Book Review: Alex's Adventures in Numberland

Mathematics is fun. No.....really, it is! Of course it isn't fun at all when you don't get it. Then it is just confusing and makes you feel small and stupid. But I believe that almost anyone can, with the right guidance, understand maths and how it works. English must be one of the most difficult and convoluted languages to learn. It certainly has one of the most extensive vocabularies. Yet we all manage to learn it sufficiently well to be able to use it effectively. The grammar and vocabulary of maths is much less complicated than that of English and yet so many more of us struggle with its basic language and therefore fail to see the beauty........ and fun.... of maths.

With this in mind, I should like to recommend Alex's Adventures In Numberland by Alex Bellos. This is a cracking read for anyone who knows nothing about mathematics but would like to know more. It therefore serves excellently as an introduction to Maths that does not require the reader to wrestle with numbers unless they feel so inclined. It deals in broad revolutionary concepts that are sometimes challenging but always engaging. Each chapter is self-contained and can stand alone so it is eminently easy to dip in and out of as one pleases. If you are a hesitant would-be or struggling mathematician, read this book for fun and fun alone. It will give some intimation of how interesting maths can be once the fog of incomprehension has cleared.