"Mathematics is a joke," Alex Bellos declares in his introduction to The Grapes of Math. "I'm not being funny. The mental process is the same." Jokes and equations each contain characters, a story and a punch line (or proof, in mathematics). Bellos (Here's Looking at Euclid) believes the "aha" moments in math are as entertaining as a good joke and he sets out to prove it, taking readers on a whirlwind tour of his favorite mathematical concepts. Numerical laws, the geometry of circles and triangles, the vagaries of pi and even imaginary numbers all warrant a mention.
Bellos's voice is warm and witty, calming the fears of the math-averse and providing a concise primer on long-forgotten principles of algebra and geometry. Each chapter includes real-life applications of a featured mathematical idea, from mountain climbing and land surveying to a complicated computer game created by genius nerds at MIT. Bellos discusses parabolas in relation to telescopes and planetary orbits, centripetal force in railroad construction and the infinitely fascinating fractal patterns created by imaginary numbers.
Some of Bellos's concepts are pure abstract thought (and the explanations are a bit technical for a lay audience), but many of his examples are drawn straight from engineering and architecture. Diagrams in each chapter provide helpful visual aids, and a robust section of appendices offers further proofs where needed.
For amateur mathematicians--or parents struggling to help with algebra homework--The Grapes of Math provides an entertaining refresher course on math in real life. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams