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1. Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem - I've been on a giant math books kick. I really enjoyed Simon Singh's oth

1. Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem - I've been on a giant math books kick. I really enjoyed Simon Singh's other book, The Code Book, so this one is awesome. 2. The Code Book - If you're really into the history of cryptography, this book is for you. 3. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Not a really a revelatory book by any sorts. But a fun read. 4. The Handmaid's Tale - Revisiting this since the TV series came out and I really felt like getting traumatized all over again.

edanm 9y ago
"I've been on a giant math books kick" Any other math books recommendations?
- BlackjackCF 9y ago
  Yup! Making my way through Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea right now. It's a little more "pop math" than Fermat's Enigma or The Code Book. I also have The Man Who Loved Only Numbers and Elliptic Tales on my to-read list once I wrap up Zero.
  - edanm 9y ago
    Awesome! I'll check them out. (Read The Man Who Loved Only Numbers already, it's great). If you're looking for something else, "Journey Through Genius" is absolutely the best semi-pop-science Math book. It's premise is that it goes through about 10 of the most interesting proofs in mathematics, giving their history and context, then the actual proof. It does what few other "pop" books attempt - it actually gives the real proof, taking you through all the steps. If you work it, you come away actually knowing how to prove the various things there. More interestingly, it gives the original historic proof, which is not what you always encounter. It even tends to explain the problems with the original proof, if any. And since it gives the history, you learn a lot. It's by far my favorite non-textbook math book, and I can't recommend it more highly if you're into that sort of thing.
    - BlackjackCF 9y ago
      This sounds right up my alley. Thanks!

edanm 9y ago

"I've been on a giant math books kick" Any other math books recommendations?

BlackjackCF 9y ago
Yup! Making my way through Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea right now. It's a little more "pop math" than Fermat's Enigma or The Code Book. I also have The Man Who Loved Only Numbers and Elliptic Tales on my to-read list once I wrap up Zero.
- edanm 9y ago
  Awesome! I'll check them out. (Read The Man Who Loved Only Numbers already, it's great). If you're looking for something else, "Journey Through Genius" is absolutely the best semi-pop-science Math book. It's premise is that it goes through about 10 of the most interesting proofs in mathematics, giving their history and context, then the actual proof. It does what few other "pop" books attempt - it actually gives the real proof, taking you through all the steps. If you work it, you come away actually knowing how to prove the various things there. More interestingly, it gives the original historic proof, which is not what you always encounter. It even tends to explain the problems with the original proof, if any. And since it gives the history, you learn a lot. It's by far my favorite non-textbook math book, and I can't recommend it more highly if you're into that sort of thing.
  - BlackjackCF 9y ago
    This sounds right up my alley. Thanks!