For the vast majority of people, the word “Math” evokes unpleasant memories of their high school years. However, we must resolve this issue as soon as possible! But how do we do it? Is that even possible?
Mathematics is a profound subject with an abundance of wonderful things to offer its students. For thousands of years, mathematicians have been attempting to make our lives more beautiful and comfortable by employing mathematical principles and techniques. Many of them are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with us!
If you don’t know anything about anything, there’s no reason for you to be pleased about it. That is why you should start learning new things about mathematics, and the ideal method to do so is to read the best books on the subject matter.
We’ve curated 22 wonderful math books for you to help make your lives a little easier. Once you’ve delved into these math books, you’ll never look at mathematics as tedious or intimidating again. You can find the same list also here.
1- Philosophy of Mathematics
It’s impossible not to be impressed by this book. Throughout the book, there is a strong sense of intelligence. In my experience, it uses the clearest language of any philosophy book I’ve read, and it manages to cover an astonishing range of ideas in the brief space between its covers. However, it is simply an appetizer, and the reader who wishes to understand the book’s contents entirely must go on to read other books.
2- When Einstein Walked with Gödel: Excursions to the Edge of Thought
This book contains a collection of essays of varying lengths; none are more than 10 to 15 pages in length. Each essay examines a historical thinker and their contributions to our collective understanding, covering many disciplines from mathematics to physics, philosophy to religion, but always straightforwardly and understandably for the layman.
Many of the intellectuals mentioned in the book died in less-than-pleasurable circumstances. We remember them for their contributions to society rather than for who they were as individuals. The author provides a first-person account of what it was like to be them. For example, one of these essays discusses the friendship between Albert Einstein and Kurt Gödel. Gödel is most known for his Incompleteness Theorem, which is credited with sending an entire generation of mathematicians into a state of despair all on its own. As a side note, he was also paranoid, and he lived in constant fear of being poisoned as a form of retribution for his efforts, leading him to starve himself to death.
3- Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
This is an extremely fun and tremendously interesting book about the number zero and some general mathematical history. This book was simply fantastic for the science geek in me.
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea was more of a book about ideas and philosophy than mathematics. Furthermore, it is intriguing to see how the concept of zero can have such incredible effects on everything from religion to art to physics. In addition, I think the author, Charles Seife, does a fantastic job of explaining this in a way that is understandable to those who are not math people.
4- How Round Is Your Circle?: Where Engineering and Mathematics Meet
This is a fascinating book filled with delightful examples of the difficulty of creating simple mathematical things in the actual world. To put it another way, it is a fascinating exploration of the practical challenges of engineering. It demonstrates that the effects are extremely real even though mathematics is so abstract. When it comes to drawing straight lines using a ruler or a straight edge, for example, you can figure out how to do so, but the question is: how do you create a straight edge in the first place? This book will make you want to give it a shot on your own. How Round is Your Circle is an excellent addition to any library’s collection.
5- Book of Proof
Richard Hammacks’s Book of Proof has a specific job to do, and it teaches basic proofs. It is a magnificent introduction to the realm of upper-division mathematics. It serves as a foundation for proof writers to feel confident in their work and write more rigorous proofs. It would be ideal for a college student to read something before starting their math journey.
6- Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy
This is a relatively short and understandable text for such a sophisticated mathematical text! It is a great book to read and will help you broaden your horizons. An excellent description of how you can entirely strip mathematics down to its most fundamental principles and axioms to build complicated numerical systems and relationships is provided by Bertrand Russell. It’s beautifully written, easy to grasp, and manages to make a somewhat dull subject seem a little more intriguing.
7- Euclid in the Rainforest: Discovering Universal Truth in Logic and Math
In this beautiful book, mathematician Joseph Mazur takes us on a tour of the concepts of proof, infinity, and probability. For those who have had geometry in high school, the first section of this book is amazing. The author brings out the importance of mathematical proof by looking back at the ancient Greeks while traveling as a young man through the rainforest. But he also points out the weaknesses of classical proof in analyzing concepts like infinity.
8- The Math of Life and Death
The Math of Life and Death teaches the real-world application of mathematics through real-life stories that are entertaining to read. For example, it demonstrates how a simple concept such as dependent probability, which we taught in school through dice instances, may significantly impact the conviction in a murder case.
Throughout the book, the author does an excellent job of explaining mathematical principles in a clear, understandable manner and connects them to real-world problems.
9- Mathematics for Human Flourishing
In Mathematics For Human Flourishing, Francis Su wrote a magnificent book about what mathematics means to him and others, and it is highly recommended. A personal reflection from the author is included in each chapter, along with a series of puzzles. According to the author, mathematics is an adventure, a quest to discover the unknown, and it should be something that everyone can enjoy and benefit from. This is a must-read if you are a maths educator.
10- Beyond infinity: An Expedition to the Outer Limits of the Mathematical Universe
Eugenia Cheng does an excellent job of explaining the various facets of infinity in her book Beyond Infinity. From the infinitely huge to the infinitesimally small, Cheng assists the reader in comprehending a wide range of topics that would otherwise be difficult to understand on their own. Cheng begins by defining infinity, after which she explains why it is not a number and walks the audience through the stages that led up to that conclusion. She closes part one by demonstrating that some infinities are larger than others and by distinguishing between ordinal and cardinal numbers, among other things.
Then she presents different dimensions and explains how there can be an infinite number of them. She then reveals the source of so many paradoxes, which are infinitesimally minute details. In the final section of the book, she discusses various paradoxes, including Gabriel’s horn, after explaining the infinitesimally small.
Beyond Infinity is an excellent novel in general. Because of its recent release date, the book is quite clear and simple to read and comprehend. It is important to understand that this book is not intended for everyone. If you have any interest in mathematics, on the other hand, I would strongly advise you to pursue it. I ended up really enjoying it, and as a result, many mathematical ideas have become a lot more understandable to me.
11- The Mathematics of Love
The Mathematics of Love is an extension of the TED talk by Hannah Fry on the same topic. It provides some neat insights into romance. The author discusses why you should approach girls at parties, how to plan a wedding mathematically, and two important equations to use in a relationship. Hannah Fry doesn’t go too deep in the math, which is good for the readers who care more about the results than the proofs.
The Mathematics of Love is a pretty quick and not mathematically challenging read. This book is a good read for anyone interested in math, love, or psychology.
12- Patterns in Nature: Why the Natural World Looks the Way It Does
Patterns in Nature is a stunningly gorgeous book. Although it is not as large as a traditional coffee table book, it is larger than most hardbacks.. It is printed on glossy paper and has approximately 280 pages in length, making it larger than most hardbacks. Each chapter contains sections on symmetry, fractals, and spirals, flow and chaos, waves, dunes and bubbles, arrays and tiling, cracks and spots, and spiral patterns.
There are five or six pages of descriptive text at the beginning of each chapter, followed by twenty or thirty pages of those incredible photographs. You will be pleasantly surprised to find that the introductory text was well written. Throughout the book, you will find yourself lingering over photographs. From microscopic details to mountain ranges, they provide illumination for the subjects of the book while also standing on their own as stunning images in their own right.
13- Math Without Numbers
Math Without Numbers is a book that most people could enjoy reading, and Milo Beckman presents the information intuitively that helps clear some of the fogginess surrounding the ideas. The author does a fantastic job explaining advanced mathematics in ways that almost anyone can understand. If you want to present a book to someone that shows how fascinating mathematics can be, this will cross your mind.
14- The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdős and the Search for Mathematical Truth
The Man Who Loved Only Numbers is an amusing book that is more than just a biography of Paul Erdos; it is also a work of fiction. Hoffman tells us about the work of other mathematicians via the lens of Erdos’ life and the work of other mathematicians on whose work Erdos built or with whom he collaborated on works. Paul Hoffman presents a variety of mathematical conjectures and proofs straightforwardly that are easy to understand and follow. It is one of the most intriguing and approachable books on mathematics that I have ever read.
15- Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction
Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction is an absolutely great read. The level of the book is elementary but not basic. There are some concepts, especially proofs, that require some focus to grasp. The book’s best audience is a beginning undergrad in a stem program, a motivated and mature high school student with a keen interest in maths, or a layman with some maturity in mathematical concepts.
The book introduces us to the world of mathematics, what it is all about, and how mathematicians approach different ideas. There are some comments on common misconceptions about mathematics in the final chapter.
16- Mathematicians: An Outer View of the Inner World
Many remarkable people share their relationships with mathematics in brief pieces in Mathematicians: An Outer View of the Inner World. You will come across some unique perspectives on mathematics and their motives for pursuing mathematics as a vocation. The entire book is personal, down to the images; some of the writings are entertaining and encouraging.
17- Birth of a Theorem: A Mathematical Adventure
Birth of a Theorem: A Mathematical Adventure is a beautifully written novel about a mathematical adventure, namely the search for evidence of a theorem. Cedric Villani’s observation on a mathematician’s endeavor to find a black cat in a dark room when the animal isn’t even there is aptly expressed. You’ll believe it when you’ve heard him tell his story.
Several sections in the book are devoted to famous mathematicians and their equally interesting stories and mathematical concepts, which appear now and then. They are a treat for anyone who wishes to be inspired by the sheer enthusiasm and imagination with which these priests of the newest area of science operate. Every part of this story is entertaining and uplifting in equal measure.
18- Number: The Language of Science
Number: The Language of Science is an absolute must-read for everyone who is even remotely interested in mathematics. According to Einstein, in his own words, “the most interesting book about the evolution of mathematics that has ever fallen into my hands” was this book.
The fascinating thing about numbers is that they don’t actually exist, and everything we know about them is a product of our imagination. Mathematics is considered high art since it builds an entirely new world, such as the number system. The author of this book alters your vision of numbers throughout the book. This book will teach about the history of numbers in many societies before moving on to real, transcendental, and complex numbers.
19- The Fractalist: Memoir of a Scientific Maverick
It’s not very often that you get to read a genius intelligibly describing to you how he came to be a genius.
This book is an uncommon autobiography written by an extraordinary individual, and it is a must-read. Throughout the first 254 pages, Benoit Mandlebrot demonstrates how the creative mind works through his personal experiences. As soon as you get to page 255 and read about how everything from his 30 years of research came together, and how he arrived at his answer, as well as how simple and elegant it is, you get goosebumps.
This is neither the best autobiography/biography you have ever read nor the worst. However, if you are interested in creativity, the unique mind, and the process by which ideas come to reality, it has a lot to offer. Suppose you’re interested in learning more about the beauty of the natural world. In that case, this book will undoubtedly open another door for you into the world of fractals, which is a fascinating subject in its own right.
20- Pasta by Design
It is difficult to describe this lovely book. Pasta by Design will appeal to everyone who enjoys spaghetti. It goes over the many shapes and sizes of pasta, as well as the mathematics behind them and the best sauces for a variety of different types of pasta, many of which you have never heard of and may never be able to find. This book is for you if you enjoy art, science, and pasta!
21- The Wonder Book of Geometry: A Mathematical Story
The Wonder Book of Geometry: A Mathematical Story is a fantastic recreational maths book about geometry. The author’s primary focus was on the triangle and circle constructs that are taught in senior high school math classrooms.
This is the book you should use to teach geometry to students. It is written in a way that is approachable to anyone interested in recreational science and mathematics and includes some humor and anecdotes and the more formal geometric concepts. More in-depth proofs are stashed away in the back of the book for those who wish to get deeper into the subject. If you prefer doing recreational math in your spare time, this is the geometry book for you.
22- Infinite Powers: The Story of Calculus – The Language of the Universe
The book Infinite Powers: The Story of Calculus is a must-read for anybody interested in mathematics. In it, we see the very best of what people are capable of when they discover the secrets of the world and the secrets of the universe. After only a few pages of reading the book, you will wish Steven Strogatz had been your calculus teacher. Some authors assert that they are intelligent, and others write with the explicit purpose of making their readers smart. Strogatz fits within the latter of these two categories of people. He will instill such a passion for mathematics in you, no matter what stage of your education you are at in terms of mathematics.
First and foremost, the author wishes you to be aware that calculus is concerned with the concept of simplicity. Afterward, he exposes his reader to the world of calculus by explaining how mathematics can be found all around us as people in nature and how it is eventually discovered.
