The Little Book of Mathematical Prnciiples, Theories, & Things

This is a little jewel of a book, and is highly recommended for bathroom reading. It has 130 short sections in the principles and theories of mathematics through time, starting in the third millennium BC, when numbers were first written down. Each section includes a clear main heading, the people (if known) responsible for the discovery, dates, and a short paragraph explaining the concept concisely. Some sections range from the solution to how to pack oranges to the shortest path over seven bridges. You do not have to be a mathematician to appreciate each of these sections, since introductory high school math should be sufficient. Recommended for homes and personal libraries, and for places where you pick up books, read for a short show more while, and then place them back down on the table. A good read, and a think piece. show less

I found this little gem in the bargain bin at Barnes and Nobles. The Little Book of Mathematical Principles, Theories, and Things is exactly what it claims to be. The portable glossy hardbound book contains one to two page summaries of various mathematical principles, theories, and things arranged in chronological order. Each summary provides you with the approximate date and country of origin of the topic and a brief explanation and example of the mathematical concept. The explanations provided for even the most complex mathematical concepts contained in the book are written in layman's terms so that the concept may be grasped quickly and easily by just about anyone. Incidentally, The Little Book of Mathematical Principles, Theories, show more and Things is more than just a collection of math concepts, it is a compact history of mathematics. show less

I just love little books like this - it's the kind of book where yu don't read chapters or stories or anything, but just short small articles on some topic (this one math). Lots of little nuggets of information, concepts and proofs, that being a math person I find compelling. Even though each topic is only a page, I have a hard time putting this book down.