community of mathematicians operating at the edge of abstract knowledge. Mr. du Sautoy attempts to investigate his own motivations of being there, while not evading the issue of the many socially maladapted people hanging around in the scene. Frank but never loveless this is a gem of a book because of the picture it sketches of a subculture of lingering geniusses.

The best popular book I have ever read on Symmetry, 11 Feb 2008
Whether you like or dislike mathematics this is a book for you. I can't highly recommend it enough. Marcus Du Sautoy the author of highly admired book the music of the primes will take you this time on an inspiring journey of symmetry.
This book is definitely set to become one of the first & best classics of 21st century.


Marvellous, but just a little caution advised., 20 Nov 2008
I'm an adult literacy and numeracy tutor and always looking for interesting ways of making information accessible to my students. This is an absolutely marvellous book, but I won't be recommending it to too many of them. The reason is that whilst being very well written, it does require a higher level of literacy skills than many books that are written for adult learners. I loved reading all the interesting facts and the way that Lawrence made mathematics come alive for me, but I know that many of my students don't want that. They have dyslexia and they want a book that is easy to read and tells them what they need to know.

For all that, I can't give this book any less than five. How, oh how, I wish I had read this as a student thirty-five years ago. So, if you are highly literate and highly innumerate, GET THIS - it's fantastic.

If you want to understand mathematics in a plain, no frills format get Chambers' Adult Learners Guide To Numeracy which does the job nicely.

Great backdrop to a beautiful subject!, 28 Apr 2008
I think this is a fantastic book. I teach mathematics at secondary school and found this book to be a great source of material for improving the clarity of explanations I give on basic mathematics... As a teacher I couldn't recommend it highly enough to other teachers; the book also provides a bank of neat little puzzles, some more challenging than others, and all amusing to read. EXCELLENT STUFF!!

Mathematics Minus Fear, 04 Feb 2008
For someone who has had a fear of mathmatics for many years, this book is fantastic, and actually very funny. Lawrence Potter walks you through how to add, divide, multiply, how to work out percentages in a non patronising way. Recommended.

Essential Open University Preparation, 25 Oct 2006
If you are in your 40s about to challenge your fear of Maths and claim back the night with an Open University Maths Degree this book is a great primer.
Essential therapy, like easing yourself into a cool pool on a baking hot day.

Fantastic - I am now a countdown genuis!!, 07 May 2006
I LOVE this book! I have been hopeless at maths since secondary school and when I came across it in a local bookstore read a few pages and thought it had to be worth a try - couquering my maths demons and all that!
It's written really well and he explains the history behind how and why we are taught maths the way we are in schools and, if you like, the evolution of the maths we use everyday!
I decided it was worth every penny when I could answer a question about binary in a local pub quiz! The question was how is the number 19 represented in binary? - the answer is in the book - needless to say my friends were very impressed!!

Ian Stewart has done it again!, 29 Nov 2008
What more can I say?

Ian Stewart takes us on a journey through group theory to places you probably never considered, but in a completely fun and accessible manner. The historical tone of the book works really well, this book has inspired me to study galois theory in far greater depth.

A MUST for anybody with an interest in mathematics.

Fascinating, but flawed, 01 Jan 2009
The Music of the Primes by Marcus du Sautoy is an interesting look at the history of mathematical discoveries surrounding the prime numbers. It's a tough topic though, and the author's attempts to make it more palatable to non-mathematicians sometimes backfire.

The problem is that you can't fully convey the importance and beauty of prime numbers without addressing some pretty complex mathematical issues. While du Sautoy does throw in the odd equation (and I finished the book feeling rather more mathematically accomplished than when I started it) he is obviously trying to keep things as simple as possible, trying to draw in as larger readership as possible. And the result is that all too often it's very hard to grasp quite what he's talking about. I'm no maths guru (far from it), but there were times when I found myself wishing he'd added a little more maths to the book, so I could at least try to follow him. All too often though he replaced the maths with rather fragile metaphors (most frequently, referring to the solutions of an the zeta function, an equation in four-dimensional space, as finding the "points at sea level"... which just left me wondering what the sea looks like in four dimensions).

I do feel sorry for Marcus du Sautoy: simplifying a subject which has taxed mathematicians greatest brains for some 200 years is never going to be easy. Never going to be possible, even. At the same time, I couldn't help thinking that at times his writing could be better. More than once I thought "is this really the new Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science?" Du Sautoy has a much harder topic to explain than his predecessor, Richard Dawkins, but he also doesn't seem to have quite Dawkins' skill with prose. Perhaps that will come with time?

Despite all that, it was a fascinating book, a bit of a struggle to get through but I managed it (I often don't), and by the end I felt that I knew a lot more about prime numbers, number theory, the Riemann hypothesis, and just how important all of this is to cryptography and the future security (or insecurity) of the Internet.

Good but not great, 14 Mar 2008
It was fascinating to read about all these famous mathematicians and their backgrounds. It was great to be able to put a face, a personality and a background to an equation that I have been using for all my life, like Cauchy, Descartes, Hilbert, etc. However, his analogies about Riemann's Hypothesis were not very effective, and were very hard to get through, even though I am a mathematician. Also, the lack of an appendix at the end explaining the math of it was disappointing. I ended up skipping over the mathematical bits and just jumping to the parts where he talked about other mathematicians. Maybe I should read a history of math book instead?

More about the mathematicians than the mathematics, 30 Dec 2007
It's said that for every equation you include in a book, you halve the number of readers of that book. That said, this one should be a best-seller because it includes hardly any equations at all.

I was expecting to like this, as I've experienced some of the author's presentations on the TV and I was impressed by his style. However, this book was disappointingly thin on substance.

If you're interested in mathematicians as a breed (who isn't? - we're fascinating little devils) then this book should amuse you. Sometimes it comes across as a gossip-column. For a solid history of the Riemann conjecture, however, the mathematical detail is remarkable in its absence.

I compare this book to reading a review of a symphonic work - all very well to be told it's great, but I'd much rather be hearing it.

insightful and complete account on Riemann Conjecture, 03 Sep 2007
Being a mathematician myself I have always found it difficult to find a maths book that was, on one side of a level that could be followed without being sitting in a library with a great aount of reference books, and of the other of a level enough not to get bored. Sure this is the best i've read. It's written following historical line and it becomes apage turner, as if it were a novel

Very good, but could have been better..., 25 Feb 2007
I really wanted this book to be as good as Simon Singh's 'Fermat's Last Theorem', and while it shares many of the same characteristics as Singh's excellent debut, for me it didn't quite match up.

Of course, there my be a couple of simple reasons why this may have been so. Firstly, the Riemann Hypothesis is a rather more conceptually difficult mathematical problem to grasp than Pierre de Fermat's simple but elusive conjecture. Du Sautoy tries to deal with this by using analogies to landscapes and music, but due to the gaps between my reading sessions, I sometimes forgot the origin of the analogical thread, which meant I had to search back through the text to 'catch up'.

The other main reason why this book was less satisfying is because nobody has yet proven Riemann's Hypthesis to be true, whereas Fermat's Last Theorem was finally proven by Andrew Wiles in the 1990's.

Lastly, the book could have benefited from a series of notes or appendices linked to the text, through which the keen reader could gain a mathematical explanation of what was being described in the text. Again, Singh's book is a beautiful example of how this should be done.

Overall though, a very good book, which I am sure I will read again.

a good book on maths, 25 Jun 2008
The book symmetry and finding moonshine in one reviewers entry they said they are the same book word for word that is true because one is the American release and the other the uk release, it is the same book. It is not a surprise that the publisher in the states would not use the title finding moonshine. Prof Du sautoy does a wonderful job in communicating maths and makes me wish i knew more about maths. Well written and i would encourage those who are thinking of buying to just go out and buy it.

Here's a great read., 12 May 2008
Histories of mathematics can be tedious but this book sparkles on every page: Du Sautoy provides a lively and compelling tour of the development of ideas about symmetry and engages us with the brilliance of the vision of some of the giants of mathematics. But what really lifts the book is the skilful way he weaves into the text a fascinating personal narrative about how he and other mathematicians work and think. The book not only provides insights into some important topics in mathematics, but also into what makes mathematicians tick. I was enthralled.



Warning, 25 Apr 2008
This is exactly the same book as "Symmetry" by the same author. Different name, different dust jacket, but all the chapters are the same, word for word.

Unique personal view on mathematics, 27 Mar 2008
This may be one of the most personal accounts of the mathematics business ever. Most popular mathematics books by insiders (Marcus du Sautoy is a top mathematician at Oxford) will do a fine job of explaining some branch of the trade, sprinkled with anekdotes and so forth. Such explaining has been done better than here, though mr. du Sautoy certainly gets his points through.

'Finding Moonshine' is unique in its description of a community of mathematicians operating at the edge of abstract knowledge. Mr. du Sautoy attempts to investigate his own motivations of being there, while not evading the issue of the many socially maladapted people hanging around in the scene. Frank but never loveless this is a gem of a book because of the picture it sketches of a subculture of lingering geniusses.

The best popular book I have ever read on Symmetry, 11 Feb 2008
Whether you like or dislike mathematics this is a book for you. I can't highly recommend it enough. Marcus Du Sautoy the author of highly admired book the music of the primes will take you this time on an inspiring journey of symmetry.
This book is definitely set to become one of the first & best classics of 21st century.


Marvellous, but just a little caution advised., 20 Nov 2008
I'm an adult literacy and numeracy tutor and always looking for interesting ways of making information accessible to my students. This is an absolutely marvellous book, but I won't be recommending it to too many of them. The reason is that whilst being very well written, it does require a higher level of literacy skills than many books that are written for adult learners. I loved reading all the interesting facts and the way that Lawrence made mathematics come alive for me, but I know that many of my students don't want that. They have dyslexia and they want a book that is easy to read and tells them what they need to know.

For all that, I can't give this book any less than five. How, oh how, I wish I had read this as a student thirty-five years ago. So, if you are highly literate and highly innumerate, GET THIS - it's fantastic.

If you want to understand mathematics in a plain, no frills format get Chambers' Adult Learners Guide To Numeracy which does the job nicely.

Great backdrop to a beautiful subject!, 28 Apr 2008
I think this is a fantastic book. I teach mathematics at secondary school and found this book to be a great source of material for improving the clarity of explanations I give on basic mathematics... As a teacher I couldn't recommend it highly enough to other teachers; the book also provides a bank of neat little puzzles, some more challenging than others, and all amusing to read. EXCELLENT STUFF!!

Mathematics Minus Fear, 04 Feb 2008
For someone who has had a fear of mathmatics for many years, this book is fantastic, and actually very funny. Lawrence Potter walks you through how to add, divide, multiply, how to work out percentages in a non patronising way. Recommended.

Essential Open University Preparation, 25 Oct 2006
If you are in your 40s about to challenge your fear of Maths and claim back the night with an Open University Maths Degree this book is a great primer.
Essential therapy, like easing yourself into a cool pool on a baking hot day.

Fantastic - I am now a countdown genuis!!, 07 May 2006
I LOVE this book! I have been hopeless at maths since secondary school and when I came across it in a local bookstore read a few pages and thought it had to be worth a try - couquering my maths demons and all that!
It's written really well and he explains the history behind how and why we are taught maths the way we are in schools and, if you like, the evolution of the maths we use everyday!
I decided it was worth every penny when I could answer a question about binary in a local pub quiz! The question was how is the number 19 represented in binary? - the answer is in the book - needless to say my friends were very impressed!!

Ian Stewart has done it again!, 29 Nov 2008
What more can I say?

Ian Stewart takes us on a journey through group theory to places you probably never considered, but in a completely fun and accessible manner. The historical tone of the book works really well, this book has inspired me to study galois theory in far greater depth.

A MUST for anybody with an interest in mathematics.

Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Wilson, 28 Oct 2008
Review of Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Wilson.
The book tells the story of Charles Dodgson who is better known as Lewis Carroll the author of various fictions such as Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The book is divided into eight fits and describes how Charles Dodgson was not just the writer of fictions but also a professional mathematician contributing to linear algebra, logic, mathematical puzzles, geometry etc. The book is essentially a biography of Charles Dodgson with a few opening quotes of Carroll's work.
Charles Dodgson was born in 1832 in Cheshire and studied at Oxford graduating with a first class honours in 1854. One of his hints in studying mathematics was:
"Never leave an unsolved difficulty behind. It is bound to haunt you in some proof or solution later on".
Wilson also describes in detail the great interest that Charles Dodgson took in photography. He claims that Charles become one of the most important photographers of the 19th Century. The book is sprinkled with some of the images that Charles photographed throughout his life.
It is good to see that the author does not shy away from putting some of the mathematics that interested Charles Dodgson. The mathematics in the book ranges from his defence of Euclid's Elements to his book on Elementary Treatise on Determinants. However his main interest was in mathematical logic in which he wrote Symbolic Logic which was published in 1896. He also wrote various mathematical puzzles.
Over the last 100 years a lot has been written about Dodgson's interest in children normally suggesting something disturbing but Wilson refutes all these claims. I do wonder how the political correct will accommodate this refutation with the book containing photographs of young children taken by Dodgson.
Wilson describes how not only is Charles Dodgson a mathematician and an author but also a deeply religious man and a keen walker.
There are some real engaging stories about Charles Dodgson such as when he put a case for a Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford in 1868. However Oxford had to wait another 65 years before a Mathematical Institute was built.
Another fascinating story the author describes about Charles Dodgson is when his Oxford College (Christ Church) was in financial difficulty. Dodgson proposed that his salary be lowered from £300/year to £200/year. In present day circumstances this would be an unthinkable (or even stupid) act!
In 1881 Dodgson, aged nearly 50, resigned his mathematical lectureship so that he could devote more time to writing books.
Charles Dodgson passed away in 1898 aged nearly 66 in Guildford.
The book is really well written with both characters, Charles Dodgson and Lewis Carroll, being described as a mathematician and an author of fiction.
The book can be hard to follow in places if you are not familiar with A level mathematics but it is possible to skip these parts and maintain the flow of the book. It is a hard balance to strike between putting mathematics into a book like this which can lead to decreased sales and having no mathematics which would be a very serious omission. Robin Wilson has struck the right balance between these two conflicting notions.


Lewis Carroll in Numberland , 15 Oct 2008
Lewis Carroll in Numberland is written in the warm and witty style characteristic of Professor Robin Wilson. It is an excellent introduction to the mathematical interests and achievements of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (pron. Dodson!), aka Lewis Carroll, a man known much more for his Alice books than his mathematical prowess, which was considerable. It also gives something of the attitude and outlook of this most interesting man, the period he lived in and fin de siècle Oxford University.

If you're anything like me some of the more mathematical chapters will have you reaching for pen and paper, but that's certainly not mandatory, and there's plenty here for people who baulk at the mere mention of equations. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on logic and would recommend it to anyone who would like an introduction to this fascinating subject.

The style of the writing mirrors the playful and humorous style one associates with Carroll, a man who delighted in entertaining his friends, children and adults alike, with puzzles and games. The book is divided into short, easily digestible chapters -- which makes it perfect for the commute to work! A highly enjoyable read and I heartily recommend it.


Excellent overview of Carroll the Mathematician, 26 Jul 2008
"Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the looking-glass" are classics, and Lewis Carroll is also known as a pioneer of photography, but his mathematics is less well-known. This excellent book is a very readable account of Carroll's mathematics: his puzzles, his occasional pieces like "The Dynamics of a Parti-cle", his defence of Euclid, and his more serious work on the mathematics of voting systems, determinants and logic. Appropriately, this book is very entertaining: Carroll and Wilson share a love of jokes! You don't need to be a mathematician to enjoy this: if you want to know about Carroll's life beyond the Alice books, this is an excellent place to start.

Fascinating, but flawed, 01 Jan 2009
The Music of the Primes by Marcus du Sautoy is an interesting look at the history of mathematical discoveries surrounding the prime numbers. It's a tough topic though, and the author's attempts to make it more palatable to non-mathematicians sometimes backfire.

The problem is that you can't fully convey the importance and beauty of prime numbers without addressing some pretty complex mathematical issues. While du Sautoy does throw in the odd equation (and I finished the book feeling rather more mathematically accomplished than when I started it) he is obviously trying to keep things as simple as possible, trying to draw in as larger readership as possible. And the result is that all too often it's very hard to grasp quite what he's talking about. I'm no maths guru (far from it), but there were times when I found myself wishing he'd added a little more maths to the book, so I could at least try to follow him. All too often though he replaced the maths with rather fragile metaphors (most frequently, referring to the solutions of an the zeta function, an equation in four-dimensional space, as finding the "points at sea level"... which just left me wondering what the sea looks like in four dimensions).

I do feel sorry for Marcus du Sautoy: simplifying a subject which has taxed mathematicians greatest brains for some 200 years is never going to be easy. Never going to be possible, even. At the same time, I couldn't help thinking that at times his writing could be better. More than once I thought "is this really the new Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science?" Du Sautoy has a much harder topic to explain than his predecessor, Richard Dawkins, but he also doesn't seem to have quite Dawkins' skill with prose. Perhaps that will come with time?

Despite all that, it was a fascinating book, a bit of a struggle to get through but I managed it (I often don't), and by the end I felt that I knew a lot more about prime numbers, number theory, the Riemann hypothesis, and just how important all of this is to cryptography and the future security (or insecurity) of the Internet.

Good but not great, 14 Mar 2008
It was fascinating to read about all these famous mathematicians and their backgrounds. It was great to be able to put a face, a personality and a background to an equation that I have been using for all my life, like Cauchy, Descartes, Hilbert, etc. However, his analogies about Riemann's Hypothesis were not very effective, and were very hard to get through, even though I am a mathematician. Also, the lack of an appendix at the end explaining the math of it was disappointing. I ended up skipping over the mathematical bits and just jumping to the parts where he talked about other mathematicians. Maybe I should read a history of math book instead?

More about the mathematicians than the mathematics, 30 Dec 2007
It's said that for every equation you include in a book, you halve the number of readers of that book. That said, this one should be a best-seller because it includes hardly any equations at all.

I was expecting to like this, as I've experienced some of the author's presentations on the TV and I was impressed by his style. However, this book was disappointingly thin on substance.

If you're interested in mathematicians as a breed (who isn't? - we're fascinating little devils) then this book should amuse you. Sometimes it comes across as a gossip-column. For a solid history of the Riemann conjecture, however, the mathematical detail is remarkable in its absence.

I compare this book to reading a review of a symphonic work - all very well to be told it's great, but I'd much rather be hearing it.

insightful and complete account on Riemann Conjecture, 03 Sep 2007
Being a mathematician myself I have always found it difficult to find a maths book that was, on one side of a level that could be followed without being sitting in a library with a great aount of reference books, and of the other of a level enough not to get bored. Sure this is the best i've read. It's written following historical line and it becomes apage turner, as if it were a novel

Very good, but could have been better..., 25 Feb 2007
I really wanted this book to be as good as Simon Singh's 'Fermat's Last Theorem', and while it shares many of the same characteristics as Singh's excellent debut, for me it didn't quite match up.

Of course, there my be a couple of simple reasons why this may have been so. Firstly, the Riemann Hypothesis is a rather more conceptually difficult mathematical problem to grasp than Pierre de Fermat's simple but elusive conjecture. Du Sautoy tries to deal with this by using analogies to landscapes and music, but due to the gaps between my reading sessions, I sometimes forgot the origin of the analogical thread, which meant I had to search back through the text to 'catch up'.

The other main reason why this book was less satisfying is because nobody has yet proven Riemann's Hypthesis to be true, whereas Fermat's Last Theorem was finally proven by Andrew Wiles in the 1990's.

Lastly, the book could have benefited from a series of notes or appendices linked to the text, through which the keen reader could gain a mathematical explanation of what was being described in the text. Again, Singh's book is a beautiful example of how this should be done.

Overall though, a very good book, which I am sure I will read again.

a good book on maths, 25 Jun 2008
The book symmetry and finding moonshine in one reviewers entry they said they are the same book word for word that is true because one is the American release and the other the uk release, it is the same book. It is not a surprise that the publisher in the states would not use the title finding moonshine. Prof Du sautoy does a wonderful job in communicating maths and makes me wish i knew more about maths. Well written and i would encourage those who are thinking of buying to just go out and buy it.

Here's a great read., 12 May 2008
Histories of mathematics can be tedious but this book sparkles on every page: Du Sautoy provides a lively and compelling tour of the development of ideas about symmetry and engages us with the brilliance of the vision of some of the giants of mathematics. But what really lifts the book is the skilful way he weaves into the text a fascinating personal narrative about how he and other mathematicians work and think. The book not only provides insights into some important topics in mathematics, but also into what makes mathematicians tick. I was enthralled.



Warning, 25 Apr 2008
This is exactly the same book as "Symmetry" by the same author. Different name, different dust jacket, but all the chapters are the same, word for word.

Unique personal view on mathematics, 27 Mar 2008
This may be one of the most personal accounts of the mathematics business ever. Most popular mathematics books by insiders (Marcus du Sautoy is a top mathematician at Oxford) will do a fine job of explaining some branch of the trade, sprinkled with anekdotes and so forth. Such explaining has been done better than here, though mr. du Sautoy certainly gets his points through.

'Finding Moonshine' is unique in its description of a community of mathematicians operating at the edge of abstract knowledge. Mr. du Sautoy attempts to investigate his own motivations of being there, while not evading the issue of the many socially maladapted people hanging around in the scene. Frank but never loveless this is a gem of a book because of the picture it sketches of a subculture of lingering geniusses.

The best popular book I have ever read on Symmetry, 11 Feb 2008
Whether you like or dislike mathematics this is a book for you. I can't highly recommend it enough. Marcus Du Sautoy the author of highly admired book the music of the primes will take you this time on an inspiring journey of symmetry.
This book is definitely set to become one of the first & best classics of 21st century.


Marvellous, but just a little caution advised., 20 Nov 2008
I'm an adult literacy and numeracy tutor and always looking for interesting ways of making information accessible to my students. This is an absolutely marvellous book, but I won't be recommending it to too many of them. The reason is that whilst being very well written, it does require a higher level of literacy skills than many books that are written for adult learners. I loved reading all the interesting facts and the way that Lawrence made mathematics come alive for me, but I know that many of my students don't want that. They have dyslexia and they want a book that is easy to read and tells them what they need to know.

For all that, I can't give this book any less than five. How, oh how, I wish I had read this as a student thirty-five years ago. So, if you are highly literate and highly innumerate, GET THIS - it's fantastic.

If you want to understand mathematics in a plain, no frills format get Chambers' Adult Learners Guide To Numeracy which does the job nicely.

Great backdrop to a beautiful subject!, 28 Apr 2008
I think this is a fantastic book. I teach mathematics at secondary school and found this book to be a great source of material for improving the clarity of explanations I give on basic mathematics... As a teacher I couldn't recommend it highly enough to other teachers; the book also provides a bank of neat little puzzles, some more challenging than others, and all amusing to read. EXCELLENT STUFF!!

Mathematics Minus Fear, 04 Feb 2008
For someone who has had a fear of mathmatics for many years, this book is fantastic, and actually very funny. Lawrence Potter walks you through how to add, divide, multiply, how to work out percentages in a non patronising way. Recommended.

Essential Open University Preparation, 25 Oct 2006
If you are in your 40s about to challenge your fear of Maths and claim back the night with an Open University Maths Degree this book is a great primer.
Essential therapy, like easing yourself into a cool pool on a baking hot day.

Fantastic - I am now a countdown genuis!!, 07 May 2006
I LOVE this book! I have been hopeless at maths since secondary school and when I came across it in a local bookstore read a few pages and thought it had to be worth a try - couquering my maths demons and all that!
It's written really well and he explains the history behind how and why we are taught maths the way we are in schools and, if you like, the evolution of the maths we use everyday!
I decided it was worth every penny when I could answer a question about binary in a local pub quiz! The question was how is the number 19 represented in binary? - the answer is in the book - needless to say my friends were very impressed!!

Ian Stewart has done it again!, 29 Nov 2008
What more can I say?

Ian Stewart takes us on a journey through group theory to places you probably never considered, but in a completely fun and accessible manner. The historical tone of the book works really well, this book has inspired me to study galois theory in far greater depth.

A MUST for anybody with an interest in mathematics.

Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Wilson, 28 Oct 2008
Review of Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Wilson.
The book tells the story of Charles Dodgson who is better known as Lewis Carroll the author of various fictions such as Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The book is divided into eight fits and describes how Charles Dodgson was not just the writer of fictions but also a professional mathematician contributing to linear algebra, logic, mathematical puzzles, geometry etc. The book is essentially a biography of Charles Dodgson with a few opening quotes of Carroll's work.
Charles Dodgson was born in 1832 in Cheshire and studied at Oxford graduating with a first class honours in 1854. One of his hints in studying mathematics was:
"Never leave an unsolved difficulty behind. It is bound to haunt you in some proof or solution later on".
Wilson also describes in detail the great interest that Charles Dodgson took in photography. He claims that Charles become one of the most important photographers of the 19th Century. The book is sprinkled with some of the images that Charles photographed throughout his life.
It is good to see that the author does not shy away from putting some of the mathematics that interested Charles Dodgson. The mathematics in the book ranges from his defence of Euclid's Elements to his book on Elementary Treatise on Determinants. However his main interest was in mathematical logic in which he wrote Symbolic Logic which was published in 1896. He also wrote various mathematical puzzles.
Over the last 100 years a lot has been written about Dodgson's interest in children normally suggesting something disturbing but Wilson refutes all these claims. I do wonder how the political correct will accommodate this refutation with the book containing photographs of young children taken by Dodgson.
Wilson describes how not only is Charles Dodgson a mathematician and an author but also a deeply religious man and a keen walker.
There are some real engaging stories about Charles Dodgson such as when he put a case for a Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford in 1868. However Oxford had to wait another 65 years before a Mathematical Institute was built.
Another fascinating story the author describes about Charles Dodgson is when his Oxford College (Christ Church) was in financial difficulty. Dodgson proposed that his salary be lowered from £300/year to £200/year. In present day circumstances this would be an unthinkable (or even stupid) act!
In 1881 Dodgson, aged nearly 50, resigned his mathematical lectureship so that he could devote more time to writing books.
Charles Dodgson passed away in 1898 aged nearly 66 in Guildford.
The book is really well written with both characters, Charles Dodgson and Lewis Carroll, being described as a mathematician and an author of fiction.
The book can be hard to follow in places if you are not familiar with A level mathematics but it is possible to skip these parts and maintain the flow of the book. It is a hard balance to strike between putting mathematics into a book like this which can lead to decreased sales and having no mathematics which would be a very serious omission. Robin Wilson has struck the right balance between these two conflicting notions.


Lewis Carroll in Numberland , 15 Oct 2008
Lewis Carroll in Numberland is written in the warm and witty style characteristic of Professor Robin Wilson. It is an excellent introduction to the mathematical interests and achievements of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (pron. Dodson!), aka Lewis Carroll, a man known much more for his Alice books than his mathematical prowess, which was considerable. It also gives something of the attitude and outlook of this most interesting man, the period he lived in and fin de siècle Oxford University.

If you're anything like me some of the more mathematical chapters will have you reaching for pen and paper, but that's certainly not mandatory, and there's plenty here for people who baulk at the mere mention of equations. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on logic and would recommend it to anyone who would like an introduction to this fascinating subject.

The style of the writing mirrors the playful and humorous style one associates with Carroll, a man who delighted in entertaining his friends, children and adults alike, with puzzles and games. The book is divided into short, easily digestible chapters -- which makes it perfect for the commute to work! A highly enjoyable read and I heartily recommend it.


Excellent overview of Carroll the Mathematician, 26 Jul 2008
"Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the looking-glass" are classics, and Lewis Carroll is also known as a pioneer of photography, but his mathematics is less well-known. This excellent book is a very readable account of Carroll's mathematics: his puzzles, his occasional pieces like "The Dynamics of a Parti-cle", his defence of Euclid, and his more serious work on the mathematics of voting systems, determinants and logic. Appropriately, this book is very entertaining: Carroll and Wilson share a love of jokes! You don't need to be a mathematician to enjoy this: if you want to know about Carroll's life beyond the Alice books, this is an excellent place to start.

Zero and infinity, 07 Aug 2007
Babylonians invented it, Indians worshipped it, Greeks abhorred it. Zero has been a problematic number for a long time. European mathematicians followed Greek footsteps, until they finally realized how important thing zero was for advanced mathematics.

Seife presents us the history of zero and its sister concept infinity, not only in mathematics, but also in physics and quantum mechanics. Zero is an entertaining book, if a bit light. For quick popular science entertainment purposes it's a good choice. (Review based on the Finnish translation.)

one of the best maths books around, 08 Dec 2006
Being an undergraduate philosopher I've had to read a lot of maths books, and this is by far the best. It's true that you don't need much maths background to understand it, but it's also highly enjoyable for those with a lot of maths or physics knowledge - it links up and explains general assumptions in a way which seems never to occur to most teachers of sciences courses. The proof of 0=1 (and, extrapolating, that winston churchill = a carrot) is excellent and well worth committing to memory just to freak out any maths nerds one knows. Also worth a go is the step-by-step guide to making your own wormhole time machine (Step 1: Make a small wormhole, and attach one end to something really heavy). Really excellent, buy everyone you know a copy for christmas.

Mathematics history, 11 Apr 2003
A very readable book. This book covers the life story of the number zero, and it is a facinating story which is being told.

You do not need to have a better than average understanding of maths to be able to appreciate this book.

A good read, highly recommended.

Review for Zero:the Biography of a Dangerous Idea, 30 Jul 2002
This book was absolutely wonderful, it delves into the history of mathematics, as far back as the creation of numbers themselves. It looks at the contribution that the Greeks, Babylonians and Hindus made to mathematics, and how religion had restricted the development of mathematics. The book was written very well, it felt like a story book, rather than a factual book. I recommend this book for everyone with an interest in Maths, you do not need to be a mathematician to enjoy this book.

Highly Recommended, 23 Sep 2001
This is an excellent history of number Zero. Charles Seife takes you from the start, tracing the ideas of zero and inifity through time and how their concepts have been feared and embraced, how they've affected and forced evolution upon religious, philosophical, societal, and scientific ideas. I think this book should be part of any mathematics course. Highly recommend this book!

In his charming mathematical history, Euclid's Window Leonard Mlodinow asks "How do you know where you are?" This question and others about space and time grew out of simple observations of the environment by a select group of thinkers whose lives and brains Mlodinow dissects. Starting with Euclid geometry has flowed out over the centuries describing the universe and, Mlodinow argues, making modern civilization possible.

This is not just a history of geometry--it's a timeline of reason and abstraction, with all the major players present: Euclid, Descartes, Gauss, Einstein and Witten, each represented by a mini-biography.

Lots of examples pepper the narrative to help readers achieve their own "eureka!" And it's impossible not to be staggered at the mathematical feats of these geniuses, accomplished as many of them were in the absence of anything but observation and intense thought. Each story builds satisfactorily upon the last until at the end of this delightful book one has a sense of having climbed a peak of understanding.

A working knowledge of basic geometry is helpful but not essential for enjoying Euclid's Window, and Mlodinow's chatty style lends itself remarkably well to explaining these deep and revolutionary concepts. --Adam Fisher

Fascinating, but flawed, 01 Jan 2009
The Music of the Primes by Marcus du Sautoy is an interesting look at the history of mathematical discoveries surrounding the prime numbers. It's a tough topic though, and the author's attempts to make it more palatable to non-mathematicians sometimes backfire.

The problem is that you can't fully convey the importance and beauty of prime numbers without addressing some pretty complex mathematical issues. While du Sautoy does throw in the odd equation (and I finished the book feeling rather more mathematically accomplished than when I started it) he is obviously trying to keep things as simple as possible, trying to draw in as larger readership as possible. And the result is that all too often it's very hard to grasp quite what he's talking about. I'm no maths guru (far from it), but there were times when I found myself wishing he'd added a little more maths to the book, so I could at least try to follow him. All too often though he replaced the maths with rather fragile metaphors (most frequently, referring to the solutions of an the zeta function, an equation in four-dimensional space, as finding the "points at sea level"... which just left me wondering what the sea looks like in four dimensions).

I do feel sorry for Marcus du Sautoy: simplifying a subject which has taxed mathematicians greatest brains for some 200 years is never going to be easy. Never going to be possible, even. At the same time, I couldn't help thinking that at times his writing could be better. More than once I thought "is this really the new Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science?" Du Sautoy has a much harder topic to explain than his predecessor, Richard Dawkins, but he also doesn't seem to have quite Dawkins' skill with prose. Perhaps that will come with time?

Despite all that, it was a fascinating book, a bit of a struggle to get through but I managed it (I often don't), and by the end I felt that I knew a lot more about prime numbers, number theory, the Riemann hypothesis, and just how important all of this is to cryptography and the future security (or insecurity) of the Internet.

Good but not great, 14 Mar 2008
It was fascinating to read about all these famous mathematicians and their backgrounds. It was great to be able to put a face, a personality and a background to an equation that I have been using for all my life, like Cauchy, Descartes, Hilbert, etc. However, his analogies about Riemann's Hypothesis were not very effective, and were very hard to get through, even though I am a mathematician. Also, the lack of an appendix at the end explaining the math of it was disappointing. I ended up skipping over the mathematical bits and just jumping to the parts where he talked about other mathematicians. Maybe I should read a history of math book instead?

More about the mathematicians than the mathematics, 30 Dec 2007
It's said that for every equation you include in a book, you halve the number of readers of that book. That said, this one should be a best-seller because it includes hardly any equations at all.

I was expecting to like this, as I've experienced some of the author's presentations on the TV and I was impressed by his style. However, this book was disappointingly thin on substance.

If you're interested in mathematicians as a breed (who isn't? - we're fascinating little devils) then this book should amuse you. Sometimes it comes across as a gossip-column. For a solid history of the Riemann conjecture, however, the mathematical detail is remarkable in its absence.

I compare this book to reading a review of a symphonic work - all very well to be told it's great, but I'd much rather be hearing it.

insightful and complete account on Riemann Conjecture, 03 Sep 2007
Being a mathematician myself I have always found it difficult to find a maths book that was, on one side of a level that could be followed without being sitting in a library with a great aount of reference books, and of the other of a level enough not to get bored. Sure this is the best i've read. It's written following historical line and it becomes apage turner, as if it were a novel

Very good, but could have been better..., 25 Feb 2007
I really wanted this book to be as good as Simon Singh's 'Fermat's Last Theorem', and while it shares many of the same characteristics as Singh's excellent debut, for me it didn't quite match up.

Of course, there my be a couple of simple reasons why this may have been so. Firstly, the Riemann Hypothesis is a rather more conceptually difficult mathematical problem to grasp than Pierre de Fermat's simple but elusive conjecture. Du Sautoy tries to deal with this by using analogies to landscapes and music, but due to the gaps between my reading sessions, I sometimes forgot the origin of the analogical thread, which meant I had to search back through the text to 'catch up'.

The other main reason why this book was less satisfying is because nobody has yet proven Riemann's Hypthesis to be true, whereas Fermat's Last Theorem was finally proven by Andrew Wiles in the 1990's.

Lastly, the book could have benefited from a series of notes or appendices linked to the text, through which the keen reader could gain a mathematical explanation of what was being described in the text. Again, Singh's book is a beautiful example of how this should be done.

Overall though, a very good book, which I am sure I will read again.

a good book on maths, 25 Jun 2008
The book symmetry and finding moonshine in one reviewers entry they said they are the same book word for word that is true because one is the American release and the other the uk release, it is the same book. It is not a surprise that the publisher in the states would not use the title finding moonshine. Prof Du sautoy does a wonderful job in communicating maths and makes me wish i knew more about maths. Well written and i would encourage those who are thinking of buying to just go out and buy it.

Here's a great read., 12 May 2008
Histories of mathematics can be tedious but this book sparkles on every page: Du Sautoy provides a lively and compelling tour of the development of ideas about symmetry and engages us with the brilliance of the vision of some of the giants of mathematics. But what really lifts the book is the skilful way he weaves into the text a fascinating personal narrative about how he and other mathematicians work and think. The book not only provides insights into some important topics in mathematics, but also into what makes mathematicians tick. I was enthralled.



Warning, 25 Apr 2008
This is exactly the same book as "Symmetry" by the same author. Different name, different dust jacket, but all the chapters are the same, word for word.

Unique personal view on mathematics, 27 Mar 2008
This may be one of the most personal accounts of the mathematics business ever. Most popular mathematics books by insiders (Marcus du Sautoy is a top mathematician at Oxford) will do a fine job of explaining some branch of the trade, sprinkled with anekdotes and so forth. Such explaining has been done better than here, though mr. du Sautoy certainly gets his points through.

'Finding Moonshine' is unique in its description of a community of mathematicians operating at the edge of abstract knowledge. Mr. du Sautoy attempts to investigate his own motivations of being there, while not evading the issue of the many socially maladapted people hanging around in the scene. Frank but never loveless this is a gem of a book because of the picture it sketches of a subculture of lingering geniusses.

The best popular book I have ever read on Symmetry, 11 Feb 2008
Whether you like or dislike mathematics this is a book for you. I can't highly recommend it enough. Marcus Du Sautoy the author of highly admired book the music of the primes will take you this time on an inspiring journey of symmetry.
This book is definitely set to become one of the first & best classics of 21st century.


Marvellous, but just a little caution advised., 20 Nov 2008
I'm an adult literacy and numeracy tutor and always looking for interesting ways of making information accessible to my students. This is an absolutely marvellous book, but I won't be recommending it to too many of them. The reason is that whilst being very well written, it does require a higher level of literacy skills than many books that are written for adult learners. I loved reading all the interesting facts and the way that Lawrence made mathematics come alive for me, but I know that many of my students don't want that. They have dyslexia and they want a book that is easy to read and tells them what they need to know.

For all that, I can't give this book any less than five. How, oh how, I wish I had read this as a student thirty-five years ago. So, if you are highly literate and highly innumerate, GET THIS - it's fantastic.

If you want to understand mathematics in a plain, no frills format get Chambers' Adult Learners Guide To Numeracy which does the job nicely.

Great backdrop to a beautiful subject!, 28 Apr 2008
I think this is a fantastic book. I teach mathematics at secondary school and found this book to be a great source of material for improving the clarity of explanations I give on basic mathematics... As a teacher I couldn't recommend it highly enough to other teachers; the book also provides a bank of neat little puzzles, some more challenging than others, and all amusing to read. EXCELLENT STUFF!!

Mathematics Minus Fear, 04 Feb 2008
For someone who has had a fear of mathmatics for many years, this book is fantastic, and actually very funny. Lawrence Potter walks you through how to add, divide, multiply, how to work out percentages in a non patronising way. Recommended.

Essential Open University Preparation, 25 Oct 2006
If you are in your 40s about to challenge your fear of Maths and claim back the night with an Open University Maths Degree this book is a great primer.
Essential therapy, like easing yourself into a cool pool on a baking hot day.

Fantastic - I am now a countdown genuis!!, 07 May 2006
I LOVE this book! I have been hopeless at maths since secondary school and when I came across it in a local bookstore read a few pages and thought it had to be worth a try - couquering my maths demons and all that!
It's written really well and he explains the history behind how and why we are taught maths the way we are in schools and, if you like, the evolution of the maths we use everyday!
I decided it was worth every penny when I could answer a question about binary in a local pub quiz! The question was how is the number 19 represented in binary? - the answer is in the book - needless to say my friends were very impressed!!

Ian Stewart has done it again!, 29 Nov 2008
What more can I say?

Ian Stewart takes us on a journey through group theory to places you probably never considered, but in a completely fun and accessible manner. The historical tone of the book works really well, this book has inspired me to study galois theory in far greater depth.

A MUST for anybody with an interest in mathematics.

Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Wilson, 28 Oct 2008
Review of Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Wilson.
The book tells the story of Charles Dodgson who is better known as Lewis Carroll the author of various fictions such as Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The book is divided into eight fits and describes how Charles Dodgson was not just the writer of fictions but also a professional mathematician contributing to linear algebra, logic, mathematical puzzles, geometry etc. The book is essentially a biography of Charles Dodgson with a few opening quotes of Carroll's work.
Charles Dodgson was born in 1832 in Cheshire and studied at Oxford graduating with a first class honours in 1854. One of his hints in studying mathematics was:
"Never leave an unsolved difficulty behind. It is bound to haunt you in some proof or solution later on".
Wilson also describes in detail the great interest that Charles Dodgson took in photography. He claims that Charles become one of the most important photographers of the 19th Century. The book is sprinkled with some of the images that Charles photographed throughout his life.
It is good to see that the author does not shy away from putting some of the mathematics that interested Charles Dodgson. The mathematics in the book ranges from his defence of Euclid's Elements to his book on Elementary Treatise on Determinants. However his main interest was in mathematical logic in which he wrote Symbolic Logic which was published in 1896. He also wrote various mathematical puzzles.
Over the last 100 years a lot has been written about Dodgson's interest in children normally suggesting something disturbing but Wilson refutes all these claims. I do wonder how the political correct will accommodate this refutation with the book containing photographs of young children taken by Dodgson.
Wilson describes how not only is Charles Dodgson a mathematician and an author but also a deeply religious man and a keen walker.
There are some real engaging stories about Charles Dodgson such as when he put a case for a Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford in 1868. However Oxford had to wait another 65 years before a Mathematical Institute was built.
Another fascinating story the author describes about Charles Dodgson is when his Oxford College (Christ Church) was in financial difficulty. Dodgson proposed that his salary be lowered from £300/year to £200/year. In present day circumstances this would be an unthinkable (or even stupid) act!
In 1881 Dodgson, aged nearly 50, resigned his mathematical lectureship so that he could devote more time to writing books.
Charles Dodgson passed away in 1898 aged nearly 66 in Guildford.
The book is really well written with both characters, Charles Dodgson and Lewis Carroll, being described as a mathematician and an author of fiction.
The book can be hard to follow in places if you are not familiar with A level mathematics but it is possible to skip these parts and maintain the flow of the book. It is a hard balance to strike between putting mathematics into a book like this which can lead to decreased sales and having no mathematics which would be a very serious omission. Robin Wilson has struck the right balance between these two conflicting notions.


Lewis Carroll in Numberland , 15 Oct 2008
Lewis Carroll in Numberland is written in the warm and witty style characteristic of Professor Robin Wilson. It is an excellent introduction to the mathematical interests and achievements of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (pron. Dodson!), aka Lewis Carroll, a man known much more for his Alice books than his mathematical prowess, which was considerable. It also gives something of the attitude and outlook of this most interesting man, the period he lived in and fin de siècle Oxford University.

If you're anything like me some of the more mathematical chapters will have you reaching for pen and paper, but that's certainly not mandatory, and there's plenty here for people who baulk at the mere mention of equations. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on logic and would recommend it to anyone who would like an introduction to this fascinating subject.

The style of the writing mirrors the playful and humorous style one associates with Carroll, a man who delighted in entertaining his friends, children and adults alike, with puzzles and games. The book is divided into short, easily digestible chapters -- which makes it perfect for the commute to work! A highly enjoyable read and I heartily recommend it.


Excellent overview of Carroll the Mathematician, 26 Jul 2008
"Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the looking-glass" are classics, and Lewis Carroll is also known as a pioneer of photography, but his mathematics is less well-known. This excellent book is a very readable account of Carroll's mathematics: his puzzles, his occasional pieces like "The Dynamics of a Parti-cle", his defence of Euclid, and his more serious work on the mathematics of voting systems, determinants and logic. Appropriately, this book is very entertaining: Carroll and Wilson share a love of jokes! You don't need to be a mathematician to enjoy this: if you want to know about Carroll's life beyond the Alice books, this is an excellent place to start.

Zero and infinity, 07 Aug 2007
Babylonians invented it, Indians worshipped it, Greeks abhorred it. Zero has been a problematic number for a long time. European mathematicians followed Greek footsteps, until they finally realized how important thing zero was for advanced mathematics.

Seife presents us the history of zero and its sister concept infinity, not only in mathematics, but also in physics and quantum mechanics. Zero is an entertaining book, if a bit light. For quick popular science entertainment purposes it's a good choice. (Review based on the Finnish translation.)

one of the best maths books around, 08 Dec 2006
Being an undergraduate philosopher I've had to read a lot of maths books, and this is by far the best. It's true that you don't need much maths background to understand it, but it's also highly enjoyable for those with a lot of maths or physics knowledge - it links up and explains general assumptions in a way which seems never to occur to most teachers of sciences courses. The proof of 0=1 (and, extrapolating, that winston churchill = a carrot) is excellent and well worth committing to memory just to freak out any maths nerds one knows. Also worth a go is the step-by-step guide to making your own wormhole time machine (Step 1: Make a small wormhole, and attach one end to something really heavy). Really excellent, buy everyone you know a copy for christmas.

Mathematics history, 11 Apr 2003
A very readable book. This book covers the life story of the number zero, and it is a facinating story which is being told.

You do not need to have a better than average understanding of maths to be able to appreciate this book.

A good read, highly recommended.

Review for Zero:the Biography of a Dangerous Idea, 30 Jul 2002
This book was absolutely wonderful, it delves into the history of mathematics, as far back as the creation of numbers themselves. It looks at the contribution that the Greeks, Babylonians and Hindus made to mathematics, and how religion had restricted the development of mathematics. The book was written very well, it felt like a story book, rather than a factual book. I recommend this book for everyone with an interest in Maths, you do not need to be a mathematician to enjoy this book.

Highly Recommended, 23 Sep 2001
This is an excellent history of number Zero. Charles Seife takes you from the start, tracing the ideas of zero and inifity through time and how their concepts have been feared and embraced, how they've affected and forced evolution upon religious, philosophical, societal, and scientific ideas. I think this book should be part of any mathematics course. Highly recommend this book!

An illuminating read, 12 Nov 2008
This is the sort of book I wish had been around before I went to university as it sets out some of the concepts around geometry that impact theoretical physics in an acccessible way. I now realise that glib lines such as 'parallel lines meeting at infinity' are way more subtle than they seem and that I now have lots of questions that I have noone to ask on what it all actually means.

Good introduction, 21 Apr 2004
Structured along the lines of the "big man-style of history" (i.e. Euclid,Descrates, Gauss, Einstein and Edward Witten) this book takes us f