I was surprised
when I opened the book. I thought there is some kind of scientific fiction
going on in this book because when I read the title, “Cabinet of Mathematical
Curiosities”, the first thing that entered my mind was the idea of Narnia where there is a closet that can lead you to this magical place. But okay, I was totally
wrong. It was actually about the puzzles, jokes, and stories constructed by the
author Ian Stewart which are organized in this “cabinet”, the book.
I can
describe this book as genius. It is very different from the past reading
materials in Math 1. It provides a holistic point of view in Math. It does not
just feed concepts in Mathematics which is something that most of us find
annoying. What it does is feed us Mathematical concepts in an entertaining way.
Despite those jokes that are not even funny in any way, this book is
innovative. It even incorporates philosophical concepts and experiences of the
author. It also provides some “life hacks” that can be used in calculations
that are totally helpful to students. Indeed, it is like an all-in-one book.
I admit
that I did skip some pages when I read the book.
This is the advantage of this book for some readers. You can read random topics
only and still not miss the flow of ideas. You can read one topic each day or
whenever you want and you can ponder on it for days and have some build-up of
opinions about the topic. I also have some of my favorite topics in the book
and favorite puzzles that made me get a ballpen and a paper to try to solve it.
The book really lived up to its theme, “curiosity”.
One of the
topics that left a mark in my mind is the “Rabbits in the Hat”. I never thought
that magic can be associated with Math. I also never thought that calculations
would be involved in misdirection, one of the main techniques in the field of
magic. Now, I’m starting to think magicians are actually in mental chaos when
they are performing magic tricks.
Another part
of the book that got me is those curious calculations. I even took my
calculator from my bag to check if the expected results would really be
achieved. It amazed me that it did. However, the author said that these
calculator tricks are actually made from generalizations and careful
evaluations of the algebraic properties of numbers. Any person can make these
calculator tricks if only he/she has fully grasped the concept of algebra.
I also find
the philosophical ideas of the author very interesting. That of the “Heron Suit”
was my favorite. It reminded me of the famous philosophical idea which is “the
black cat in the dark room”. The philosophical excerpts in the book from the
author just showed how well-rounded he is. It also showed the views of
mathematicians towards philosophy and analogy.
In terms of
humor, this book didn’t also lack one. Though some of the jokes were not really
funny in my point of view and though it got me saying “Huh?” after reading
them, they gave me an idea on how mathematicians perceive jokes and construct
jokes. At some level, they are nerdy yet if a person reads them again and
again, you’ll figure out that there is humor in it. This gives substance to the
book.
The book is,
indeed, comparable to a cabinet. There is a drawer for challenges from puzzles,
another drawer for humor from the jokes, another drawer for experiences from
the stories, and another drawer for adventure from the games. These drawers and
compartments makes up the entire cabinet which is filled by the parts of the
author’s self. As I read the book, a part of the author’s self becomes a part
of me too, in some ways, which is why I liked the book. It is not just a book
of puzzles, jokes and games. It is a book with substance.
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