What do you think?
Rate this book
The World of Mathematics
4 volume set. Hard Cover. A small library of the literature of Mathematics, from A'h-mors the Scribe to Albert Einstein.
2469 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1956
38 people are currently reading
726 people want to read
About the author
James Roy Newman
27 books19 followersJames Roy Newman was an American mathematician & mathematical historian. He was also a lawyer, practicing in NY state from 1929 to 1941. During & after WWII, he held several positions in the US government, including Chief Intelligence Officer at the US Embassy in London, Special Assistant to the Undersecretary of War & Counsel to the US Senate Committee on Atomic Energy. In the latter capacity, he helped to draft the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. He became a member of the board of editors for Scientific American beginning in '48. He's also credited for coining & first describing the mathematical concept "googol" in his book (co-authored by Edward Kasner) Mathematics & The Imagination.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 21, 2008
I didn't know this was still in print, especially not new editions. I've owned at least three full sets of the 1956 edition throughout my life, though, and I can't imagine removing any part of it, just adding new pieces.
This isn't dry, abstract math. This is living, breathing, and accessible independent essays, explanations, biographies, histories, and snippets that touch on most aspect of the math community. Anyone can pick up a volume of this, browse for a few minutes, and find some section interesting and educational. It's perfect to just have on the shelf in easy reach and grab for a minute or two on a break.
And make sure kids grow up with it handy.
This isn't dry, abstract math. This is living, breathing, and accessible independent essays, explanations, biographies, histories, and snippets that touch on most aspect of the math community. Anyone can pick up a volume of this, browse for a few minutes, and find some section interesting and educational. It's perfect to just have on the shelf in easy reach and grab for a minute or two on a break.
And make sure kids grow up with it handy.
Currently reading
July 29, 20097/29-Today I read 2 essays about Newton and one about Gauss, as well as some of The Geometry by Descartes and and an analysis of infintesmals by Bishop Berkeley. Although the beauty of getting drawn into trying to understand the notations and drawings has its allure, it is really the biographical information that I am looking for in order to hook my students. The most singular fact about Newton and Gauss seems to be their ability to hold problems in their head for long periods of time. Most of the information about Newton I already had from the fabulous book, The Calculus Wars--I think more stuff about his work for the Mint would interest my students though. I learned more about Gauss this morning, and Bell's excellent essay made me want to learn more about him.
Nature of Mathematics by Jourdain
The following ideas for class discussions. Why did Descartes invent the notation of analytic Geometry? Why do we say -6 but not +6? (This is one that my students struggle with all the time. A definition of the tangent as given by the Greeks "a straight line through the point such that between it and the curve no other straight line can be drawn." And a great lesson activity for between.
The Great Mathematicians by Robert Turnbull
Napier spending 25 years on his log tables, I can't even get my students to spend 25 minutes on log problems. Must look at Napier's spherical trigonometry. Newton considered Euclid's elements a trifling work. And perhaps my favorite thought of the day describing light as either undulatory or copuscular.
The Rhind Papyrus by James R. Newman--didn't really grab me.
Observations on Archimedes by Plutarch and others.
The 3 different stories about his death and by remembrance of the Dutch puzzle and Descartes reminds me that I must share the nerdswiped xkcd comic with my students. Maybe on the syllabus.
Read a bit on The Greek Mathematics, which was incredibly dull, than a good essay on Kepler by Locke. No crazy new teaching ideas.
Nature of Mathematics by Jourdain
The following ideas for class discussions. Why did Descartes invent the notation of analytic Geometry? Why do we say -6 but not +6? (This is one that my students struggle with all the time. A definition of the tangent as given by the Greeks "a straight line through the point such that between it and the curve no other straight line can be drawn." And a great lesson activity for between.
The Great Mathematicians by Robert Turnbull
Napier spending 25 years on his log tables, I can't even get my students to spend 25 minutes on log problems. Must look at Napier's spherical trigonometry. Newton considered Euclid's elements a trifling work. And perhaps my favorite thought of the day describing light as either undulatory or copuscular.
The Rhind Papyrus by James R. Newman--didn't really grab me.
Observations on Archimedes by Plutarch and others.
The 3 different stories about his death and by remembrance of the Dutch puzzle and Descartes reminds me that I must share the nerdswiped xkcd comic with my students. Maybe on the syllabus.
Read a bit on The Greek Mathematics, which was incredibly dull, than a good essay on Kepler by Locke. No crazy new teaching ideas.
February 19, 2008
I'm still, slowly, reading it.
It's a found treasure... and once I found it, I bought a dozen sets to give away to math-interested parties I encounter.
I'll add more detail later, but the gist of this is that it's a set of 133 papers by original authors, most of whom are mathematicians of one stripe or another, skillfully chosen and wonderfully commented upon by Newman.
It's more a book about math than a math book, and once you have finished a volume or two (I am on #3 right now), you'll feel well acquainted with math history and its relationship to our civilization and those past.
The best version is the 1988 reprint by of all outfits, Microsoft Press. Copies in good shape go for a reasonable price, and the several that I have bought showed signs of never having been read. That, sadly, is a huge shame, as this set is engaging from the beginning.
NOTHING can compare to reading Galileo's own description of how he reasoned through the laws of motion. There are 132 other chapters, too, with wonderful titles like "The statistics of deadly quarrels", etc. Galileo didn't even have a stopwatch... he used his heartbeat and what has to qualify as the most pristine and original application of independent reason imaginable. You'll discover (if you didn't already know) that a lot of math got done in ancient days without the benefit of zero (0) or positional notation. Charts and graphs really didn't show up until Rene Descarte came up with a means to relate geometry and algebra. The achievements of the ancients, properly revered, yield a most useful contemporary humility for us moderns who think we know and invented everything.
Honestly, if you are a math phobe who wants to get a broad brush treatment of a vast subject, this is a set for you.
While it is true that it omits the last 50 years or so of math, it gives a pretty good overview of the first 4000 or so.
It's a found treasure... and once I found it, I bought a dozen sets to give away to math-interested parties I encounter.
I'll add more detail later, but the gist of this is that it's a set of 133 papers by original authors, most of whom are mathematicians of one stripe or another, skillfully chosen and wonderfully commented upon by Newman.
It's more a book about math than a math book, and once you have finished a volume or two (I am on #3 right now), you'll feel well acquainted with math history and its relationship to our civilization and those past.
The best version is the 1988 reprint by of all outfits, Microsoft Press. Copies in good shape go for a reasonable price, and the several that I have bought showed signs of never having been read. That, sadly, is a huge shame, as this set is engaging from the beginning.
NOTHING can compare to reading Galileo's own description of how he reasoned through the laws of motion. There are 132 other chapters, too, with wonderful titles like "The statistics of deadly quarrels", etc. Galileo didn't even have a stopwatch... he used his heartbeat and what has to qualify as the most pristine and original application of independent reason imaginable. You'll discover (if you didn't already know) that a lot of math got done in ancient days without the benefit of zero (0) or positional notation. Charts and graphs really didn't show up until Rene Descarte came up with a means to relate geometry and algebra. The achievements of the ancients, properly revered, yield a most useful contemporary humility for us moderns who think we know and invented everything.
Honestly, if you are a math phobe who wants to get a broad brush treatment of a vast subject, this is a set for you.
While it is true that it omits the last 50 years or so of math, it gives a pretty good overview of the first 4000 or so.
August 1, 2013
Not something you read cover to cover. You can dip in and out just about anywhere, First discovered this set in the local library and later purchased my own copy. Great reading in mathematics. You do't need advanced mathematics to enjoy this trio of books.
August 12, 2007
I didn't read all of it (that would be overwhelming) but I read the biographies of mathematicians and the sections on the connections between logic and mathematics. Since it is a book of excerpted selections, it varies from incomprehensible to entertaining.
August 26, 2009
Good accessible math. See Volume III for an excellent few essays on the foundations of math, the axiomatic method and Godol.
April 16, 2008
Actually, I have only read selected parts from Vol 1 and 3. What I did read (and understand) was pretty amazing!
October 12, 2012
Part way into vol. 2, good stuff, but what am I actually learning? Need to settle down with some elementary calculus and relearn what I forgot 40 years ago
July 6, 2025
Book 1/4
Good stuff, thanks to my grandpa
Good stuff, thanks to my grandpa
May 13, 2019
This set of four volumes is very good, very British and very 20th century. If I were living in Edinburgh in 1980, I would give it five stars, but I am subtracting one because it is 2019 and another because i am a New York yankee. That written, look at the very long tables of contents and see if you would like to buy taking my caveats into consideration.
February 6, 2008
Reading the few parts of this that I could understand after my sr. year of high school helped me decide on a math major in college. For people interested in math, keep an eye out for the 4-volume boxed set in used book stores.
Want to read
June 19, 2010Sounds like a collection of papers and articles by the original historical developers or discoverers of various bits of math? Nice idea -- "read the masters, not their students" as they say, which would be easier if they made collections like these easier to find!
December 11, 2025
When I had to write a paper on a mathematics topic in my Algebra II / Trigonometry class, I read over a dozen books to find a topic. I loved this set. It covers a wide range of topics and is very interesting. It is written for the layperson. I have recommended it to several people.
Want to read
November 22, 2008can read limited preview here
http://books.google.com/books?id=oKZw...
http://books.google.com/books?id=oKZw...
February 8, 2016
The best treasure found ever!!!!!!!! If you can found the 1965 edition, please keep it and enjoy!!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews