Beyond Numeracy

by John Allen Paulos

From the author of the national bestseller Innumeracy, a delightful exploration and explanation of mathematical concepts from algebra to zero in easily accessible alphabetical entries. "Paulos . . . does for mathematics what The Joy of Sex did for the boudoir. . . ."--Washington Post Book World. First time in paperback.

Genres: Mathematics, Nonfiction, Science, Education, Reference

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[May Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting trip through the mathematical theory landscape. Paulos introduces a number of fairly complex mathematical concepts with only 4 or 5 pages each. There were a few that I had not heard of. In particular, I think the applications of Russell's paradox offer a number of intriguing applications when applied to the social sciences. He synthesizes the theory behind the paradox into simple English that is very digestible.



I think what I like best is that he deals with all of the later theory. There are tons of books to clearly articulate the work of Euler, Pythagoras and before. But to get really good stuff on topology and probability with plenty of examples is often a bit harder to find in narrative form. I like that he approaches math in a way that is digestible to the masses as math is just a language and should be able to be described as such.



If I were to make one critique it would be with the flow. The chapters do not appear to connect so well. It bounces around. For example zeno's paradox comes last. Fractals are in the middle.



One final note, the time line of great mathematicians is great. I generally look these up one at a time, but it's really nice to see them in order.

[Remo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tras publicar El hombre anumérico, Paulos siguió con el tema en su continuación. Una vez que en el primer libro nos convence de lo necesario que es no solamente saber un poco de matemáticas sino tener el sentido común y el ánimo de usarlas, en este segundo libro nos hace un repaso bastante extenso del panorama actual de las matemáticas. Desde el teorema de Pitágoras, sobre el que todos hemos leído, hasta la topología algebraica, de la que casi nadie tiene ni la menor idea, el autor nos pinta brevísimos panoramas y nos cuenta "de qué va" ese trocito de las matemáticas. Lo hace además consiguiendo que todo se entienda bien, aunque por supuesto se ve obligado a simplificar. Pero me parece un libro fantástico para empezar a entender la amplitud del campo de las matemáticas. Muy recomendable.

[Tom Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those of you who know Paulos's work, this is a follow up book to his New York Times bestselling Innumeracy. Paulos is a mathematician who is passionate about being being "mathematically literate" and his first book covers a lot of the common misconceptions of the average layperson when it comes to mathematics.

His next offering was this little number (if you'll pardon the pun), an "uncommon dictionary of mathematics" to quote the front page. And it is just that, it is a journey through a whole host of mathematical concepts ranging from Area and Volume through Calculus, Trigonometry and Pi to more abstract concepts such as Fractals, Human Consciousness and Platonic Solids.

This is a man who loves mathematics and wants other people to love and understand mathematics too. That is never a bad thing in my book, maths is not as scary as people make it out to be. Well, most of maths actually is frightening but the day-to-day stuff is fascinating, useful and not all that difficult.

Anyway back to Paulos. This book is a dictionary and so naturally the concepts are arranged in alphabetical order. This is the logical way to arrange things but I find it means the level of understanding required for a partial topic jumps around a lot. I guess this is by no means a bad thing, it just means it is not the sort of book you can "work your way into" as such.

You might find some of the earlier concepts pass you by a bit if you aren't from a certain school of mathematical thinking. This is definitely not a "mathematics for dummies", nor was it ever intended as one. I have a pretty decent standard of maths as a baseline and there were some of the ideas that outfoxed me completely.

However it is worth persevering with because there are some fascinating sections and Paulos's love for his subject shines through. Everyone who reads this will be a little bit better at understanding mathematics and how it interacts with and influences the world around us, which is definitely no bad thing.

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5

[Jared Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Math hipster review alert***

Enjoyable yet lacking rigor

[Robert Spillman]

Beyond Numeracy is an engaging read about the history and power of mathematical concepts, with an eye on some of the mysteries mathematicians have explored over the years. Paulos writes with the general reader in mind. Concepts are explained in a manner that provides knowledge without requiring a solid basis in the subject. I love math, but still enjoyed reviewing important ideas and their history of development. He injects both humor and interesting mathematicians in the discussion, which provide the reader reasons for turning pages and absorbing discussions on topics such as set theory and statistics with anticipation. It is strangely intriguing to peek into some of the obscure mysteries that promote brilliant researchers into trying to prove conjectures that, on their surface, seem to have have little practical value, but often wind up promoting a deeper understanding of math and leading to valuable new foundations.

This is the approach to math that should be considered in education at many levels.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5
I probably wouldn't recommend as I'm not sure who the target audience for this book is. It's basically a collection of short essays on various topics in mathematics.

I'm not sure if it's really accessible enough for people with little maths education, and it's a little outdated if you do have maths education.

That being said, I liked how short the chapters are, I think the author did a good job explaining things, and I learned some new concepts.

[Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Paulos' sequel to Innumeracy. Paulos spends 3-4 pages on different mathematical topics in a way that it feels like a discussion rather than a lecture. He believes that modern educators have turned mathematics into computation which is what turns people off.

[Anthony Faber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another reread. More fun stuff that even a non math person will probably find interesting.

[Beth G · Rating 5 out of 5]

An accessible read with bite-sized introductions to a variety of math topics.

[Paulo García · Rating 1 out of 5]

Una obra que presentan más de cincuenta capítulos cortos (algunos podría decirse que muy cortos para profundizar en el tema) de algún área de la matemática.

Me hubiese gustado más una ordenación temática y no tener un listado alfabético que va variando entre áreas. Personalmente hubiese preferido que presentara menos temas, pero más desarrollados los que se hiciesen considerando la formalidad que corresponda.

Al final del libro se presenta un listado de diversos matemáticos, lo cual permite conocer algo más acerca de estos.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

(NOTE: I didn't actually finish this book.)

Honestly, there's nothing really wrong with "Beyond Numeracy" per se. It's just not for me. Having expected something similar to its predecessor "Innumeracy," I was surprised to find that it's actually a collection of essays on mathematical topics directed at the interested "general reader."

As a Master's level mathematics graduate, it didn't really add anything for me, or at least not enough that I felt it was worth finishing.

That said, Paulos is a decent writer, so if you don't have a very mathematical background but are willing to be convinced that it really is cool stuff, I would recommend checking this book out. Three stars for the nonmathematicians.

Unfortunately, I spotted at least one flagrant mathematical myth: supposed "facts" about phi, the so-called "golden ratio." In fact, it was just one of many ratios known to ancient Greek geometers; the Parthenon's ratios can be adjusted to suit as long as you pick the zoom on an image and the thickness of the measurement lines; "golden" spirals in nature are often more general logarithmic spirals; etc. Mathematics is awesome enough without falling victim to mysticism.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember enjoying Innumeracy from Paulos, so I expected to enjoy this book as well. Unfortunately, I couldn't really get much from this collection of mini-essays. Most of the chapters describe a mathematical concept, but they don't go in to sufficient depth to add something for someone that is generally familiar with math, and they don't contain enough passion (or even enthusiasm) to draw in people that may be exposed to some of these concepts for the first time. Overall, the collection is OK -- a few topics are interesting -- but for the most part, there's not much here.

[Ron Moreland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has many, many applications for any student in any math class. It combines humor and numbers, provides relief to those who fear numbers or math, it gives insights into subjects ranging from basic math to Calculus and beyond, and finally it provides details as to why math literacy is so important to have! Whether a person enjoys math and numbers or not this book will be beneficial to read and enjoy!

[Fraser Kinnear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a book, but a collection of brief essays in which Paulos describes all sorts of mathematical concepts. I used to have this on my bedsode table and I'd read an essay before ibwent to sleep if I was in the mood. Treat it more like an encyclopedia than anything else, but I'd reach for this before wikipedia, if only because I enjoy his writing style and clarity so much.

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good non-technical book about math. I read it slowly and sometimes had to reread portions to get what Paulos was trying to convey.

Reading a math book isn't something I'd normally do, but it was a good stretch me and I truly found it interesting.

[Sfensore Sfensore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe you have to be a big geek like me to love it, but this book is really about numbers for the non-number-oriented person. It humorously looks at number concepts in everyday living, thereby encouraging a more scientific way of viewing things.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was too light for mathematicians and too boring for anyone else. My biggest gripe was that the notation was terrible, despite the fact that there was a chapter on notation. There were a few interesting tidbits, but overall, I didn't enjoy it too much.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is broken up into chapters (most less than 5 pages) on various topics. You can pick it up and read a chapter or two without having to worry about a plot line. It took me a couple of months to read through it as I found time.

Must read for a math person.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

The small, bite-size artciles are insightful, clear and an example of what popularizing mathematics should be like; Fun to read as it was to write. I use selected chapters in my community college lectures.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was lent to me by a co-worker. I think he thought I was smarter than I actually am, as a lot of this book was too deep in mathematical detail for me to be really interested in it. That being said, I did learn some interesting things about mathematics that I didn't know before.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going beyondInnumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences to talk about math and what it means.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Making the numbers work for you

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that you can just open up to any page and read.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I didn't understand all the math in the book it was interesting to look at math from a non-doing perspective.

[Beth639 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable read and a good reference when I want a clear, not too mathy explanation for a student

[Gert · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bit too much difference in level between the topics. but as always, entertaining and witty.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of math info for all you math nuts out there.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

What we don't understand will hurt us. Math is in a sorry state here.

[Gnuehc Ecnerwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

mind expanding.

[Carl Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novelists need to know the numbers.