{"product_id":"the-joy-of-x-a-guided-tour-of-math-from-one-to-infinity","title":"The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity by Steven Strogatz","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Delightful . . . easily digestible chapters include plenty of helpful examples and illustrations. You'll never forget the Pythagorean theorem again!\"--Scientific American\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people take math in high school and promptly forget much of it. But math plays a part in all of our lives all of the time, whether we know it or not. In \u003ci\u003eThe Joy of x\u003c\/i\u003e, Steven Strogatz expands on his hit New York Times series to explain the big ideas of math gently and clearly, with wit, insight, and brilliant illustrations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether he is illuminating how often you should flip your mattress to get the maximum lifespan from it, explaining just how Google searches the internet, or determining how many people you should date before settling down, Strogatz shows how real-world math connects to every aspect of life. Discussing pop culture, medicine, law, philosophy, art, and business, Strogatz is the accessible math teacher you wish you'd had. Whether you aced integral calculus or aren't sure what an integer is, you'll find profound wisdom and persistent delight in \u003ci\u003eThe Joy of x\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis witty and insightful guide to the big ideas in mathematics reveals:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMath in Everyday Life: \u003c\/b\u003e From how often you should flip your mattress to the surprising principles behind how Google searches the internet.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eBig Ideas Made Simple: \u003c\/b\u003e Clear, unforgettable explanations of major concepts like calculus and the Pythagorean theorem, illuminated with brilliant examples.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAccessible for Everyone: \u003c\/b\u003e Whether you aced integral calculus or aren't sure what an integer is, Steven Strogatz is the brilliant and patient teacher you wish you'd had.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eUnexpected Connections: \u003c\/b\u003e Discover how mathematical principles connect to pop culture, medicine, law, philosophy, and even the art of settling down.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A delightful exploration of the beauty and fun of mathematics, in the best tradition of Lewis Carroll, George Gamow, and Martin Gardner. \u003ci\u003eThe Joy of x\u003c\/i\u003e will entertain you, amaze you, and make you smarter.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e-- Steven Pinker, Harvard College Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of \u003ci\u003eHow the Mind Works\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Language Instinct\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Steven Strogatz should do for math what Julia Child did for cookery. He shows that this stuff really matters, and he shows that it can nourish us.\" \u003cbr\u003e-- \u003cb\u003eJames Gleick, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eChaos\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This joyous book will remind you just how beautiful and mesmerizing math can be. Steve Strogatz is the teacher we all wish we had.\"\u003cbr\u003e-- \u003cb\u003eJoshua Foer, author of \u003ci\u003eMoonwalking with Einstein\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I loved this beautiful book from the first page. With his unique ingenuity and affable charm, Strogatz disassembles mathematics as a subject, both feared and revered, and reassembles it as a world, both accessible and magical. \u003ci\u003eThe Joy of x\u003c\/i\u003e is, well, a joy.\" -- \u003cb\u003eJanna Levin, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Barnard College, Columbia University, and author of \u003ci\u003eHow the Universe Got Its Spots\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Madman Dreams of Turing Machines\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Amazingly, mathematicians can see patterns in the universe that the rest of us are usually blind to. With clarity and dry wit, \u003ci\u003eThe Joy of x\u003c\/i\u003e opens a window onto this hidden world with its landscapes of beauty and wonder.\" \u003cbr\u003e-- \u003cb\u003eAlan Alda \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \"This book is, simply put, fantastic. It introduces the reader to the underlying concepts of mathematics -- presenting reasons for its unfamiliar language and explaining conceptual frameworks that do in fact make understanding complex problems easier. In a world where mathematics is essential but, largely, poorly understood, Steve Strogatz's teaching skills and deft writing style are an important contribution.\" \u003cbr\u003e-- \u003cb\u003eLisa Randall, Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science, Harvard University, and author of \u003ci\u003eWarped Passages\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eKnocking on Heaven's Door\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Strogatz has discovered a magical function that transforms 'math' into 'joy, ' page after wonderful page. He takes everything that every mystified you about math and makes it better than clear -- he makes it wondrous, delicious, and amazing.\"\u003cbr\u003e-- \u003cb\u003eDaniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of \u003ci\u003eStumbling on Happiness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Strogatz may be the only person alive with the skill to pied piper me into the murky abyss of set theory. I literally learned something on every page, despite my innumerate brain. This is a fantastic book, conveyed with clarity, technical mastery, and infectious joy.\"\u003cbr\u003e-- \u003cb\u003eJad Abumrad, host of \u003ci\u003eRadiolab\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Strogatz's graceful prose is perfectly pitched for a popular math book: authoritative without being patronizing, friendly without being whimsical, and always clear and accessible. His \u003ci\u003ex\u003c\/i\u003e marks the spot -- and hits it.\" \u003cbr\u003e-- \u003cb\u003eAlex Bellos, author of \u003ci\u003eHere's Looking at Euclid\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Even the most math-phobic readers might forget their dread after just a few pages of Strogatz's (\u003ci\u003eThe Calculus of Friendship\u003c\/i\u003e) latest. The author, a Cornell professor of applied mathematics, begins with arithmetic, by way of Sesame Street, then explores algebra, geometry, and, finally, the wonders of calculus--all done cheerfully, with many a wry turn of phrase. From addition and subtraction, with a glimpse into negative numbers and 'the black art of borrowing, ' it's a quick step into the hardcore detective work of algebra's search for the unknown x, with algorithms like the quadratic equation, 'the Rodney Dangerfield of algebra' ('it don't get no respect'). Strogatz rhapsodizes over geometry, which he sees as a marriage of logic and intuition that teaches how to build arguments, step by rigorous step, and geometry's 'loosey-goosey' offshoot, topology. Brisk chapters on prime numbers, basic statistics, and probability are all enlightening without being intimidating. Most impressive is Strogatz's coverage of calculus, the math used to figure out everything from how fast epidemics spread to the trajectory of a curveball. Readers will appreciate this lighthearted and thoroughly entertaining book.\" \u003cbr\u003e-- \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \"Strogatz, an applied mathematician at Cornell University and author of Sync, has compiled his immensely popular series of New York Times columns and added new material. \u003ci\u003eThe Joy of X\u003c\/i\u003e's six parts, each divided into several short chapters, move from number basics through algebra, geometry, calculus and statistics to the frontiers of math, where conjectures about prime numbers are still floating around unsolved. The goal is a second chance at learning the math that might have passed you by--this time from an adult perspective. The tone is light and conversational, with delightful narratives about lonely numbers and the Tony Soprano psyche of math itself--outwardly tough but inwardly wracked with insecurity. The easily digestible chapters include plenty of helpful examples and illustrations. You'll never forget the Pythagorean theorem again!\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eScientific American\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSTEVEN STROGATZ \u003c\/b\u003eis the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University. A renowned teacher and one of the world's most highly cited mathematicians, he has blogged about math for the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e and has been a frequent guest on \u003cem\u003eRadiolab \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003e Science Friday\u003c\/em\u003e. He is the author of \u003cem\u003eSync\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Joy of x\u003c\/em\u003e. He lives in Ithaca, New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45716267925690,"sku":"9780544105850","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0444\/2213\/5968\/files\/imageloader_87a9771e-4ad2-4795-bed3-c6012c0189e1.jpg?v=1773848069","url":"https:\/\/naturenurture.shop\/products\/the-joy-of-x-a-guided-tour-of-math-from-one-to-infinity","provider":"nature+nurture","version":"1.0","type":"link"}