» How Long Is a Piece of String?: More Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life

How Long Is a Piece of String?: More Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Very interseting and fun book to read!
Comment: I bought this book on a whim, not knowing whether it would be as good as some people say, or if it would bore me to death. I'm glad I bought it! I'm a college student, and I must say that this is a very interesting book to read. This book has opened my eyes to so many things I have not noticed before! Why do guys avoid using urinals next to each other? What are pyramid scams and how did they bankrupt a country? And many more questions... The book is written in a humorous and down to earth style, and the best thing is that the mathematics of it are very easy to understand. This is a book you will definitely enjoy! You should also check out "Why Do Buses Come In Threes?", which is a prequel to this book.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Another excellent introduction to the fun of mathematics
Comment: This is a follow-up to the earlier, excellent, "Why Do Buses Come In Threes?". While the earlier book focused on those annoying little mysteries of life, this asks a set of different questions, many related to tough decisions such as how conmen get rich, or "should I phone a friend?"

The answers, like before, lead us through a gentle, humorous exploration of mathematics and its relevance to everyday life. Along the way we explore (among others) geometric progression (why all pyramid schemes eventually fail), the geometry of stacking, fractals, chaos theory, the mathematics behind taxi meters, and various uses and abuses of statistics, both to detect and commit fraud.

The two messages of this book are that mathematics is important, and that it's fun. It's in the same vein as the work of Martin Gardener, but with a British slant.

To aid casual readers or those who've previously found the subject forbidding the maths is kept at a fairly simple level. Most of the time the concepts are communicated in words and simple graphs, but key equations are included and explained for completeness. The text is easy to read and the illustrations clear and amusing. Although aimed at those new to the enjoyment of maths, it's also a good memory jogger for those with a bit more background.

I thoroughly recommend this book, and also the authors' earlier volume.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I have never read a book so quickly
Comment: I received this book for Christmas 2003, by the 26th I only had 40 pages left. If you are looking for a book to improve your mathematical ability, this is not for you. If you like to think and wonder why things are the way they are, then this is the book for you. I found myself reading one section after another, chapter after chapter. From the reasons why pyramid schemes are destined to fail, what is the best way to pack boxes of belongings when moving house, when do you take the money and leave 'Who wants to be a Millionaire' and many more fascinating and thought provoking ideas and concepts. I liked the book so much, I bought the previous book 'Why do buses come in threes?' the same day I finished this one - and I have already read one third of that one and it is not even New Year yet. This book would make the perfect gift for anyone who likes to think! So if you think they think, I think you should get it!

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