Mathematics in 10 Lessons: The Grand Tour

by Jerry P. King

Book Overview

Many of us trained mainly in the humanities and liberal arts may respect mathematics as an essential scientific discipline, but have done very little mathematics and often feel intimidated by its rigors. If you've ever wondered what mathematicians mean by the aesthetic elegance of their subject, here is your chance to experience firsthand mathematics' intellectual pleasures.Martin Gardner, in his review of Jerry King's The Art of Mathematics, praised...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591026865
• ISBN13: 9781591026860
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Glorious book

This is by far the best introductory book on mathematics, mathematical method and mathematical thinking that I have ever read. This is a perfect book for autodidacts who want to advance from non knowing math at all or knowing mathematical techniques to truly understanding of the fundamentals of the mathematics and mathematics as a purest form of thought and as a science. Dr. King is an enthusiast and a math expert who skillfully and engagingly introduces readers into the most fundamental and the most important principles of math. Sections on number theory and origins of calculus are simply fantastic. I sought this type of a book for the purpose of moving beyond mechanical math, math for engineers and to get the understanding of the math fundamentals. To start understanding math to the point where I do not need to memorize anything. This book gave me exactly that type of understanding. Furthermore, this equipped me with skills so that I can further delve into a math theory. I recommend this book to all who want to learn mathematics. I recommend this book to all who feel scared of math or who "hate" math but who want to learn this science of sciences. I recommend this book to all who secretly envy mathematicians for their esoteric knowledge. I recommend this book to all engineers who are familiar with "mechanical" mathematics - solving problems and applying formulas, but who want to learn foundations behind the formula and to appreciate the beauty and the power of the mathematics.

A lively format and explanations make for a readable survey of basic math principles and aesthetics

Mathematics in 10 Lessons: The Grand Tour deserves ongoing recommendation as a powerful guide to math for any outside the usual field. Its ten lessons are intended for the general reader who wants to know how math is done, but has little prior math knowledge. A lively format and explanations make for a readable survey of basic math principles and aesthetics perfect for those who would appreciate an easy, lively overview. Any general lending library will want this.

The necessity to understand mathematics is simple

"Mathematics in 10 Lessons" is on the ROROTOKO list of cutting-edge intellectual nonfiction. Professor King's book interview ran here as cover feature on June 3, 2009.

10 Easy Lessons make the grade

This is a good introduction book. It can be used for quick survey of topics. I used it as a refresh for topics I had some years back but forgot. There are enough worked proofs to satisfy me and a minimum of "proof left as an exercise". For that, I suggest the author create space on his errata website and post all the proofs left as an exercise. I am an auto didactic and would benefit if the publisher made teacher's guides available on web to avoid printing costs. Chapter 7 on probability could use additional material on distributions such as Gamma, Exponential, Poisson, and Weibull. Statistics section could use additional material on why Mean, Variance, Skewness, Kurtosis are called 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc Moments and simple proofs. Calculus should keep what's there but could use additional material such as delta-epsilon graph showing the relation during Limits. Why stop with the derivative Power law? Include some other standard ones with proofs and explanations. A discussion, before differential equations, on related rates would be nice...with all the proof and example trimmings. All-in-all a wonderful, remarkable book for the material.