THE MAN WHO COUNTED : A Collection of Mathematical Adventures

Malba Tahan; (Translated to English By Leslie Clark & Alestair Reid)

ISBN 10: 0393309347 / ISBN 13: 9780393309348

Published by W. W. Norton, New York, NY, 1993

About this Item

Text/BRAND NEW & Bright. Softcover/NF w/whisper of shelfwear. Malba Tahan, pen name, together w/Breno de Alencar Bianco, of award winning Brazilian mathematician Júlio César de Mello e Souza (1895 - 1974), who published some 100 books on recreational mathematics & also an admired soccer player. This work (original Portuguese title: O Homem que Calculava, 1949) ranks among his most famous works. 244 pgs, with line drawings, in 34 chapters. Collection of mathematical problems, puzzles & curiosities, embedded in tales inspired by the Arabian Nights. Mathematical challenges enriched in the history, geography & culture of the Islamic Empire which furnished both backdrop & connecting thread of his books. A vivid portrait of times Júlio César never set eyes upon the deserts & cities he so vividly describes. Admirers find his remarkable story storytelling enhances his mathematical skills so middle eastern spices afloat in desert winds that fan the pages. Solve a dispute between 3 brothers failing heir to 35 camels --- of which 1/2 (17.5 camels) to go to the eldest, 1/3 (11.666. camels) to the 2nd, and 1/9 (3.888. camels) to the youngest. Fun & Joy in a world past.

Seller Inventory # 020149

Bibliographic Details

• Title: THE MAN WHO COUNTED : A Collection of Mathematical Adventures
• Publisher: W. W. Norton, New York, NY
• Publication Date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0393309347
• ISBN 13: 9780393309348
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Patricia Reid Baquero (Illustrator)
• Edition: First Edition, 2nd Printing
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: None as Issued
• Seller catalogs:
  • Fantasy/Fables
  • Anthology
  • Manual/Guide/Handbook/Instruction

About this title

Synopsis

A collection of famous mathematical puzzles, taken from a popular newspaper column, features the "writings" of the fictional author, Malba Tahan, who describes different mathematical puzzles and solutions applied to real situations. Simultaneous.

Review

Here's a delightful little book that combines the joys of mathematical recreation with some fine storytelling. It follows the Arabian adventures of a man with remarkable mathematical skills, which he uses to settle conflict and give wise advice. The tales of his travels involve the solving of mathematical puzzles and sharing insights from the minds of some of history's great mathematicians. In reading it, you can almost smell the spices and feel the desert wind. You just don't find this kind of atmosphere in books about mathematics.