By Ron Liskey | June 1, 2020
Some of the books that inspired me while teaching middle school mathematics. As always, inclusion does not imply agreement.
Books on Mathematics
Proofs From the Book
– Aigner and Ziegler
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Mathematician’s Lament
– Paul Lockhart
A musician wakes from a terrible nightmare. In his dream he finds himself in a society where music education has been made mandatory. ‘We are helping our students become more competitive in an increasingly sound-filled world.’ Educators, school systems, and the state are put in charge of this vital project. Studies are commissioned, committees are formed, and decisions are made–all without the advice or participation of a single working musician or composer… So begins Lockart’s famous lament on the failings of standard mathematical instruction.
The Joy of X
– Steven Strogatz
Prime Obsession
– John Derbyshire
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
– Charles Seife
Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension
– Matt Parker
Imagining Numbers
– Barry Mazur
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mathematics for the Nonmathematician
– Morris Kline
E: The Story of a Number
– Eli Maor
Math Recess: Playful Learning in an Age of Disruption
– Sunil Singh
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Elements
– Euclid
Euclid is the most celebrated mathematician of all time. He lived in the third or fourth century BCE. His fame rests mainly on the Elements, which he wrote in thirteen volumes establishing the foundations of mathematics.
Prelude to Mathematics
– W. W. Sawyer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Measurement
– Paul Lockhart
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe
– Michael S. Schneider
A light weight and fun romp through the world of patterns. Ideal for teachers seeking ideas to inspire students.
An Imaginary Tale
– Paul Nahin
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mathematical Puzzling
– A. Gardiner
A History of Pi
– Petr Beckmann
Journey Through Genius
– William Dunham
What Is Mathematics?
– Courant and Robbins
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mathematics and the Physical World
– Morris Kline
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thinking Mathematically
– John Mason
Excellent small book on how to think like a mathematician. Highly recommended for anyone who suffered through the kind of ’training’ in which actual mathematics was confused with the obedient memorization of calculation methods.
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