- Marcus du Sautoy

The Number Mysteries: A Mathmatical Odyssey through Everyday Life

By Marcus du Sautoy

From the most famous mathematician in Britain comes the ultimate handikit to mathematics. From hopscotch to Wayne Rooney with lots and lots of games to play, The Number Mysteries shows why mathematics really is at the heart of everything we do.

‘Mind-bending, fascinating and useful too. Maths didn’t used to be this much fun.’
Alan Davies.

We are all taught how fundamental maths is to the world we live. But did you know that Wayne Rooney solves a quadratic equation every time he connects with a cross to put the ball in the back of the net? That we use prime numbers when we shop on the Internet? Or that you can win $1 million just by solving one of the five puzzles in The Num8er My5teries?

In The Num8er My5teries, Marcus du Sautoy – mathematician, footballer and amateur musician – brings to life the beauty behind five mathematical puzzles that have contributed to our understanding of the world around us and have helped develop the technology to cope with it. With load of games to play and puzzles to solve this is a maths book for all ages from 1-101.

In The Num8er My5teries you will learn everything from how to better your chances at Rock, Paper, Scissors and break uncrackable codes, to uncovering the shape of the universe and predict the future. It will also show you how maths really is at the heart of everything that we do.

Author: Marcus du Sautoy
Format: Hardback
Release Date: 08 Jul 2010
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-0-00-727862-6
Marcus du Sautoy has been named by the Independent on Sunday as one of the UK's leading scientists, has written extensively for the Guardian, The Times and the Daily Telegraph and has appeared on Radio 4 on numerous occasions. In 2008 he was appointed to Oxford University’s prestigious professorship as the Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science, a post previously held by Richard Dawkins.

‘Careful now! This book may trick you into learning something. Warning! Don't start reading this unless you have something to scribble on. Someday all maths will be taught like this. If Maths is the Queen of Sciences, this is her with her petticoats undone’Dara O'Briain -

'Mind-bending, fascinating and useful too. Maths didn't used to be this much fun.' Alan Davies -

'A distinguished biologist and I were being escorted through the Panama jungle by an enthusiastic field worker, when the great man whispered to me, 'What a joy to be shown around by a man who really loves his animals.' The joke was that that man's animals were plants. Numbers are Marcus du Sautoy's animals, and his love for them glows on every page. Marcus du Sautoy is the Steve Irwin of the number kingdom.'Richard Dawkins -

'This book has interesting puzzles to solve, fun maths to do, and much, much more!!!'Sean White, aged 8 -