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.

truly fantastic book, 06 Feb 2007
Hi,

This book is a brilliant and beautifully balanced introductory way to first explore the topic of 'number theory'.

The book uses techniques that explore the topics without burying them in the details and to have them see the problem in their minds eye. From beginnings of estimating the distributions of primes, through covering the 'Zeta' function, and why its so well-known. For example, this book gives a first-rate in clarity explanation of 'R.S.A' cryptography and how it works. I have read 'techie' manuals which confuse the whole topic unnecessarily but this has is marvellous clarity.

This is a beautiful written book, which deserves to be given coverage in sixth forms to generate more interest in mathematics. It's been a privilege to read this book and great fun to read.

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.

truly fantastic book, 06 Feb 2007
Hi,

This book is a brilliant and beautifully balanced introductory way to first explore the topic of 'number theory'.

The book uses techniques that explore the topics without burying them in the details and to have them see the problem in their minds eye. From beginnings of estimating the distributions of primes, through covering the 'Zeta' function, and why its so well-known. For example, this book gives a first-rate in clarity explanation of 'R.S.A' cryptography and how it works. I have read 'techie' manuals which confuse the whole topic unnecessarily but this has is marvellous clarity.

This is a beautiful written book, which deserves to be given coverage in sixth forms to generate more interest in mathematics. It's been a privilege to read this book and great fun to read.



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.

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.

truly fantastic book, 06 Feb 2007
Hi,

This book is a brilliant and beautifully balanced introductory way to first explore the topic of 'number theory'.

The book uses techniques that explore the topics without burying them in the details and to have them see the problem in their minds eye. From beginnings of estimating the distributions of primes, through covering the 'Zeta' function, and why its so well-known. For example, this book gives a first-rate in clarity explanation of 'R.S.A' cryptography and how it works. I have read 'techie' manuals which confuse the whole topic unnecessarily but this has is marvellous clarity.

This is a beautiful written book, which deserves to be given coverage in sixth forms to generate more interest in mathematics. It's been a privilege to read this book and great fun to read.



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 merely 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!!

e: The Story of a Number begins by describing the transition in mathematics brought about by the introduction of the microchip. Until about 1975, logarithms were every scientist's best friend. They were the basis of the slide rule that was the totemic wand of the trade and were listed in the huge books that were consulted in every library. Then handheld calculators arrived, and within a few years slide rules were museum pieces.

But e remains, the centre of the natural logarithmic function and of calculus. Eli Maor's book is the only more or less popular account of the history of this universal constant. Maor gives human faces to fundamental mathematics, as in his fantasia of a meeting between Johann Bernoulli and JS Bach. e: The Story of a Number would be an excellent choice for a any student of trigonometry or calculus. --Mary Ellen Curtin

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.

truly fantastic book, 06 Feb 2007
Hi,

This book is a brilliant and beautifully balanced introductory way to first explore the topic of 'number theory'.

The book uses techniques that explore the topics without burying them in the details and to have them see the problem in their minds eye. From beginnings of estimating the distributions of primes, through covering the 'Zeta' function, and why its so well-known. For example, this book gives a first-rate in clarity explanation of 'R.S.A' cryptography and how it works. I have read 'techie' manuals which confuse the whole topic unnecessarily but this has is marvellous clarity.

This is a beautiful written book, which deserves to be given coverage in sixth forms to generate more interest in mathematics. It's been a privilege to read this book and great fun to read.



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 merely 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!!

a fascinating book with a brave title, 09 Jul 2001
There aren't many good maths books out there, but this is definitely one of them. It manages to describe the concepts - mentioned below in other reviews - so well that by the end you wish you could meet the author and have a chat about mathematics; the sign of a really good book.

The level is about 18+ and it will be of great benefit to maths students going to or at university. It was recommended to me by my lecturer; not surprisingly, I ignored him, but I found it a few years later. I kicked myself when i finished...I wish i had read it earlier. The title doesn't help either...it turns you off immediately...so he's either brave or stupid to call it that...!

It is true that e is an extremely important number, and really, it is far more interesting than pi in many ways. Unravelling its history leads to an explanation of many interesting areas of mathematics, and calculus is described well. The explanation of logs wasn't all that great, but it tied the book together.

If you're a maths student, it will help give subjects you cover some background and perspective. You may understand them better too, so...go and read it now!

The pleasure of mathematics, 26 Dec 2000
All students who have undertaken a calculus course know that "e" is a very important number and on eof the cornerstones of modern mathematics; but very few students - I am afraid - know its fascinating story. That's why Eli Maor decided to fill this gap and to write his book on the story of "e": he starts with the invention of logarithms by the Scottish nobleman John Napier and guides the reader in a wonderful voyage through the mathematical discoveries of the last four centuries. In this voyage, the interested reader can meet real giants of mathematics such as Newton, Euler and the Bernoullis; he can study curious mathematical curves such as the logarithmic spiral and the catenary; he can understand how calculus was born and how it developed in the minds of the great mathematicians of the 17th Century. The book is noteworthy because of the crystal-clear mathematical accuracy with which Eli Maor explains the facts of his story; therefore a maths background is necessary to enjoy reading this book. Finally, eli Maor makes his book even more interesting by adding some "capsules" on various subjects, such as the importance of hyperbolic functions, the relationship between music and maths, the beauty of the decorative patterns that use the logarithmic spiral. A book that should be in the library of every maths-loving person.

For mystics, philosophers, or even mathematicians!, 16 Jun 2000
This is a truly excellent book. This is not a collection of bound papers, this is an exhaustive study of e and we are guided by the author's own thoughts and opinions throughout. Collections of papers, although useful in saving us the legwork, are a cop-out. The author(s) does not need to make any personal input at all. It is the author's easy and informative style that makes this book so accessible to such a wide audience. Whether you are a mystic, a philosopher, a numerologist or just an ordinary mathematician, you will not be disappointed with this work!

A-level maths standard, but explained in historical context, 12 May 2000
This book quite clearly explains a lot of well-known theorems and their historical context. It is not "high-brow" or obtuse, as some maths history books can be. It is not necessary to read the proofs if you don't want to. It is not just about "e", but explains a little about pi and i also. The only bit that I found confusing at first was the lack of a worked example of Napiers original logarithm table, which is very early in the book. Neither did I think that there was an explanation of the practical logic behind Napier's original sparse log tables (apart from the fact that they take a long time to create by hand). However, there is a worked example near the end of the book.

An interesting little curiousity..., 12 Feb 2000
I thought this was and excellent book, tracing the story of e from Napier logarithms through to the development of calculus and beyond. The author's style is excellent producing an interesting, easily read, non-technical history which fleshes out some of the great characters in the history mathematics. There are also some really diverting asides. If you've any interest in the history of mathematics, I'd recommend this.

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.

truly fantastic book, 06 Feb 2007
Hi,

This book is a brilliant and beautifully balanced introductory way to first explore the topic of 'number theory'.

The book uses techniques that explore the topics without burying them in the details and to have them see the problem in their minds eye. From beginnings of estimating the distributions of primes, through covering the 'Zeta' function, and why its so well-known. For example, this book gives a first-rate in clarity explanation of 'R.S.A' cryptography and how it works. I have read 'techie' manuals which confuse the whole topic unnecessarily but this has is marvellous clarity.

This is a beautiful written book, which deserves to be given coverage in sixth forms to generate more interest in mathematics. It's been a privilege to read this book and great fun to read.



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 merely 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!!

a fascinating book with a brave title, 09 Jul 2001
There aren't many good maths books out there, but this is definitely one of them. It manages to describe the concepts - mentioned below in other reviews - so well that by the end you wish you could meet the author and have a chat about mathematics; the sign of a really good book.

The level is about 18+ and it will be of great benefit to maths students going to or at university. It was recommended to me by my lecturer; not surprisingly, I ignored him, but I found it a few years later. I kicked myself when i finished...I wish i had read it earlier. The title doesn't help either...it turns you off immediately...so he's either brave or stupid to call it that...!

It is true that e is an extremely important number, and really, it is far more interesting than pi in many ways. Unravelling its history leads to an explanation of many interesting areas of mathematics, and calculus is described well. The explanation of logs wasn't all that great, but it tied the book together.

If you're a maths student, it will help give subjects you cover some background and perspective. You may understand them better too, so...go and read it now!

The pleasure of mathematics, 26 Dec 2000
All students who have undertaken a calculus course know that "e" is a very important number and on eof the cornerstones of modern mathematics; but very few students - I am afraid - know its fascinating story. That's why Eli Maor decided to fill this gap and to write his book on the story of "e": he starts with the invention of logarithms by the Scottish nobleman John Napier and guides the reader in a wonderful voyage through the mathematical discoveries of the last four centuries. In this voyage, the interested reader can meet real giants of mathematics such as Newton, Euler and the Bernoullis; he can study curious mathematical curves such as the logarithmic spiral and the catenary; he can understand how calculus was born and how it developed in the minds of the great mathematicians of the 17th Century. The book is noteworthy because of the crystal-clear mathematical accuracy with which Eli Maor explains the facts of his story; therefore a maths background is necessary to enjoy reading this book. Finally, eli Maor makes his book even more interesting by adding some "capsules" on various subjects, such as the importance of hyperbolic functions, the relationship between music and maths, the beauty of the decorative patterns that use the logarithmic spiral. A book that should be in the library of every maths-loving person.

For mystics, philosophers, or even mathematicians!, 16 Jun 2000
This is a truly excellent book. This is not a collection of bound papers, this is an exhaustive study of e and we are guided by the author's own thoughts and opinions throughout. Collections of papers, although useful in saving us the legwork, are a cop-out. The author(s) does not need to make any personal input at all. It is the author's easy and informative style that makes this book so accessible to such a wide audience. Whether you are a mystic, a philosopher, a numerologist or just an ordinary mathematician, you will not be disappointed with this work!

A-level maths standard, but explained in historical context, 12 May 2000
This book quite clearly explains a lot of well-known theorems and their historical context. It is not "high-brow" or obtuse, as some maths history books can be. It is not necessary to read the proofs if you don't want to. It is not just about "e", but explains a little about pi and i also. The only bit that I found confusing at first was the lack of a worked example of Napiers original logarithm table, which is very early in the book. Neither did I think that there was an explanation of the practical logic behind Napier's original sparse log tables (apart from the fact that they take a long time to create by hand). However, there is a worked example near the end of the book.

An interesting little curiousity..., 12 Feb 2000
I thought this was and excellent book, tracing the story of e from Napier logarithms through to the development of calculus and beyond. The author's style is excellent producing an interesting, easily read, non-technical history which fleshes out some of the great characters in the history mathematics. There are also some really diverting asides. If you've any interest in the history of mathematics, I'd recommend this.

Sadly, not a book for everyone, 25 Jun 2007
Really interesting book which puts currently taught mathematics into its historical context. I bought the hardback which has "even algebraphobes will struggle to find fault" - don't believe a word of it: I don't think I would have understood much of the book without having done first year university pure maths already and would not recommend it to non math-inclined friends. There were a few typos in my edition but not enough to cause too many problems.

A Rollercoaster ride through the history of algebra... Hold on tight!, 05 Jul 2006
I've long been interested in the history of science and mathematics and have to say that this book is an absolute treat to read.

I read John Derbyshire's other historical mathematics book - "Prime Obsession" - about a year ago and was mightly impressed. His ability to weave historical facts with some of the more complicated mathematics is something that a lesser author would stumble with. Not Derbyshire. "Unknown Quantity" takes "Prime Obsession" further - as it were - leaving behind one specific area of mathematical intregue (the Reimann Hypothesis) and covering this time the entire field of the history and development of algebra. Its a interesting feat to attempt given the huge subject base and the literally hundreds (if not few thousands) of years of history that have to be covered, but he does it well. Along the way we encounter ALL of the big names in maths: Galois, Lagrange, Euler (to name but a few) and some others that you may not have heard of, all of them though have their own backstories that make the characters come alive on the page (it is amazing how often some form of tragedy befalls a member of the mathematical elite of the 18th and 19th centuries).

But it's not all history. Derbyshire deftly takes us through some simple examples - how to solve the general cubic equation (and extend this to the general quartic) in a detailed yet unpatronising way - and goes further into some of the more abstract areas of modern mathematics (fields, algebras and manifolds).

This is a fabulous book that takes us from ancient civilisations in the middle-east through europe in the 18th and 19th centuries and out to the present day, and leaves you with a sense of awe at what was achieved and what could yet be discovered in this most intreguing of mathematical fields.

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

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.

truly fantastic book, 06 Feb 2007
Hi,

This book is a brilliant and beautifully balanced introductory way to first explore the topic of 'number theory'.

The book uses techniques that explore the topics without burying them in the details and to have them see the problem in their minds eye. From beginnings of estimating the distributions of primes, through covering the 'Zeta' function, and why its so well-known. For example, this book gives a first-rate in clarity explanation of 'R.S.A' cryptography and how it works. I have read 'techie' manuals which confuse the whole topic unnecessarily but this has is marvellous clarity.

This is a beautiful written book, which deserves to be given coverage in sixth forms to generate more interest in mathematics. It's been a privilege to read this book and great fun to read.



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 merely 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!!

a fascinating book with a brave title, 09 Jul 2001
There aren't many good maths books out there, but this is definitely one of them. It manages to describe the concepts - mentioned below in other reviews - so well that by the end you wish you could meet the author and have a chat about mathematics; the sign of a really good book.

The level is about 18+ and it will be of great benefit to maths students going to or at university. It was recommended to me by my lecturer; not surprisingly, I ignored him, but I found it a few years later. I kicked myself when i finished...I wish i had read it earlier. The title doesn't help either...it turns you off immediately...so he's either brave or stupid to call it that...!

It is true that e is an extremely important number, and really, it is far more interesting than pi in many ways. Unravelling its history leads to an explanation of many interesting areas of mathematics, and calculus is described well. The explanation of logs wasn't all that great, but it tied the book together.

If you're a maths student, it will help give subjects you cover some background and perspective. You may understand them better too, so...go and read it now!

The pleasure of mathematics, 26 Dec 2000
All students who have undertaken a calculus course know that "e" is a very important number and on eof the cornerstones of modern mathematics; but very few students - I am afraid - know its fascinating story. That's why Eli Maor decided to fill this gap and to write his book on the story of "e": he starts with the invention of logarithms by the Scottish nobleman John Napier and guides the reader in a wonderful voyage through the mathematical discoveries of the last four centuries. In this voyage, the interested reader can meet real giants of mathematics such as Newton, Euler and the Bernoullis; he can study curious mathematical curves such as the logarithmic spiral and the catenary; he can understand how calculus was born and how it developed in the minds of the great mathematicians of the 17th Century. The book is noteworthy because of the crystal-clear mathematical accuracy with which Eli Maor explains the facts of his story; therefore a maths background is necessary to enjoy reading this book. Finally, eli Maor makes his book even more interesting by adding some "capsules" on various subjects, such as the importance of hyperbolic functions, the relationship between music and maths, the beauty of the decorative patterns that use the logarithmic spiral. A book that should be in the library of every maths-loving person.

For mystics, philosophers, or even mathematicians!, 16 Jun 2000
This is a truly excellent book. This is not a collection of bound papers, this is an exhaustive study of e and we are guided by the author's own thoughts and opinions throughout. Collections of papers, although useful in saving us the legwork, are a cop-out. The author(s) does not need to make any personal input at all. It is the author's easy and informative style that makes this book so accessible to such a wide audience. Whether you are a mystic, a philosopher, a numerologist or just an ordinary mathematician, you will not be disappointed with this work!

A-level maths standard, but explained in historical context, 12 May 2000
This book quite clearly explains a lot of well-known theorems and their historical context. It is not "high-brow" or obtuse, as some maths history books can be. It is not necessary to read the proofs if you don't want to. It is not just about "e", but explains a little about pi and i also. The only bit that I found confusing at first was the lack of a worked example of Napiers original logarithm table, which is very early in the book. Neither did I think that there was an explanation of the practical logic behind Napier's original sparse log tables (apart from the fact that they take a long time to create by hand). However, there is a worked example near the end of the book.

An interesting little curiousity..., 12 Feb 2000
I thought this was and excellent book, tracing the story of e from Napier logarithms through to the development of calculus and beyond. The author's style is excellent producing an interesting, easily read, non-technical history which fleshes out some of the great characters in the history mathematics. There are also some really diverting asides. If you've any interest in the history of mathematics, I'd recommend this.

Sadly, not a book for everyone, 25 Jun 2007
Really interesting book which puts currently taught mathematics into its historical context. I bought the hardback which has "even algebraphobes will struggle to find fault" - don't believe a word of it: I don't think I would have understood much of the book without having done first year university pure maths already and would not recommend it to non math-inclined friends. There were a few typos in my edition but not enough to cause too many problems.

A Rollercoaster ride through the history of algebra... Hold on tight!, 05 Jul 2006
I've long been interested in the history of science and mathematics and have to say that this book is an absolute treat to read.

I read John Derbyshire's other historical mathematics book - "Prime Obsession" - about a year ago and was mightly impressed. His ability to weave historical facts with some of the more complicated mathematics is something that a lesser author would stumble with. Not Derbyshire. "Unknown Quantity" takes "Prime Obsession" further - as it were - leaving behind one specific area of mathematical intregue (the Reimann Hypothesis) and covering this time the entire field of the history and development of algebra. Its a interesting feat to attempt given the huge subject base and the literally hundreds (if not few thousands) of years of history that have to be covered, but he does it well. Along the way we encounter ALL of the big names in maths: Galois, Lagrange, Euler (to name but a few) and some others that you may not have heard of, all of them though have their own backstories that make the characters come alive on the page (it is amazing how often some form of tragedy befalls a member of the mathematical elite of the 18th and 19th centuries).

But it's not all history. Derbyshire deftly takes us through some simple examples - how to solve the general cubic equation (and extend this to the general quartic) in a detailed yet unpatronising way - and goes further into some of the more abstract areas of modern mathematics (fields, algebras and manifolds).

This is a fabulous book that takes us from ancient civilisations in the middle-east through europe in the 18th and 19th centuries and out to the present day, and leaves you with a sense of awe at what was achieved and what could yet be discovered in this most intreguing of mathematical fields.

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 from theGreeks to Superstring (M-Theory) of the present. The explanations arevery clear and the historical elements are interesting and concise.
In a book of this size it can only be an introduction, of course, but itvery readable and contains mathematical details, where justified.
I would recommend The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene as an excellentcontinuation to the later chapters on Superstring and M-Theory.

Through Euclid's Window Clearly, 12 Mar 2003
Fantastic. This is definitely one of the best lay science books I've had the pleasure of reading, and I read alot of scientific books. Clear, witty, down-to-earth, and written with a real understanding of how to present complex ideas in everyday language. Read this, and you can't help but learn and enjoy. You'll emerge the other end feeling you've bettered yourself and had a really pleasant time doing it. You'll read things that you want to tell everyone you know, because Mlodinow makes them so interesting.

A funny, well written book about the history of geometry, 01 Apr 2002
This book describes the history of geometry as if it was the stuff of audacious adventurers and bold explorers. Very well written indeed for such a potentially boring subject. I even had trouble putting the book down...

In the first three chapters the author explains the Greek origin of Euclidian geometry and its unchallenged use throughout the Dark Ages, the improvements made by Descartes in the 17th century and the struggles of 19th century German mathematicians to improve its fundamental flaws that resulted in non-Euclidian geometry. The last two chapters explain Einstein's theory of relativity as well as the unifying theory of strings and touch upon the role non-Euclidian geometry plays in them.

The details of the characters involved and their motivations in developing geometry make this book fascinating. The humouristic style of writing and the often hilarious examples make this book really enjoyable to read as well. A recommendation for anyone interested in mathematics and/or history !

A funny, well written book about the history of geometry, 01 Apr 2002
This book describes the history of geometry as if it was the stuff of audacious adventurers and bold explorers. Very well written indeed for such a potentially boring subject. I even had trouble putting the book down...

In the first three chapters the author explains the Greek origin of Euclidian geometry and its unchallenged use throughout the Dark Ages, the improvements made by Descartes in the 17th century and the struggles of 19th century German mathematicians to improve its fundamental flaws that resulted in non-Euclidian geometry. The last two chapters explain Einstein's theory of relativity as well as the unifying theory of strings and touch upon the role non-Euclidian geometry plays in them.

The details of the characters involved and their motivations in developing geometry make this book fascinating. The humouristic style of writing and the often hilarious examples make this book really enjoyable to read as well. A recommendation for anyone interested in mathematics and/or history !

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.

truly fantastic book, 06 Feb 2007
Hi,

This book is a brilliant and beautifully balanced introductory way to first explore the topic of 'number theory'.

The book uses techniques that explore the topics without burying them in the details and to have them see the problem in their minds eye. From beginnings of estimating the distributions of primes, through covering the 'Zeta' function, and why its so well-known. For example, this book gives a first-rate in clarity explanation of 'R.S.A' cryptography and how it works. I have read 'techie' manuals which confuse the whole topic unnecessarily but this has is marvellous clarity.

This is a beautiful written book, which deserves to be given coverage in sixth forms to generate more interest in mathematics. It's been a privilege to read this book and great fun to read.



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 merely 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!!

a fascinating book with a brave title, 09 Jul 2001
There aren't many good maths books out there, but this is definitely one of them. It manages to describe the concepts - mentioned below in other reviews - so well that by the end you wish you could meet the author and have a chat about mathematics; the sign of a really good book.

The level is about 18+ and it will be of great benefit to maths students going to or at university. It was recommended to me by my lecturer; not surprisingly, I ignored him, but I found it a few years later. I kicked myself when i finished...I wish i had read it earlier. The title doesn't help either...it turns you off immediately...so he's either brave or stupid to call it that...!

It is true that e is an extremely important number, and really, it is far more interesting than pi in many ways. Unravelling its history leads to an explanation of many interesting areas of mathematics, and calculus is described well. The explanation of logs wasn't all that great, but it tied the book together.

If you're a maths student, it will help give subjects you cover some background and perspective. You may understand them better too, so...go and read it now!

The pleasure of mathematics, 26 Dec 2000
All students who have undertaken a calculus course know that "e" is a very important number and on eof the cornerstones of modern mathematics; but very few students - I am afraid - know its fascinating story. That's why Eli Maor decided to fill this gap and to write his book on the story of "e": he starts with the invention of logarithms by the Scottish nobleman John Napier and guides the reader in a wonderful voyage through the mathematical discoveries of the last four centuries. In this voyage, the interested reader can meet real giants of mathematics such as Newton, Euler and the Bernoullis; he can study curious mathematical curves such as the logarithmic spiral and the catenary; he can understand how calculus was born and how it developed in the minds of the great mathematicians of the 17th Century. The book is noteworthy because of the crystal-clear mathematical accuracy with which Eli Maor explains the facts of his story; therefore a maths background is necessary to enjoy reading this book. Finally, eli Maor makes his book even more interesting by adding some "capsules" on various subjects, such as the importance of hyperbolic functions, the relationship between music and maths, the beauty of the decorative patterns that use the logarithmic spiral. A book that should be in the library of every maths-loving person.

For mystics, philosophers, or even mathematicians!, 16 Jun 2000
This is a truly excellent book. This is not a collection of bound papers, this is an exhaustive study of e and we are guided by the author's own thoughts and opinions throughout. Collections of papers, although useful in saving us the legwork, are a cop-out. The author(s) does not need to make any personal input at all. It is the author's easy and informative style that makes this book so accessible to such a wide audience. Whether you are a mystic, a philosopher, a numerologist or just an ordinary mathematician, you will not be disappointed with this work!

A-level maths standard, but explained in historical context, 12 May 2000
This book quite clearly explains a lot of well-known theorems and their historical context. It is not "high-brow" or obtuse, as some maths history books can be. It is not necessary to read the proofs if you don't want to. It is not just about "e", but explains a little about pi and i also. The only bit that I found confusing at first was the lack of a worked example of Napiers original logarithm table, which is very early in the book. Neither did I think that there was an explanation of the practical logic behind Napier's original sparse log tables (apart from the fact that they take a long time to create by hand). However, there is a worked example near the end of the book.

An interesting little curiousity..., 12 Feb 2000
I thought this was and excellent book, tracing the story of e from Napier logarithms through to the development of calculus and beyond. The author's style is excellent producing an interesting, easily read, non-technical history which fleshes out some of the great characters in the history mathematics. There are also some really diverting asides. If you've any interest in the history of mathematics, I'd recommend this.

Sadly, not a book for everyone, 25 Jun 2007
Really interesting book which puts currently taught mathematics into its historical context. I bought the hardback which has "even algebraphobes will struggle to find fault" - don't believe a word of it: I don't think I would have understood much of the book without having done first year university pure maths already and would not recommend it to non math-inclined friends. There were a few typos in my edition but not enough to cause too many problems.

A Rollercoaster ride through the history of algebra... Hold on tight!, 05 Jul 2006
I've long been interested in the history of science and mathematics and have to say that this book is an absolute treat to read.

I read John Derbyshire's other historical mathematics book - "Prime Obsession" - about a year ago and was mightly impressed. His ability to weave historical facts with some of the more complicated mathematics is something that a lesser author would stumble with. Not Derbyshire. "Unknown Quantity" takes "Prime Obsession" further - as it were - leaving behind one specific area of mathematical intregue (the Reimann Hypothesis) and covering this time the entire field of the history and development of algebra. Its a interesting feat to attempt given the huge subject base and the literally hundreds (if not few thousands) of years of history that have to be covered, but he does it well. Along the way we encounter ALL of the big names in maths: Galois, Lagrange, Euler (to name but a few) and some others that you may not have heard of, all of them though have their own backstories that make the characters come alive on the page (it is amazing how often some form of tragedy befalls a member of the mathematical elite of the 18th and 19th centuries).

But it's not all history. Derbyshire deftly takes us through some simple examples - how to solve the general cubic equation (and extend this to the general quartic) in a detailed yet unpatronising way - and goes further into some of the more abstract areas of modern mathematics (fields, algebras and manifolds).

This is a fabulous book that takes us from ancient civilisations in the middle-east through europe in the 18th and 19th centuries and out to the present day, and leaves you with a sense of awe at what was achieved and what could yet be discovered in this most intreguing of mathematical fields.

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' a