Awesome Algebra

by Michael Willers

Who is afraid of algebra? Nobody after reading Awesome Algebra—a fun and fact-filled guide. Algebra is a powerful tool that is vital to mathematics and can unlock fascinating information about the world around us. Many people panic as soon as they see an equation, but in reality algebra can be as simple as ABC. Packed with images and diagrams, Awesome Algebra guides you through the subject one step at a time, from its earliest origins to the latest theories. Along the way you’ll read about the greatest minds in the history of math and find out how algebra forms part of your everyday life.

Genres: Mathematics, Science

144 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2016

Reviews

[John Naylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I once read that for every equation that an author puts into a book, they lose half their sales. This isn't true (and probably misquoted) but there are an awful lot of equations in this book.

I enjoyed the brief histories of mathematicians throughout history and the acknowledgement that it didn't all start in Europe. The majority of the book is accessible enough even to someone who hasn't done any mathematic study in 25 years (me).

There were parts where the visual explanations were squashed away from the written ones. Sometimes it wasn't clear which diagram was for which equation. There were also minor text errors and certain phrases that I had to read a few times to rearrange to make sense.

A book worth reading for the curious. It just has the problem that it is probably too advanced for the layperson in places and not advanced enough for the expert.

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers the history of mathematics with some of its brightest stars. Mostly covers history but also goes into simple mathematical operations with combinatorics, permutations, binomial theorem and other things. It's pretty simple, but it's good if you want a basic introduction to some math.

It's really short, but sometimes that is a good thing. I bought it because I thought it could give me a better grounding in some math. It was less than 10 dollars.

[Sanjay Kulkarni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptional book on Algebra,thought of global development is projected elegantly ,recommended for every maths lover n students ,teachers ,a must for maths department library.

Only one point ,a probable mistake if verified correctly :

The death year of Brahmagupta on page 65 is written as 670 CE ,which should be 668 CE .

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sbkulkarni2751@gmail.com

SANJAY B.KULKARNI
RETD.ASSO.PROF.IN MATHS

PALGHAR,MAHARASHTRA,INDIA

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at a remainder bookshop as it was cheap. I didn't expect much from it. However it turned out to be excellent. A good balance of history and maths and less Eurocentric than normal. The reason it didn't get five stars were it needed better proof reading, better editing and sometimes things were covered to quickly due to space constraints.