Rating: 
Summary: A good starter on some of the more esoteric topics of math
Review: But you can save your money by only buying a used version of this book.
But how many people do you think are going to be interested in what are quadratic equations if they happen to have missed them in high school? If they haven't seen them by that time, they are not likely inclined enough toward mathematics to pick up this book on their own volition.
The writing was good and clear, but two questions immediately come to mind:
1. At whom is this aimed?
2. Some of the topics were whittled down to bare bones arguments. For the things that he discussed that I did understand, I could see that he left out a lot in the interest of keeping the reader entertained. But the question is: For things that I don't know, how much was left out for the same reasons and how much better could it have been understood if he had bothered to throw in one or two examples with the mathematics worked out.
One particularly good example of this was the "Arrow's Impossibility Theorem." I would very much like to have seen enough logic discussed to be able to follow the proof.
Rating:
Summary: broad, lucid and interesting
Review: I always tell people they don't realize how much mathematics they use in everyday life. Beyond Numeracy really makes that clear. It's a kind of mini-encyclopedia for most everything a recreational mathematician would find interesting, the nature of pi and e, prime numbers, matrices, elementary probability and logic, functions, game theory, statistics, paradoxes, chaos theory, combinatorics and so on and so forth.
Rating:
Summary: broad, lucid and interesting
Review: I always tell people they don't realize how much mathematics they use in everyday life. Beyond Numeracy really makes that clear. It's a kind of mini-encyclopedia for most everything a recreational mathematician would find interesting, the nature of pi and e, prime numbers, matrices, elementary probability and logic, functions, game theory, statistics, paradoxes, chaos theory, combinatorics and so on and so forth.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent book
Review: I read "Innumeracy" and liked it so I read this book too. For me this book is better because there's more mathematical meat on it and it seems to sweep across the whole field of mathematics in easy to read pieces. I wish I'd read this before I started University, my undergraduate maths was so much disjointed rote learning. I got the grades but I'm not sure I really learned anything about mathematics. This book helps to put it all in perspective.
Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Sequel to "Innumeracy" - Good Stuff
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed "Innumeracy," Paulos's first contribution to educating the general public in math. "Beyond Numeracy" picks up where "Innumeracy" left off, but the book does not continue the excellence so characteristic of the Paulos's first. Many of the explanations are less than perfectly clear (very much unlike the case in "Innumeracy"), and the later chapters on more obscure topics, while still interesting, can get tedious and repetitive.Don't get me wrong-"Beyond Numeracy"'s flaws do not make it unworthy of a read. It's a fun book, and one capable of illuminating many topics in math. If you do choose to read the work, however, don't worry too much about skipping a chapter here and there. The short chapters ensure that you don't miss too much, and again, the repetition that I mentioned can get tiresome. Overall, an interesting read; I have found no better work about math "in general." Paulos is for the most part clear, concise, focused, and capable of relating the subjects of his many chapters to the real world. Good stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: Good for those with interest in math to start
Review: I thought this a good book that showed how math is valuable in the real world. The author tries to avoid reading like a text book to try and make math come alive. He is moderately successful, but it is hard not to have some mathy jargon and notation, which I think will discourage those who don't have some motivation to think about math to start with. Overall a good book and I will try to read his first book if I get a chance.
Rating:
Summary: one of the few great mathematics books.
Review: I was captured entirely by "innumaracy", so i dwelve deeper into John Allen Paulo works, his website and other books, and i manage to buy several of the books. I particularly like beyond numeracy. It is not as easily read as innumeracy, but it is deeper and more insightful. It is written in loose shorter essays focusing on special mathematic things. I love the explanation of "infinity", "chaos theory", "pi", "probability" etc. I think people interested slightly in mathematics will be enchanted and enjoying the book. Some of the essays are only sweet writing words, some contain heavy formula that needs digestions and basic math understanding. There are about 70 short essays in all that can be read independently at leasure. I found out i strted to get dizzy after reading 10 essays in a straight reading. John proved that you can make dry stuff interesting, and if you read some of the materials and use if for conversation, it will makes you look like a whiz with great taste! that is one additional benefit of reading! and you will do it without the usual pain. ;-)
Rating:
Summary: one of the few great mathematics books.
Review: I was captured entirely by "innumaracy", so i dwelve deeper into John Allen Paulo works, his website and other books, and i manage to buy several of the books. I particularly like beyond numeracy. It is not as easily read as innumeracy, but it is deeper and more insightful. It is written in loose shorter essays focusing on special mathematic things. I love the explanation of "infinity", "chaos theory", "pi", "probability" etc. I think people interested slightly in mathematics will be enchanted and enjoying the book. Some of the essays are only sweet writing words, some contain heavy formula that needs digestions and basic math understanding. There are about 70 short essays in all that can be read independently at leasure. I found out i strted to get dizzy after reading 10 essays in a straight reading. John proved that you can make dry stuff interesting, and if you read some of the materials and use if for conversation, it will makes you look like a whiz with great taste! that is one additional benefit of reading! and you will do it without the usual pain. ;-)
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating dictionary
Review: These short essays, arranged alphabetically present a peek into mathematical topics, some I've long forgotten (differentials) and others new (non-Euclidian geometry). Paulos writes directly, usually without formulas, and if a particular essay doesn't click for you, keep turning, there's a new one in a few pages. Although the essays are mostly independent, there are some interesting connections. In light of the California governors voting recall, the section on voting systems seems clairvoyant, but he warns against the "Jean Dixon" effect in an earlier essay. The essays present mathematics as a dynamic field, and something as basic as variables, was just invented in the 16th century. Even since this book first came out, Fermat's last theorem has been proved, and there is even a larger prime number. For those working with computers, there is a reminder of some of the mathematical background such as Al-Khwarizmi in Baghdad inventing the "Algorithm", the Turing Test, and sorting. Paulos always touches on the human aspects of math, such as the fractal nature of human consciousness or mathematics in ethics.
QED - a great read
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating dictionary
Review: These short essays, arranged alphabetically present a peek into mathematical topics, some I've long forgotten (differentials) and others new (non-Euclidian geometry). Paulos writes directly, usually without formulas, and if a particular essay doesn't click for you, keep turning, there's a new one in a few pages. Although the essays are mostly independent, there are some interesting connections. In light of the California governors voting recall, the section on voting systems seems clairvoyant, but he warns against the "Jean Dixon" effect in an earlier essay. The essays present mathematics as a dynamic field, and something as basic as variables, was just invented in the 16th century. Even since this book first came out, Fermat's last theorem has been proved, and there is even a larger prime number. For those working with computers, there is a reminder of some of the mathematical background such as Al-Khwarizmi in Baghdad inventing the "Algorithm", the Turing Test, and sorting. Paulos always touches on the human aspects of math, such as the fractal nature of human consciousness or mathematics in ethics.
QED - a great read
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