1089 and All That
David Acheson, 1089 and All That: A Journey Into Mathematics (Oxford University Press, 2002)
Summary: A fast-paced and informal tour across a whole range of mathematical subjects: Euler's formula, imaginary numbers, basic geometry, calculus (a little bit), waves, and more. Cartoons scattered throughout the text may give the erroneous impression that this is a simple book, but it is not. Also, 1089 is not a date.
Key Quote: "[The] symmetrical motion [of a drop of milk splashing in a bowl] is indeed possible in principle, but we never actually see it in practice, because tiny, unwanted disturbances — inevitable in any real experiment — grow rapidly with time and lead to a quite different outcome." - p. 129
Bottom Line: Read this book if you want to learn a little about a whole lot of math.
