Math Games Books - Page 6

Amusements in Mathematics

Henry E. Dudeney

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Intriguing math teasers for ages 11 up, brilliantly answered 5 out of 5 stars.
27 of 28 people found this review helpful.

This excellent collection of teasers has inferential problems in arithmetic and algebra, and includes geometry, mazes, magic squares and a lot of chess-board tours. The answers are often gems in themselves -- things mentioned in passing and left to the reader to establish -- e.g. "... of the twelve ways that eight queens can be placed on a chessboard without attacking one another..." At twelve years old I spent many an hour finding those twelve ways. There is a small problem with the age of the book, first published in 1917. You could buy an airplane for 400 pounds ($1,680) then, and the money puzzles in the first chapter assume familiarity with British pounds, shillings and pence (and ha'pennies and farthings). The Dover edition of 1958 included a preface on British coins and stamps, and another on the game of cricket, but this edition was in 8vo rather than the original quarto, making some of the diagrams very small. I received my copy in 1936, at age eleven, and have cherished it ever since. I still find challenges in it in spite of my Masters degree in Mathematical Physics!

Editorial Review:

One of the largest puzzle collections — 430 brainteasers based on algebra, arithmetic, permutations, probability, plane figure dissection, properties of numbers, etc. Intriguing, witty, paradoxical productions of one of the world's foremost creators of puzzles. Full solutions. More than 450 illustrations.

The Simple Book of Not-So-Simple Puzzles

Serhiy Grabarchuk, Peter Grabarchuk, Serhiy Grabarchuk Jr.

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Puzzle Book 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

These puzzles are highly original, and quite different from what you find in most puzzle books. I was impressed with the large variety of challenges presented. Why do word puzzles all day when you can cross train your brain with spatial, math, visual, and logical problems? This book has them all. The illustrations that accompany each puzzle are also very nice. Get your thinking caps on, though-these highly enjoyable puzzles are "Not-So-Simple"!

Editorial Review:

This collection of more than one hundred original and highly sophisticated puzzles presents challenges that require creative, outside of the box thinking. Many different types of puzzles are included, such as word, number, logical, visual, spatial, dissection, dividing, dot-connecting, matchstick, coin, and more. Each aesthetically appealing puzzle is designed to improve problem solving skills; train geometric, combinatorial, and spatial imagination; bolster visual perception and logical reasoning; and foster the development of a perseverant and self-confident approach to challenges.

250 Kakuro Puzzles

Alan Ross

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 1.0 of 5

Multiple Solutions 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Most of the puzzles are fine, but several have multiple solutions.
Is the author just careless, or does he not know that solutions
need to be unique?

Editorial Review:

No doubt you have heard of Sudoku. The Japanese brainteaser has exploded across the UK creating a tidal wave of interest in number puzzles. Now Kakuro is here. Kakuro is Sudoku’s bigger, tougher brother - also known as Kakro or Cross Sums. In its native Japan it has millions of followers. Although its rules are simple, completing a Kakuro puzzle can be a considerable challenge. This logic puzzle uses numbers and basic arithmetic to perplex. Kakuro puzzles can come in various sizes from a simple 6 x 6 grid through to giant 30 x 30 mindbenders. The basic idea is to fill in a crossword-type grid so that each set of blank squares adds up to the total to the left or above. Only the numbers 1-9 can be used and the same number cannot be used more than once in each set.

Self-Working Number Magic: 101 Foolproof Tricks (Dover Books on Mathematical and Word Recreations)

Karl Fulves

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Gotta have it! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 12 people found this review helpful.

If you see a book written by Karl Fulves on magic that has the words Self-Working in the title then buy it. There is a wealth of knowledge in each of these books. -Diamond Jim Tyler

Look smart! - Required reading for math teachers. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is a fabulous value for the money. One of the magic square stunts can be mastered in about an hour and will make people think your a genious.

If you work with kids in any capacity, the tricks in this book are a wonderful way to bring math to life for them.

Editorial Review:

Clear instructions for 101 tricks and problems, many based on important math principles. Calculations have been concealed; tricks are carefully streamlined for quick understanding and flawless performance. Master such number phenomena as Lightning Calculations, Giant Memory, Magic Squares, nearly 100 more.

Another Fine Math You've Got Me Into. . . (Dover Science Books)

Ian Stewart

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Humor with a mathematical flavor 5 out of 5 stars.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.

The author is the comedic equal of the team associated with the title. Puns fly fast and furious, and the slow of wit will not catch them all. A master of the verbal slapstick, his wit makes you simultaneously grin and groan. The worthy successor to Martin Gardner in writing a regular mathematics column for `Scientific American', he is the clown prince of mathematics.
Some of the catchy titles and subjects are:

1. Tile and error, tiling a rectangular surface.
2. Knights of the flat torus, about knight tours of a chessboard.
3. Another vine math you've got me into, a combinatorial problem of planting several varieties of grapes in plots so that all pairs are together in one and only one plot, etc.
4. Sofa, so good, on moving a sofa through tight places.

All subjects are presented with clarity and thoroughly resolved by the end of the chapter.
This work is the rarest of mathematical books. It presents solid, sophisticated mathematics in a manner that people could read just for the jokes. A vine piece of work.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

Editorial Review:

Populated by curious creatures whose stories unfold with jokes, this mathematical wonderland of puzzles and games was written by a columnist for Pour la Science, the French edition of Scientific American. Most of the 16 articles are based on a mathematical idea, dressed up with oddball characters and wacky wordplay.

Domino Addition

Lynette Long

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

exellent for emerging mathematicians 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I have just borrowed this book from a library and my four year old loves it. I had no idea, till today, that he can actually understand that 2+2=4 and that also 3+1=4. But today everything seemed so easy and so fun. We have seen quite a few "counting" books and this is so far the best of them. Another one I can reccomend is "My first number book" by Marie Heinst

great idea! 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Using dominoes is a great tool for teaching young children how to add. Perfect for 4-5 year olds....this book was too basic for my first grader. The only problem is you're limited to combinations up to 6. For example, you are not able to make 10 using 7 plus 3. All combinations need to be learned (obviously!) and this cannot be done with this method. It's still a fun and interesting way for young children to learn the basics.

domino addition 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I liked this book because it can teach little kids addition. So thay know how to do pluses. It has a great ending on it. This book goes all the way to twelve. A lot of kids would realy like this book. Maybe all the little kids on earth would realy like this book a lot.

Editorial Review:

Includes a paperback book and set of dominoes with instructions. Easy to store. Just put the book and game pieces back in the reusable pouches of the package when you're done!

Math-A-Day: A Book of Days for Your Mathematical Year

Theoni Pappas

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

great collection of puzzles and historical facts 4 out of 5 stars.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.

I'm generally very critical about current math and puzzle books. I don't want to brag, but at last count, I owned some 150 math/puzzle books. In other words, I think can say that I've pretty much seen them all...

Well, this book is one of my favorites! Yes this book has some old chestnuts, but the majority of the problems are quite original and only difficult enough to be entertaining. It's also full of interesting historical facts, all related to math of course.

Up until now, I've generally stayed away from Pappas books. I find them a bit too elementary, but this one, I'll keep.

Thanks Theoni for a fine book.

I'm looking forward to a second edition 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This book does a good job of keeping to ol' noodle from turning into mush. But....

Just a few days ago I was somewhat frustrated by it. When checking my answers I was led to believe that I was wrong, but after checking and rechecking and writing a program treverse the curve (Dec 21) I found that the book was incorrect on this one(don't let that stop you from working it though). Maybe I am wrong.

Another frustration was that yesterday's question (Dec 28) was a little off from the answer, it asks for area but supplies 1st of the 3 consecutive integers. The second issue has me working the problems in the fullest detail so that if another aspect of the problem is answered I'll still have the saticfaction of seeing that I had the correct answer.

I'm not knocking the book. These issues kinda' keep me on my toes. The book is great otherwise. I look forward to the next problem(day) and sometimes discover that I have completely forgotten how to answer some questions. I would quickly buy a new version of this book.

Editorial Review:

This entertaining book of mathematical days exercises the brain with confounding puzzles, intriguing math problems, and, of course, detailed solutions to all the conundrums. Readers will enjoy 366 days' worth of stimulating math.

Mathematics, Magic and Mystery (Cards, Coins, and Other Magic)

Martin Gardner

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

One of the most fantastic books on close-up magic. 5 out of 5 stars.
23 of 27 people found this review helpful.

This book is very nice. It teaches you how to do magic with any houshold items. There are 2 chapters with cards too. NONE of the tricks described here use any sort of slight of hand. It is 100% mathematical tricks than ANYONE can do. And they are all nice cloe-up tricks which are the type of tricks which are most baffling. Martin Garder, the author of this book is a very talented writer. He wrote many books on mathematics and science. This is a great book and I recomend EVERYONE should get it even if they are not into magic that much.

Gardner weaves his verbal magic in explaining how some common magic is done 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The reason why we use the phrases "magic trick" and "card trick" is because we know that there is no such thing as magic. The magician is executing a very specific algorithm that leads from the starting point to the desired conclusion. In this book, Gardner explains some of the algorithms in areas such as card tricks, mental magic and other common feats of legerdemain.
The titles of the chapters are:

*) Tricks with cards part I
*) Tricks with cards part II
*) From Gergonne to Gargantua - more tricks with cards
*) Magic with common objects - the objects are items such as dice and dominoes
*) Topological tomfoolery - tricks with items such as ropes, handkerchiefs and vests
*) Tricks with special equipment
*) Geometrical vanishes part I
*) Geometrical vanishes part II
*) Magic with pure numbers - rapid computation or number guessing tricks

Some people don't want to know how things are done because it spoils the fun for them. Since Gardner explains all of the tricks in complete detail, if you read this book then you will know how to do them yourself. Therefore, you should only pick it up if you can handle the knowledge of how these tricks are performed.

Editorial Review:

Famed puzzle expert explains math behind a multitude of mystifying tricks: card tricks, stage "mind reading," coin and match tricks, counting out games, geometric dissections, etc. Probability, sets, theory of numbers clearly explained. Also, more than 400 tricks, guaranteed to work, that you can do. 135 illustrations.

Wonders of Numbers: Adventures in Mathematics, Mind, and Meaning

Clifford A. Pickover

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Who were the five strangest mathematicians in history? What are the ten most interesting numbers? Jam-packed with thought-provoking mathematical mysteries, puzzles, and games, Wonders of Numbers will enchant even the most left-brained of readers. Hosted by the quirky Dr. Googol--who resides on a remote island and occasionally collaborates with Clifford Pickover--Wonders of Numbers focuses on creativity and the delight of discovery. Here is a potpourri of common and unusual number theory problems of varying difficulty--each presented in brief chapters that convey to readers the essence of the problem rather than its extraneous history. Peppered throughout with illustrations that clarify the problems, Wonders of Numbers also includes fascinating "math gossip." How would we use numbers to communicate with aliens? Check out Chapter 30. Did you know that there is a Numerical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? You'll find it in Chapter 45. From the beautiful formula of India's most famous mathematician to the Leviathan number so big it makes a trillion look small, Dr. Googol's witty and straightforward approach to numbers will entice students, educators, and scientists alike to pick up a pencil and work a problem.

The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics

Robert Kaplan, Ellen Kaplan

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Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Robert Kaplan's The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero was an international best-seller, translated into ten languages. The Times called it "elegant, discursive, and littered with quotes and allusions from Aquinas via Gershwin to Woolf" and The Philadelphia Inquirer praised it as "absolutely scintillating."
In this delightful new book, Robert Kaplan, writing together with his wife Ellen Kaplan, once again takes us on a witty, literate, and accessible tour of the world of mathematics. Where The Nothing That Is looked at math through the lens of zero, The Art of the Infinite takes infinity, in its countless guises, as a touchstone for understanding mathematical thinking. Tracing a path from Pythagoras, whose great Theorem led inexorably to a discovery that his followers tried in vain to keep secret (the existence of irrational numbers); through Descartes and Leibniz; to the brilliant, haunted Georg Cantor, who proved that infinity can come in different sizes, the Kaplans show how the attempt to grasp the ungraspable embodies the essence of mathematics. The Kaplans guide us through the "Republic of Numbers," where we meet both its upstanding citizens and more shadowy dwellers; and we travel across the plane of geometry into the unlikely realm where parallel lines meet. Along the way, deft character studies of great mathematicians (and equally colorful lesser ones) illustrate the opposed yet intertwined modes of mathematical thinking: the intutionist notion that we discover mathematical truth as it exists, and the formalist belief that math is true because we invent consistent rules for it.
"Less than All," wrote William Blake, "cannot satisfy Man." The Art of the Infinite shows us some of the ways that Man has grappled with All, and reveals mathematics as one of the most exhilarating expressions of the human imagination.