If you know of anything which should be here but isn’t, I would be immensely grateful if you could email me at r [DOT] elwes [AT] gmail [DOT] com or leave a comment on my blog.
Reviews
“The more you read this book, the more you will understand how so much of the world about you can be seen in the form of numbers and mathematics… even at my age, I’ve learnt a lot from this book…. I can see teenagers and adults digging into this book for insights on all manner of things related to maths. A great learning experience.”
“It’s quite refreshing to find a book on maths that is so upbeat and infectious as ‘How to build a brain’…. Topics as diverse as number theory, chaos, the famous P=NP problem, complexity and game theory, among others, are given the Elwes treatment. The writing is concise and always engaging, challenging the reader to think along the examples he presents. … a fun ride through mathematics and its developments, a great read for any teen or adult who thought the subject daunting. Anyone who reads it will not only end up learning a little more, but surely be amazed as to where maths pops up.”
“Wow! Interesting! Fascinating! Here is a brilliantly conceived book on the history, working and going-ons of mathematics…. this book presents the “science” of maths like never before. Go out and get a copy for yourself today and become the maths boffin your teacher always wished you were!”
“I wanted to brush up my math knowledge and was on search for good math books. Luckily I found ‘How to build a brain’. Good book for a great start on mathematics.”
“lots of interesting anecdotes and historical stories… a very good bedtime read”
“at 200 pages it serves up math in very palatable bite-size nuggets, often introducing some topic in a page or less… and it only brings up the sort of topics a non-professional math person will find fun or interesting. The selection is excellent, the format attractive, and the writing entertaining and engaging.
“Elwes really seem[s] to have a knack for this sort of writing (making math interesting!!). I especially love the breadth of topics… and the clear, playful nature of the presentation”
“I just want to say that this book is kind of awesome despite my apathy-at-best attitude towards math… if you want a math book that isn’t horrible, and math is pretty important in our technologically advanced world, this is a good one.”
“I really enjoyed this book. It could be argued that the format and cover give the feel that it is going to be a bit lightweight. Not at all, some of the subjects covered are quite complex but presented in an accessible way. This will appeal to anyone who already has an interest in Mathematics and would serve as a great introduction to the subject for anyone new to it.”
“A good primer for a freshman… Well written… It would be great if you are considering the subject as a major”
Errata
(These relate to the first printing of the English language version of the book; they have been put right in subsequent versions.)
Page 99, paragraph 3. Francis Guthrie was British by birth, and later moved to South Africa.
Page 129, lines 2&3: “A soccer ball has 12 pentagonal faces and 20 hexagonal ones.”