2 comments about Mathematical Sorcery: Revealing the Secrets of Numbers.

1. I bougth the spanish version of this book, And now I can say that this is one on the greatest bokks I ever read. The author explains the origins of Mathematics and some of the great matehmatical thems such Series, Calculus, Fibonacci Numbers, Cryptography and so on... If you want to know new mathematical terms and you enjoy this science, this is your best chance.



2. What a wonderful way to learn about the wonder of numbers. I found this book intensely interesting and thoroughly entertaining.

2 comments about Dr. Ecco's Cyberpuzzles: 36 Puzzles for Hackers and Other Mathematical Detectives.

1. As a fan of Ecco's Puzzling Adventures, I was eager to take a look at his cyberpuzzles. Ecco and his protege Shasha have done it again, and I recommend this book to anyone looking for interesting, challenging, thoughtful problems.

   The book is a fun and intersting read on its own, but I have also drawn on the book's puzzles in teaching (a course on logic and discrete math).

   It's very cool to have a book that can entertain and educate at the same time! Looking forward to Ecco's further adventures.




2. Presumably, this collection of mathematical puzzles is for fans of one Dr. Ecco whose life is full of adventures. For people not familiar with the character, the book appears very dull and the characters contrived, uninteresting, and, well, kind of lame. The narration is a little over the top, but all in all, the book is not terribly written.

   The puzzles on the other hand are pretty interesting. Ranging from solving codes through organizing buildings in space to transporting monkeys, the puzzles are a nice way of teaching mathematical concepts. As the descriptions of the puzzles and Dr. Ecco's solutions thereof progress, the reader is asked to participate on different levels in solving of the puzzles. Cybernovices and cyberexperts can learn about math in a fun way.

   I recommend this book for those interested in solving puzzles of any kind who are not detered by corny storylines. If you are not sure whether you'd like this book, I recommend you flip through it at a book store to make sure.

No comments about Math Contests - Grades Seventh and Eighth: School Years : 1977 - 78 Through 1981 - 82 (Math Contests - Grades 7 & 8).

1 comments about Mathematical Puzzle Tales (Spectrum).

1. These 36 mathematical vignettes are Martin Gardner at his best. Each originally appeared in "Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine" and so have a science fiction flavor to them. In keeping with true Gardner fashion, all of them can stump you, but have a solution well within the grasp of anyone who understands high school mathematics. There are a few that are quite tricky, for example the request to write the century in which July 4, 2000 appears. The answer of course is 21, as the twenty-first century begins on January 1, 2000. Solutions to all the puzzles are included and for many of them, Gardner asks a follow-up question, and the answer to that one is also given. For a few, this continues on to a third question with answer.
   I was a subscriber to "Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine" when these puzzles were first published and was deeply disappointed when they were discontinued. I always considered the puzzle to be one of the highest points of the issue. Fortunately for everyone else, they are republished here so that others can enjoy the genius of Gardner.
   
   Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission

5 comments about Mathemagics: How to Look Like a Genius Without Really Trying.

1. A truly amazing insight into various ways to mystify others with seemingly impossible mathematical challenges. Learn how to determine the day someone was born on, or guess the missing number in the answer to a multiplication problem. This book provides you with insight to the fun (yes... fun) side of math. You will be greatly impressed by the tricks to amaze your friends and make math interesting



2. He encontrado el libro muy útil , entretenido , y facil de leer.
   Muy recomendable para iniciarse en el cálculo mental.



3. He encontrado el libro muy útil , entretenido , y facil de leer.
   Muy recomendable para iniciarse en el cálculo mental.



4. Ambivalence surrounds me when I attempt to review this book. As someone who learned arithmetic in the pre-calculator days, many of the ideas in this book bring back deep memories. One of my favorite things to do when in my teen years and later was to keep track of the items in the grocery cart and estimate the total cost. It was considered a failure when the guess and true total differed by more than $0.25. While this skill did succeed in amazing people, I cannot recall a single instance where it actually was financially beneficial. And eventually I gave it up, going on to mathematics and computers.
   But those days are gone, and calculators (computers) do free the mind for other things. So the question becomes, is it beneficial to read books of this type and learn the "lost" art of estimation? The history of mathematics informs us that early mental manipulation of numbers is a strong indicator of the future development of mathematical ability. Gauss and Hardy are two excellent examples of this. However, in later years Hardy in particular looked down on those who were mere number crunchers.
   Which leads to the clearest use for the techniques demonstrated in this book, namely to instruct children in the mental manipulation of symbols. By having young minds compete against a calculator, mental techniques are developed that most likely cannot be created any other way. And those methods are excellent training for future careers in the quantitative sciences. And this book does an excellent job in introducing these "tricks." All are clearly explained and detailed solutions to the problems are in the back of the book. Anyone wishing to learn how to perform efficient mental computations will find what they are looking for.
   If your goal is to teach or learn how to perform calculations in your head, then this book is for you. However, one should make an effort to keep everything in perspective. The ability to perform mental arithmetic should be considered as a step toward mathematical ability and not a stand-alone indicator of such skill.

   (Published in "Journal of Recreational Mathematics" - reprinted with permission.)




5. After seeing Dr. Benjamin perform in Las Vegas at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference in 2002, I bought this book and also his Mathemagics course. My middle school students love it! Many of them prefer to do mental calculations when possible and they love when I do mathematic magic tricks on them. Better, they love the algebraic explanations and can't wait to use the tricks on their friends and family, knowing that they can explain the trick as well.
   My college students are amazed when I can square a 2-digit number quicker than they can punch it in on a calculator. (I'm not too fast at the 3 digit numbers; it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks!)
   I highly recommend this book for math teachers, school libraries, students, or anyone at all!

No comments about Math Contests-Grades 4, 5 & 6: School Years: 1979-80 through 1985-86 (Volume 1).

1 comments about Dr. Ecco: Mathematical Detective (Codes, Puzzles, and Conspiracy).

1. This book is a continuing story about Dr. Ecco and his conflict with his arch-enemy Baskerhound. Dr. Ecco is presented with a series of puzzles to solve, each of which takes him a bit closer to the truth. There is an intertwined subplot based on an evil government conspiracy to completely control the United States. By having Baskerhound appear to be a great and imminent danger the government hoods justify their imposition of strict censorship laws.
   While some of the puzzles could be considered routine in the puzzle world, there are many that are quite difficult to solve. Fortunately, solutions to all of them are included in the back. As a puzzler and one who also tends to dismiss the massive evil government conspiracy theories I enjoyed the puzzles and found the intertwined subplot a bit distracting and weak.

4 comments about Mathematical Bafflers.

1. This book, while challenging, may be too easy for those past 7th grade, yet to hard for those below fifth. also, the layout is extremely confusing



2. I actually have the 1st edition hardbound book that is copyrighted in 1964. It is also 217 pages and must be identical to the new editions.

   This book is filled with puzzles that were chosen for "originality, elegance of solution, and imaginative appeal." "The book singles out problem themes and solutions calling for ingenuity rather than perseverance."

   The book is arranged according to the types of problems. Here's how the chapters are broken up: 1)Algebraic Amusements, 2)Geometric Exercises, 3)Solving in Integers, 4)Problems in Logic and Deduction, 5)Probability Posers, 6)Insight Puzzles, 7)Assorted Number Theory Problems.

   The problems vary from simple to difficult. Overall, there's a good selection of mathematical brain-teasers.




3. I agree with the first reviewer! The problems are fun to read and think about. Unlike many problem books that state problems in a long-winded and confusing style, this book contains a series of interesting puzzles that are presented in a nice brief, easy to read format. The drawings are cute as well! It was this book, and others like it, that helped spark my interest in mathematics and problem solving from a young age. Now I use puzzles of this type for my own students! They make nice extra credit problems on exams! :-)



4. It's not bad of a book. Many are well-thought out, and there are lots of creative pictures. The problems are challenging but not too challenging for anyone who is mathematically mature. There are solutions to every problem, but my complaint is that some of the solutions are not well-explained. Either I get it or don't, the "don't" part is where I have to forget about the problem as "trivial" and move on. There are not that many of them thou. A few problems posed in the book are pretty bad such as the age problem in page 18. That age problem on pg. 18 could have been solved much easier had the problem be rephrased (or maybe more insight in the solution page). Another problem on pg. 20 can be solved by ordinary physics formula of Newton's Law with s = (.5)at^2. After I solved the problem and checked the solution, I was surprised the author didn't take the route that I took. Of course, my way is lengthy but correct. That brings up another complaint: try to be multidimensional when offering solutions like how the author was when in Four Fours (which was extremely nice and very friendly). Anyhow, it's a good book at a very cheap price.

5 comments about The Official Book of Hanjie.

1. This is the WORST book on Hanjie I've ever seen. The author has tried to construct on the regular 5 block grids, but he can't seem to get the hang of it, so on almost every puzzle, you have rows and columns, sometimes up to three or four on each side, that you have to black out. This makes the 5 block grid almost useless for counting and placement. The easy puzzles are too easy and the hard puzzles have too many puzzles that you have to guess where to start. I am really, really sorry I wasted my money on this book, and I recommend that nobody else do it.
   
   The only reason I gave this book even ONE star is because Amazon won't let me do this review without a star rating. In reality I would rate it as a -3 stars!



2. The puzzles are not well thought out and must have been done in a hurry. Every other Hanjie book I have done is far better than this one. It's not even fun.



3. I'll keep this short. Buy this book only if you've gone through every other hanjie puzzle available to you. As other reviewers mentioned, some of the grids are way to big for the puzzle (lots of padding). But my biggest complaint by far is the fact that some of the puzzles are indeterminate. In fact, the very first puzzle I did in the book forced me to guess. I'm guessing this book was a quick cash-in by the author. Obviously, he didn't do his homework on this one.



4. I wish I had read the reviews from others earlier. But I do feel a lot better now.
   I had always been confident about my puzzle solving skills until I spent time on this book --- I couldn't believe that so many of them did require you to guess,(what's the point?!), or they left you clueless. I got so frustrated everytime I had to leave an unsolved puzzle behind and move on to the next one. I really started wondering if I was too dumb for this. Now I know they do require you to cheat...
   I'll just leave this book alone as soon as I get other puzzle books.



5. The compiler, Timothy E Parker, has not even bothered to check that these pixel puzzles are solvable (let alone the degree of difficulty). While able to solve all puzzles in other books, I am stumped on number 66 for example, without being able to fill in a single cell! Other puzzles in this book are trivially easy.
   
   He even has the name of the book wrong - they are pixel puzzles, what on earth is Hanjie? And what makes him "official"?
   
   Moreover, the example and strategies shown in the Introduction, do not even included the most basic techniques.
   
   "The world's most syndicated puzzle compiler"? Must refer to quantity not quality.

2 comments about The Last Recreations: Hydras, Eggs, and Other Mathematical Mystifications.

1. Reading this takes me back to time spent in my school's library poring over Gardner's columns in Scientific American. Several of the columns in this book I first read as a nerdy 14 year old and was staggered then (as I am now) by the elegance and beauty of the ideas they contained. Now I read it with a far greater appreciation of the problems and ideas expressed, but that doesn't compare with the sheer sense of wonder I experienced first time around.



2. Maybe its that I'm looking at the past through rose colored glasses, but when I read this I did'nt experience the same sense of wonder that I did when I was 13. Martin touches on very very cool topics, but my main gripe is that he whizzes through everything, often just giving a pointer to another book, which is great in that it encourages more exploration but is frustrating at the same time. But if you havent encountared recreational mathematics before, take a look, Martin does a wonderful job in making math FUN!