A Cabinet Full of Wonders

“What is more interesting than reading a book of mathematical problems and puzzles?”  These were the exact words that formed in my mind while I was reading Ian Stewart's book entitled "Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities".

The book started back when he was still 14 years old. He used to keep notebooks where he wrote all the interesting things about math that wasn't taught in school. It started in one and then, without him knowing it, he became very engaged to it that it became 6! These became the famous Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities who opened its drawers and revealed a superb collection of games, puzzles, stories, jokes and factoids, odd items of mathematical culture, card tricks, things to make and things to do! You will also learn why M25 is shorter than clockwise, which can be incorporated with Fermat's Last Theorem, the chaos theory, fractals, and Penrose patterns, and the reason behind why can't you divide any number by zero.

What's really amazing in this book is that it is the only book that does not focus on a story, it has no moral, no parable and no lengthy words to convince us that mathematics is awesome. It convinces its readers through mathematical games and puzzles. Amazing isn't it? 

The question now is, did I read every word? Did I solve every problem? My answer would be no for both. Honestly, I am the type of reader who only wants to read what is the most interesting parts of the story. I'm not really into those lengthy words with a lot of flowery words that bores me to death. I also tried answering some, luckily I got right for some items, but when I couldn't solve 5 items in a row, I stopped and just continued reading the book and then afterwards realized how easy it was to solved.

I really recommend this book to everyone especially to those people who despised solving mathematical problems because I really assure you that this book would not only entertain you with its games and puzzles but as well as teach you that mathematics beyond school isn't that bad after all. Then maybe, just maybe, you could become the next Ian Stewart and begin your own cabinet that is full of wonders.

every interesting thing he could find out about the maths that wasn’t taught at school - See more at: http://www.bookstok.com/books/details/book-professor-stewarts-cabinet-of-mathematical-curiosities-1846683459-7198#sthash.0QwoiekW.dpuf

every interesting thing he could find out about the maths that wasn’t taught at school - See more at: http://www.bookstok.com/books/details/book-professor-stewarts-cabinet-of-mathematical-curiosities-1846683459-7198#sthash.0QwoiekW.dpuf

every interesting thing he could find out about the maths that wasn’t taught at school - See more at: http://www.bookstok.com/books/details/book-professor-stewarts-cabinet-of-mathematical-curiosities-1846683459-7198#sthash.0QwoiekW.dpuf