Number Freak (Paperback)

Derrick Niederman

ISBN 10: 0399534598 / ISBN 13: 9780399534591

Published by Penguin Putnam Inc, New York, NY, 2009

About this Item

Paperback. A compulsively readable look at the secret language of numbers- their role in nature, movies, science, and everything in between. What do Fight Club, wallpaper patterns, George Balanchine's Serenade, and Italian superstitions have in common? They're all included in the entry for the number 17 in this engaging book about numbers- detailing their unique properties, patterns, appeal, history, and lore. Author Derrick Niederman takes readers on a guided tour of the numbers 1 to 300-covering everything from basic mathematical principles to ancient unsolved theorems, from sublime theory to delightfully arcane trivia. Illustrated with diagrams, drawings, and photographs, plus 50 challenging mathematical brainteasers (with answers), this book will fascinate and engage readers of all levels of mathematical skill and knowledge. Includes such gems as: ? There are 42 eyes in a deck of cards, and 42 dots on a pair of dice ? In order to fill in a map so that neighboring regions never get the same color, one never needs more than four colors ? Hells Angels use the number 81 in their insignia because the initials "H" and "A" are the eighth and first numbers in the alphabet respectively Niederman takes readers on a guided tour of the numbers 1 to 300--covering everything from basic mathematical principles and ancient, unsolved theorems to sublime theory and arcane trivia. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780399534591

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Number Freak (Paperback)
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc, New York, NY
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0399534598
• ISBN 13: 9780399534591
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A compulsively readable look at the secret language of numbers- their role in nature, movies, science, and everything in between.

What do Fight Club, wallpaper patterns, George Balanchine's Serenade, and Italian superstitions have in common? They're all included in the entry for the number 17 in this engaging book about numbers- detailing their unique properties, patterns, appeal, history, and lore.

Author Derrick Niederman takes readers on a guided tour of the numbers 1 to 300-covering everything from basic mathematical principles to ancient unsolved theorems, from sublime theory to delightfully arcane trivia.

Illustrated with diagrams, drawings, and photographs, plus 50 challenging mathematical brainteasers (with answers), this book will fascinate and engage readers of all levels of mathematical skill and knowledge. Includes such gems as:

? There are 42 eyes in a deck of cards, and 42 dots on a pair of dice
? In order to fill in a map so that neighboring regions never get the same color, one never needs more than four colors
? Hells Angels use the number 81 in their insignia because the initials "H" and "A" are the eighth and first numbers in the alphabet respectively

About the Author

Derrick Niederman is the author of Number Freak: From 1 to 200—The Hidden Language of Numbers Revealed, along with several volumes of minimysteries and math puzzle books. He is also the creator of more than 20 crosswords for the Sunday New York Times, and the designer of the mathematical puzzle 36 Cube. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.