Clifton Fadiman's classic collection of mathematical stories, essays and anecdotes first published in 1958, is now back in print. Ranging from the poignant to the comical to the surreal, these selections include writing by Aldous Huxley, Martin Gardner, H.G. Wells, George Gamow, G.H. Hardy, Plato, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, and many others.
Read More
Clifton Fadiman's classic collection of mathematical stories, essays and anecdotes first published in 1958, is now back in print. Ranging from the poignant to the comical to the surreal, these selections include writing by Aldous Huxley, Martin Gardner, H.G. Wells, George Gamow, G.H. Hardy, Plato, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, and many others.
Read Less
Add this copy of Fantasia Mathematica to cart. $8.49, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Copernicus.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. Book is considered to be in acceptable condition. The actual cover image may not match the stock photo. Book may have one or more of the following defects: noticeable wear on the cover dust jacket or spine; curved dog eared or creased page s; writing or highlighting inside or on the edges; sticker s or other adhesive on cover; CD DVD may not be included; and book may be a former library copy.
Add this copy of Fantasia Mathematica to cart. $9.00, good condition, Sold by Goodwill BookWorks rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austin, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Copernicus.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Book shows general signs of use and handling. May have light wear on the cover or edges and minimal writing or highlighting. Binding remains tight and pages are clean and readable.
Add this copy of Fantasia Mathematica to cart. $9.49, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Copernicus Books.
Add this copy of Fantasia Mathematica to cart. $9.49, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Copernicus Books.
Add this copy of Fantasia Mathematica to cart. $9.49, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Copernicus Books.
Add this copy of Fantasia Mathematica to cart. $9.49, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Copernicus Books.
Add this copy of Fantasia Mathematica to cart. $9.49, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Copernicus Books.
Add this copy of Fantasia Mathematica to cart. $11.95, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Copernicus.
Add this copy of Fantasia Mathematica to cart. $11.95, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Copernicus.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Book is considered to be in good or better condition. The actual cover image may not match the stock photo. Hard cover books may show signs of wear on the spine cover or dust jacket. Paperback book may show signs of wear on spine or cover as well as having a slight bend curve or creasing to it. Book should have minimal to no writing inside and no highlighting. Pages should be free of tears or creasing. Stickers should not be present on cover or elsewhere and any CD or DVD expected with the book is included. Book is not a former library copy.
Add this copy of Fantasia Mathematica to cart. $12.00, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Copernicus.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
I first read Fantasia while in college, majoring in math. It is full of stories, poems, and other oddities about mathematics. They range from philosophy (the dialogue of Plato "Socrates and the slave"), to excellent literature (Huxley's "Young Archimedes").
Accurate mathematics are imbedded into most of the stories; some have fanciful interpretations and applications.
One story describes the growth of a single dollar to exceed the value of the government due to compound interest over a long enough period of time; the math is accurate; but other economic influences (e.g., inflation) are not considered.
One of the stories involves an application of the Moebius strip, which I assign as an introduction to non-Euclidean geometry.
I use the book in my class "The Nature of Mathematics" at El Camino College in Torrance, California. There is more to mathematics than memorizing formulas and proofs, and this book helps introduce liberal arts students to the breadth of mathematics without getting into details and without "talking down" to the reader.
I have found it very useful, and receive positive comments back from students.
