..
"...forget your childhood fear of math. Numbers are friendly, funny, and fascinating. Dip into this book and enjoy your first taste of the delicious, all-you-can-eat buffet that is the world of numbers."


So, do you have a favorite number, a 'lucky' number? How much do you know about 'your' number? Book of Numbers will undoubtedly tell you something about your 'lucky' number that you will find "...strange, surprising, smart (or) silly."


From Jane Austen, The Brady Bunch, and chimpanzees; through linedancing, magic squares, and nonadekaphobia; to Andy Warhol, yin and yang, and Zoroastrianism . . .through all this and much more, Adam Spencer (Australian, mathematician, comedian, DJ) leads his reader on brief, fun visits to each of the numbers from 1 to 100.


It is not really a math book, though there is challenging math included. (Are you up-to-speed on your Fibonacci series numbers..? How are your primes..?) Book of Numbers is instead a look at some of the random associations that a given number has accumulated over thousands of years of human civilization. Spanning science, religion, literature, pop culture, music, history, and yes, mathematics, the content is far-ranging, generally low key, and genuinely fun.

Divided into short chapters (numbered 1 through 100 . . .doh!) each number features but a few interesting facts or fiction associated with that number. The number 6 features perfect numbers, hexagons, and Charlie's Angels. Number 36 shares info about Homer Simpson, highly composite numbers, and Kiss. And number 96 highlights Batgirl and Archimedes.

Roughly a third of the numbers/chapters have a short quiz for the reader, sort of a 'pop quiz'. For instance, the number 22 asks: "Can you get the next three pentagonal numbers after 1, 5, 12, 22?" . . .Say what..?!? (Don't worry about it, they explained 'pentagonal numbers', and why 22 is one, just before the quiz.)

Some of the quizzes are bit easier: "Who played club owner Steve Rubell in the 1998 movie 54?" The answers are in the back of the book, and yes, you can skip them if you like. The quizzes I mean.


Also in the 'back of the book' are pages for References and Web Sites apparently used in researching and writing the book. The Index is the one feature of the book that falls horribly short. An apparent over-zealous editor keyed the entries to the actual page number rather than the _number_ to which it refers. I found that a real, illogical blunder. The only serious fault I find in the book.



The Bottom Line
Sparsely illustrated, with a minimal amount a math and 'math equations', Book of Numbers is more about South Park, Roger Maris, stilt-walking, and Jimi Hendrix than about remedial math. Whether reading cover-to-cover or just flipping randomly through the book, you will find a surprise and an 'I didn't know that!' on almost every page.

P.S. The entry for 69 is: "The French for 69 is soixante-neuf, and the number is loved worldwide." . . .Is that a naughty thought..? I am afraid to 'google' it..!



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Certified Lean-n-mean review.


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"Just the facts, ma'am"

Title: Adam Spencer's Book of Numbers
Author: Adam Spencer
Publisher: MJF Books
Copyright: 2004 / Adam Spencer
Pages: 164
ISBN: 1567317006
Ages Recommended: Teen to adult


Reference Website:
http://www.geocities.com/tangawarra/adam.html
Adam Spencer biography
 
 

Recommended: Yes