In these two books, I explain the origin, development and relevance of mathematics. Both books made the Sunday Times’ list of top ten bestsellers.
NUMBERLAND
A journalistic adventure around the world where I meet people whose lives connect to maths, Numberland is also a basic history of maths and a exposition of basic ideas including numerical cognition, calculation, pi, algebra, probability, statistics and infinity. Aimed at the general reader, it is suitable for GCSE students.
Numberland was nominated for a British Book Award, and was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson (now Baillie Gifford) Prize and the Royal Society Science Book Prize. In Italy it won the Peano Prize for maths book of the year and the Galileo Prize for science book of the year.
LOOKINGGLASS
My second book continues my international and historical journey into mathematical ideas. It includes material on areas such as on trigonometry, conic sections, imaginary numbers, the exponential constant, calculus, logic and cellular automata. Aimed at the general reader, and suitable for students thinking of studying maths at A-level.
The book was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize.
For North American readers
In the USA and Canada, Alex’s Adventures in Numberland has the title Here’s Looking at Euclid, and Alex Through the Looking Glass has the title The Grapes of Math.
If you are looking for the appendices of Here’s Looking at Euclid, please email me and I’ll send it to you.
