Book Review: Weird Maths

Benjamin Bissett – Year 9 Student & 2008 Society Member

Weird Maths is a factual book written by mathematicians David Darling and Agnijo Banerjee about mathematical and scientific questions that us humans regularly ask about our world and universe. It is divided into 13 easily understood chapters which are all exciting and interesting in their own way.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the fact that the authors were able to pick some quite complex topics and write about them in a detailed way that allowed people like me to gain a basic insight into understanding these advanced areas of science. One of my favourite chapters was Chapter 1 – The Maths Behind the World – because it made me realise how important maths is and why it is necessary to understand it as it comes up in all sorts of situations in our every day lives. Another one of my favourite chapters was Chapter 8 – Can Chess Be Solved? – because I am a regular chess player and I enjoyed reading about a game that I love to play in my spare time. It was also interesting to learn about the logic of chess and about different tactics within the game.

Overall, I would give this book five stars out of five because of its ability to explain advanced topics in an understandable way and how it gives an interesting look into some questions I have always wondered about.

Benjamin Bissett