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Edward Kasner
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Mathematics and the Imagination

by Edward Kasner (Author), James Roy Newman (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 92 ratings
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Emphasizes the approach to mathematics rather than an explanation of the hows and whys of the subject. The author argues that maths is analogous to a fairyland ruled by logic, and that the only restraint on what math can provide is the reader's lack of imagination in using its principles.
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  1. ISBN-10
    1556151047
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1556151040
  3. Publisher
    Cobb Group
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1989
  5. Part of series
    Dover Books on Mathematics
  6. Language
    English
  7. Print length
    400 pages
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cobb Group (January 1, 1989)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1556151047
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1556151040
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 92 ratings

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Edward Kasner

Edward Kasner
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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
92 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

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GWT
5.0 out of 5 stars Great intro to thinking like a mathematician
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2012
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About 50 years ago, my plane geometry teacher recognized I might have some math ability, if properly nurtured, and gave me a copy of this book. She asked I meet with her weekly to discuss assignments in the book. The hook was that if I did so, I would be given an A+, my first math grade above a C-. I did so, and my life was transformed. Suddenly, I found the works of the greats of math explained to me in a way that changed math from a rote memory process to a thought process and I was hooked! Math had been an important part of my life ever since. The current book is still full of the same insight-provoking things that made the earlier editions so great. It is to be a gift for my grandson, in an attempt to point him down the road toward a love of math. I can't recommend this book highly enough!
22 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars La puntualidad
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2022
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Soy topógrafo de minas, y cultivo las ciencias exactas y el libro "Mathematics and the Imagination"
para mí es interesante por la Historia de las Matemáticas descrita muy brevemente.
Bye, Bye,
Raúl Choque
One person found this helpful
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Dr. Daryl C. Robinson (MathKing7)
3.0 out of 5 stars This is the book and the author that and who introduced "googol" and "googolplex."
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2019
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The author gives his account of the names of the two numbers and some motivation behind coining those neologisms. Some of the expectations that he raises concerning tests or experiments are inaccurate or deceptive. Since the publication of this book and its successor(s), I have provided new insights into the physical significance of a googolplex. So I respect the historical foundation of this book and hope to add to the understanding of its concepts later in mathematical writing and history and mathematics.
2 people found this helpful
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Wm A. Hendrickson
4.0 out of 5 stars Mathematics review.
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2013
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I found the book to be very interesting. There were parts that were beyond my knowledge or interest. I would buy again and recommend to others.
One person found this helpful
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Roberto Rigolin F Lopes
5.0 out of 5 stars A hell of a lot of wit and ingenuity within
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2018
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We are in 1940, Kasner and Newman are compiling strange things you can see using mathematics (i.e. using a mathescope). If "imagination" triggered your curiosity, this book is far better than its title. Let us define "far" as one googleplex, which is enormous but finite. One googleplex of what? Up to you. Say fish steaks or kangaroos. It is just a matter of scale, you got infinity within 0 and 1. As you can see, this book may drive you mad.... A hell of a lot of wit and ingenuity within.
5 people found this helpful
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Dave
5.0 out of 5 stars This book explains the differences between infinity and very large numbers
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2014
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I first read this book in 1956 and was amazed at its clarity. When my granddaughter had trouble understanding the concept that a series with an infinite number of terms could nevertheless have a finite sum, I thought immediately of this book. It is a classic and required reading for anyone seeking to gain an understanding of the differences between infinity and very large numbers amongst other things. Having completed the first course in algebra will be a help to understanding this book but it not a requirement.
5 people found this helpful
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rokpyle
5.0 out of 5 stars Best math intro out there
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2014
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I read this for the first time in 1971, when I was in high school. It was a good layman's introduction to many of the fields of mathematics then, and it still is. It doesn't have anything about some of the newer developments, such as fractals, but it's still informative and entertaining.
3 people found this helpful
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JUSTIN PLEWS
5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing short of a fun read
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2014
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I gained quite a few good concepts relating to the philosophies behind mathematics along with good mathematic examples that anyone with basic algebra skills would yield some benefit from.

It's a fun book with it's twists and turns of subject matter.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Vivek Pal Singh
4.0 out of 5 stars No need to be a mathematician to understand this
Reviewed in India on August 20, 2021
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Be imaginative and enjoy the fundamentals
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Taake
5.0 out of 5 stars muy bueno para los lectores no matematicos
Reviewed in Mexico on April 17, 2017
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Es un excelente libro, fue el mismo que leyó Jorge Luis Borges antes de escribir el Aleph y demas cuentos, para los no matematicos , que hayamos acabado la secundaria es muy accesible
One person found this helpful
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David B.
3.0 out of 5 stars Classic book, bad printing
Reviewed in Australia on October 5, 2023
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This is a classic book from the 1940s, superb journey thru mathematical oddities. But the print is terrible, pages not cut correctly and being to be separated. 5/5 for the content 🙂, 1/5 for the physical publishing 😥
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André Gargoura
5.0 out of 5 stars Good overall review of elementary concepts
Reviewed in France on March 1, 2018
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A pleasant essay on the philosophy of mathematics, at the very basic maths level, mostly aimed at explaining the "why" instead of the "how".
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Fernando A. O. Prieto
4.0 out of 5 stars Good, specially for beginners
Reviewed in Brazil on June 16, 2014
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I had already read its paper edition, long ago... Even so, it was a very interesting book, specially the chapter about pi, e and i. It could have been better, for example giving more details about continued fractions, and other such topics.
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