mathematics. as a word, it can bring back terrible memories: row after row of algebra equations, hours of precious childhood spent on confusing and complex addition. Even in our adult lives, some of us avoid using math whenever possible; even physicists opt for investigations that have fewer mathematical equations on the page.
but it doesn’t have to be that way. These easy-to-understand nonfiction books will help you master geometry and become more confident using cosine, sine, and tangent…or they might help you with your gcse math homework. some will also shed light on the history of mathematics, through memoirs or even fiction.
You are reading: Best math books 2020
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the best math books available now
hinton: a novel by mark blacklock
- £16.99
charles howard hinton was a victorian scientist, inventor and novelist, and an explorer of the unmapped realms of the mind. As a young man in the 1880s, Hinton was gripped by an idea that had escaped speculative geometry and been picked up by excitable spiritualists: what if space were actually four-dimensional and not limited to length, width, and width? width and height?
Just as his work was gaining readership, the scandal broke: it was discovered that he had committed bigamy.
This novel recreates the life of Charles Hinton, inviting the reader to become historical detectives who solve long-forgotten mysteries and uncover archival crimes.
buy hinton: a novel now from amazon
- read about charles howard hinton in this article by mark blacklock
the wonderful book of geometry: a mathematical history by david acheson
- £12.99
david acheson has freed geometry from the confines of stuffy textbooks and unleashed its potential to surprise and delight. there is a rich and ancient history to be found in these pages, and a future for the field that extends beyond neat (but elegant) equations.
the ten equations that rule the world: and how you can use them too by david sumpter
- €20
When you understand the mathematical equations that underpin everyday life, you can use them to your advantage.
See Also: Barry Maitland – Book Series In Order
david sumpter shows how just 10 formulas govern many aspects of the world, from gambling and sports to social media and technology. he should know: david has worked with some of the biggest football clubs in the world and as a sports betting consultant.
the weird math series by david darling and agnijo banerjee
- £9.99 each
mathematics is weird.
teenage math whiz agnijo banerjee, and his tutor and science writer david darling, fill the pages of three books with exotic and unusual math facts, including god number (the fewest number of moves needed to solve a rubik’s cube) and the reigning role of pi in almost everything.
- learn more with these unusual math facts
mathematics for human flourishing by francis su
- €20
Mathematics for Human Flourishing is an impressive yet simple account of a life in mathematics. francis tells him the story of the subject to reveal the need for him for our development.
If you’ve ever wondered why some refer to equations as ‘elegant’ or mathematics as ‘beautiful,’ this book is for you.
- read an edited excerpt from francis su’s book
humble pi: a math comedy of errors by matt parker
- £9.99
Mathematics can get a bad rap, especially when even the smallest miscalculation can lead to catastrophe. In his new book, comedian and general math whiz Matt Parker pulls out the calculator on him to find out why so many disasters can stem from simple mistakes, often with deadly consequences.
- hear matt parker tell us what happens when math goes terribly wrong
the mathematics of love by hannah fry
- £7.99
While all of hannah fry’s books are worth reading, this one stands out as an original among math books. based on his tedxtalk of the same name, it’s a quick and engaging read that explains a deeply complex emotion in mathematical patterns.
- watch hannah fry’s tedxtalk on the math of love
- listen to our podcast episode with hannah fry on the royal institution’s christmas lectures 2019
beyond infinity: an expedition to the outer limits of the mathematical universe by eugenia cheng
- £9.99
It takes a talented writer to bring the concept of infinity to life, but Eugenia Cheng’s contagious enthusiasm makes math a delight. Find out why some infinities are bigger than others and why there’s always room in an infinity hotel, even if it’s full.
- read an excerpt from beyond infinity
numbers don’t lie: 71 things you need to know about the world by vaclav smil
- £16.99
a book for anyone confused by statistics or dubious of data in a world where numbers seem to mean everything and nothing. Vaclav Smil’s new book reveals why diesel isn’t as bad as you think, how much food is actually wasted, what really makes people happy, and much more.
the mathematics of life and death: why mathematics is (almost) everything for kit yachts
- £9.99
kit yachts is a friendly and helpful guide for any beginner entering the world of mathematics. explains the world around us through numbers and statistics, but in a clever and engaging way.
You’ll almost forget you’re learning when you fall into the world of kit, but when you close the book, you’ll look at every fact and figure with fresh scrutiny.
- read an article by kit yachts on the mathematics of time
Math on the Back of an Envelope: Clever Ways to (Roughly) Calculate Anything by rob eastaway
- £9.99
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hannah fry describes rob eastaway’s book as “a delightfully accessible guide to playing with numbers,” and who are we to disagree?
give you the tools you need to solve tricky math problems with, you guessed it, just the back of an envelope (and a pencil, and probably an eraser, and a brain too…)
how to predict everything: the formula to transform what we know about life and the universe by william poundstone
- £9.99
There is a formula that has been around for the last 50 years that suggests we can identify the end of something with reasonable certainty.
william poundstone’s new book explains the history of this enigmatic equation: how long do we have left as a species on this planet, can we turn the odds in our favor, and how can we predict, well, just about everything else.
- listen to william poundstone explain why some theorists think we can predict doomsday
weil’s conjectures: on mathematics and the search for the unknown by karen olsson
- £9.99
andré and simone weil were brother and sister. one a renowned mathematician known for his contributions to algebraic geometry and number theory, the other a famous philosopher and political activist. mathematics and philosophy intertwine in this fascinating memoir of the two 20th-century figures.
asleep and number: how to avoid being mystified by the mathematics of modern life by william hartston
- £12.99
Numbers tell us everything and nothing. they are used in the statistics that surround us every day, from the increase in covid-19 cases to the cost savings we hope to make before Christmas.
but if you’re not one of the lucky few who can say, “oh, math was my best subject in school,” then you might be left stumped by news, personal finance, chaos and catastrophe (yes, william hartston shows us that there is math involved too). Fortunately, numb and number is able to explain these things and more, in a way that’s easy to understand and even enjoyable to read.
buy numb and number: how to avoid being stumped by the math of modern life now from amazon
when we stop understanding the world by benjamin labatut
- £14.99
einstein, schrödinger, and schwarzchild are among the biggest names in the history of science, and there are many books that focus on their achievements and the impact they had on science.
in benjamín labatut’s new book, scientists take on a new form. one that is shaped by their minds, shaped by the weight of the scientific community that they carry with them. when we stop understanding, the world blends fact with fiction to create a reading experience like no other.
- read an edited excerpt from when we stopped understanding the world
the best books of all time
We think this is a good selection of math books, but if you don’t like anything here, take a look at some of our book recommendations:
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