Martin Gardner's Mathematical Games columns in Scientific American inspired and entertained several generations of mathematicians and scientists. Gardner in his crystal-clear prose illuminated corners of mathematics, especially recreational mathematics, that most people had no idea existed. His playful spirit and inquisitive nature invite the reader into an exploration of beautiful mathematical ideas along with him. These columns were both a revelation and a gift when he wrote them; no one--before Gardner--had written about mathematics like this. They continue to be a marvel. This volume, first published in 1977, contains columns published in the magazine from 1965-1968. This 1990 MAA edition contains a foreword by Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham and a postscript and extended bibliography added by Gardner for this edition.

Biographies of 23 important mathematicians span many centuries and cultures. Historical Learning Tasks provide 21 in-depth treatments of a variety of historical problems.

"Critically acclaimed and commercially successful, this resource helps parents overcome their residual math anxiety and assists them in showing children how to enjoy the subject and excel at it. Packed with useful information and instruction, the book features proven teaching techniques, games, and other activities. Suitable for home schoolers and other parents of children from preschool to age 10. 2006 edition"--

Excerpt from New Mathematical Pastimes Edwards. You are a philosopher, Dr Johnson. I have tried too in my time to be a philosopher, but I don't know how, cheerfulness was always breaking in. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.