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Rating: 
Summary: A fun and interesting look at mathematics.
Review: I am a math major at The College of New Jersey and this book was intriguing and amazing. It answers most questions about everyday life in simple terms and easy definitions. There are also plenty humorous examples.
Rating: 
Summary: Great picture of the diversity of mathematics!
Review: This book contains a great mixture of examples of applications of math to different areas. My favorites was learning why coins that are not round have an odd number of edges! Their example is the British 50 pence piece, which has seven rounded sides.I think this book gives a great introduction to what mathematics is all about, and will be of interest to both mathematicians and non-mathematicians. Just read it!
Rating:
Summary: Great picture of the diversity of mathematics!
Review: This book contains a great mixture of examples of applications of math to different areas. My favorites was learning why coins that are not round have an odd number of edges! Their example is the British 50 pence piece, which has seven rounded sides. I think this book gives a great introduction to what mathematics is all about, and will be of interest to both mathematicians and non-mathematicians. Just read it!
Rating:
Summary: Superb book for non mathemeticians
Review: This book is a superb sampler of interesting aspects of math. I found it very similiar to "A mathemetician reads the newspaper" by Paulos (also a great book). People who like Paulos will like this book a lot. Parts that I particularly loved were the coverage of sections not treated in other, similiar texts. How fast to run in the rain to stay the driest, how to cut oddly shaped cakes into equal parts, etc. Parts that I found the least exciting were the re-treatments of the stuff of standard layman's math books- does the world need another description of the travelling salesman problem, or Fibonacci sequences throughout nature? (though these descriptions are better than most that Ive read) Overall, this book was very enjoyable. If you've read no "math and the world books" you will think it is 5 stars, and if you've read many of them you will think 4 stars (or just skip those chapters)
Rating:
Summary: Superb book for non mathemeticians
Review: This book is a superb sampler of interesting aspects of math. I found it very similiar to "A mathemetician reads the newspaper" by Paulos (also a great book). People who like Paulos will like this book a lot. Parts that I particularly loved were the coverage of sections not treated in other, similiar texts. How fast to run in the rain to stay the driest, how to cut oddly shaped cakes into equal parts, etc. Parts that I found the least exciting were the re-treatments of the stuff of standard layman's math books- does the world need another description of the travelling salesman problem, or Fibonacci sequences throughout nature? (though these descriptions are better than most that Ive read) Overall, this book was very enjoyable. If you've read no "math and the world books" you will think it is 5 stars, and if you've read many of them you will think 4 stars (or just skip those chapters)
Rating:
Summary: Superb book for non mathemeticians
Review: This book is a superb sampler of interesting aspects of math. I found it very similiar to "A mathemetician reads the newspaper" by Paulos (also a great book). People who like Paulos will like this book a lot. Parts that I particularly loved were the coverage of sections not treated in other, similiar texts. How fast to run in the rain to stay the driest, how to cut oddly shaped cakes into equal parts, etc. Parts that I found the least exciting were the re-treatments of the stuff of standard layman's math books- does the world need another description of the travelling salesman problem, or Fibonacci sequences throughout nature? (though these descriptions are better than most that Ive read) Overall, this book was very enjoyable. If you've read no "math and the world books" you will think it is 5 stars, and if you've read many of them you will think 4 stars (or just skip those chapters)
Rating:
Summary: how come buns come in dozens but weiners come in eights?
Review: this is an entertaining look at math and how it permeates our lives and pervades nature. the authors cover a variety of topics ranging from explaining coincidences to why we always get stuck in traffic jams. the best chapter is ch.1, titled Why can't I find a four leaf clover? they explain how Fibonacci's series turn up so often in plants (the number of petals, for example, is always a, or a multiple of, a fibonacci number), as well as the golden ratio, pi, and why cells in beehives are shaped like hexagons. the pervasiveness of hidden mathematics in nature can make one wonder whether there's an intelligence behind it all. the book also contains a number of mathematical formulas. i remember reading somewhere that for every equation given in a book, sales drop by 5000 (or some number like that). Hopefully that won't happen here.
Rating:
Summary: how come buns come in dozens but weiners come in eights?
Review: this is an entertaining look at math and how it permeates our lives and pervades nature. the authors cover a variety of topics ranging from explaining coincidences to why we always get stuck in traffic jams. the best chapter is ch.1, titled Why can't I find a four leaf clover? they explain how Fibonacci's series turn up so often in plants (the number of petals, for example, is always a, or a multiple of, a fibonacci number), as well as the golden ratio, pi, and why cells in beehives are shaped like hexagons. the pervasiveness of hidden mathematics in nature can make one wonder whether there's an intelligence behind it all. the book also contains a number of mathematical formulas. i remember reading somewhere that for every equation given in a book, sales drop by 5000 (or some number like that). Hopefully that won't happen here.
Rating: 
Summary: Good idea, but not well executed.
Review: When I saw this book, I thought it was a great idea for a book. I bought it without even opening it or reading the back cover! However, the book fell short of my expectations. Some of the topics covered didn't warrant inclusion, and some of the topics could have been covered in much more detail. (Also, a minor nit is that some British words used would not be known to the average American reader, although most of the Britishisms would be.) It is worth reading, however, if you think that you would enjoy it based on the subtitle, "the hidden mathematics of everyday life". It touches on a great number of topics, and has a good balance of hand-waving and formulas.
Rating:
Summary: Good idea, but not well executed.
Review: When I saw this book, I thought it was a great idea for a book. I bought it without even opening it or reading the back cover! However, the book fell short of my expectations. Some of the topics covered didn't warrant inclusion, and some of the topics could have been covered in much more detail. (Also, a minor nit is that some British words used would not be known to the average American reader, although most of the Britishisms would be.) It is worth reading, however, if you think that you would enjoy it based on the subtitle, "the hidden mathematics of everyday life". It touches on a great number of topics, and has a good balance of hand-waving and formulas.
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