Mathematics for the Million: How to Master the Magic of Numbers

I was delighted to find that this book is still in print. My darling Dad, a WWII vet who passed almost 25 years ago, shared this amazing book with me when I was a grade-school kid. This is a wonderful introduction to the beauty and intricacy of mathematics. Everyone who loves literature, philosophy, poetry and art, but who fears they might not understand math, should read this enlightening, inspiring book. If you enjoy using your brain, whether in art, music or science, Mathematics for the Million will give you great pleasure, insight and knowledge.

I sat down with my son and together we discovered the world of mathematics. Everything from how the pyramids were laid out and the mathematics it took to do so. From where and who created the zero to chess and computing. Enjoy this great book with someone you hope will succeed with a future in the hard sciences.

Good luck finding a more thorough and down-to-earth teacher of mathematics than this book; Lancelot Hogben's entire approach to writing this book was from the direction of greatest humility and deep concern for the reader that I've ever come across. This book has seen multiple printed editions, and for good reason.Beyond simply this book, however, the author himself was a most responsible and heroic person as well. Google him sometime -- he was an outspoken critic of the eugenics movement from the very beginning, and his activism for human rights carried him through all the way to the end of his life.

Book arrived in good shape. As described.

I saw this book first at one of my friends in London. Began to read, but the available time was short. I was astonished that it appeared in about twenty editions in the 1930s, but reading the book persuaded me that it is a real gem. The author introduces mathematics on primers from real life, and he shows its connections with astronomy too, and reaches quite complex subjects easily understandable. No wonder that I found a more recent edition at Amazon. I can suggest this book for people interested in mathematics, and especially for teachers of mathematics, to learn, how fascinating this subject is, and can be taught.

This is a really cool book and really gets your mindworking. The author is brilliant the way he makesyou think. I find it a very interesting read indeed.

Great reference

Mathematics is no more black and scary magic, while we go through this book, which was written long ago, but seems to fit right-oh in our life as if perscribed just yesterday.I've read it some 30 years ago and never forgot the quantum leap it gave me to win over the threat of mathematics.

I read the original version of this book while in hospital in 1971. It was excellent.Unfortunately, in my view, this new version of the book is very inferior to the original. Hogben digresses on quite a few occasions, and his explantions are prolix, almost showy, and sometimes misleading. For example, on page 298, when describing great circles on the globe he puts "one set of great circles, which all intersect at the poles, have the same radius as the globe itself". This implies that some great circles do not have the same radius of the globe. In fact, the defining feature of great circles is exactly that they have the same radius as the globe itself, not just meridians, which he calls "meridians of longitude".If Hogben had omitted the ornamental expressions, the book would be better and just half as long.Moreover, the book has not been properly proof read, and it contains some serious errors. For example on page 352 Hogben puts "the equation of the parabola shown in fig 132 turns out to be y = 3x/2 - x**2/4" when in fact fig 132 shows two parabolae, one being y = -x**2/256 + 3x/2, and the other y = 16t**2 + 96t.Straight after, on page 353 Hogben puts "Fig. 133 shows the curve described by the last equation rotated through two right angles. Its equation is Y = X**2/4" Again this is quite wrong, because it is y = (4x)**2. It is really very shoddy, and will confuse any student trying to learn.On damped vibrations Hogben includes y = 2**x and Newtonian cooling, neither of which are damped vibrations, and in general, I find Hogben chopping and changing throughout the book, to the extent I think he might have been distracted while writing it.No, the original Mathematics for the Million was a far better book than this poor imitation.

Excellent book. Very good price

Valued instruction but flowery style of writing.

good book for reference

Title and backcover suggest that this book gives an easy introduction into mathematics. One look into the books is enough to realize that this is not the case. Many pictures and drawings are supposed to underline the said. Though this is a good idea, the pictures are not. That one has to constanly browse through the book to find the picture referenced in the text doesn't help of course.For one interested (and fit) in mathematics (I mean really interested like in 'mathematics is my hobby') the book might be interesting as it tries to give a historic view of mathematics.This book is (in my oppinion) NOT a good book to learn mathematics.