The Magic of Math : Solving for X and Figuring Out Why

The world's greatest mental mathematical magician takes us on a spellbinding journey through the wonders of numbers (and more)

"Arthur Benjamin ... joyfully shows you how to make nature's numbers dance."--Bill Nye (the science guy)


The Magic of Math is the math book you wish you had in school. Using a delightful assortment of examples-from ice-cream scoops and poker hands to measuring mountains and making magic squares-this book revels in key mathematical fields including arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus, plus Fibonacci numbers, infinity, and, of course, mathematical magic tricks. Known throughout the world as the "mathemagician," Arthur Benjamin mixes mathematics and magic to make the subject fun, attractive, and easy to understand for math fan and math-phobic alike.

"A positively joyful exploration of mathematics."
-Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Each [trick] is more dazzling than the last."
-Physics World

Arthur Benjamin holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins University and is a professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, where he has taught since 1989. He is a noted “mathemagician,” known for being able to perform complicated computations in his head. He is the author, most recently, of The Secrets of Mental Math, and has appeared on The Today Show and The Colbert Report. Benjamin has been profiled in such publications as the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Scientific American, Discover, and Wired.