Maths Tricks to Blow Your Mind: A Journey Through Viral Maths

by Kyle D Evans

From the infamous 'Hannah's sweets' exam question to percentages 'life-hacks', viral math problems seem to capture the public's imagination without fail. This is often because they blow people's minds with their logic, or there are multiple answers, or no answer or at all, or they are just generally wacky. The same people who will openly celebrate that they 'never got math' will fight tooth and nail with their Auntie on Facebook over whether the answer to 60 + 60 x 0 + 1 is 61 or 1 (it's 61, by the way.). Why do friends and relatives who would glaze over in a math lesson pile into a discussion with strangers on social media over why the grey elephant comes from Denmark? Math teacher and award-winning science communicator Kyle D Evans wants to explore exactly what it is about viral social media puzzles that is so appealing. Maths Tricks to Blow Your Mind presents 50 or so viral math problems from recent years with background information, explanations and solutions to similar problems, all in a humorous, accessible and inclusive manner. Want to dazzle and delight your friends and family? This book shows you how!

Genres: Mathematics

224 pages, Hardcover

Published January 7, 2022

Reviews

[Andy Yule · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book.
It's written in a fairly light style and it's as geeky as you'd expect from the title.
However, whilst it had a few bits I found interesting, overall I thought it was a bit thin (both physically and in content).

[Firat Fidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genellikle sosyal medyada sıklıkla rastladığımız ‘Bu sorunun cevabı nedir’ tarzındaki 50-55 soruyu çözümüyle toparlayan bir kitap. Bazı sorular işe girişlerde sorulan mülakat soruları, bazı sorular da IQ test soruları. Matematikseverler için eğlenceli 😊

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff!

[PRL · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good fun read. Nothing too deep, but then it's not meant to be. Very accessible although it does contain the odd swear.

[Barry Bridges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly the first chapter did it but I found for the rest of it I tended toward the “5%” although I am definitely not in the 1% club!!!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Well written with humour, and challenging (for me). I'm stick on the 'easier' Miracle Sudoku at the end but I shall keep on trying until I crack it.