Science News "As a guide to the inner workings of the mathematical jungle, Stewart provides an engaging and informative experience. If you wish to intelligently discuss the Riemann hypothesis, P/NP problems or the Hodge conjecture, you ought to read this book first." Choice "A designated math popularizer, Stewart writes books that are always enlightening and enjoyable... Again, Stewart provides another interesting read for anyone intrigued by mathematics." Dallas Morning News "Anyone who has always loved math for its own sake or for the way it provides new perspectives on important real-world phenomena will find hours of brain-teasing and mind-challenging delight in the British professor's survey of recently answered or still open mathematical questions... Individual readers will dig deeply into certain chapters and skim others according to personal preference, but every one of them will be captivated by the technical achievements, loose ends and human insights that Stewart shares on his grand mathematical tour." New York Journal of Books "Entertaining and accessible... Ian Stewart belongs to a very small, very exclusive club of popular science and mathematics writers who are worth reading today." Publishers Weekly "An entertaining history of mathematics and a fresh look at some of the most challenging problems and puzzles in the history of the field... Stewart's loquacious yet lucid style makes the most complex mathematics accessible, even when discussing esoteric concepts... Once again, Stewart delivers an intriguing book that rewards random reading as much as dedicated study." Booklist, starred review "Few of us share Stewart's mathematical skills. But we relish the intellectual stimulation of joining him in exploring mathematical problems that have pushed even genius to the limit... Stewart repeatedly shows how a trivial mathematical curiosity can open up vital new conceptual insights... A bracing mental workout for armchair mathematicians." Kirkus "Stewart's imaginative, often-witty anecdotes, analogies and diagrams succeed in illuminating...some very difficult ideas. It will enchant math enthusiasts as well as general readers who pay close attention."
Ian Stewart is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics and active researcher at the University of Warwick. The author of many books on mathematics, he lives in Coventry, England.