50 Books like Arithmetic

Is Maths Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics’ Deepest Truths

by Eugenia Cheng • 2023

Math is not about right answers but about asking why. A manifesto for the curious.

3.52

731

📐 Philosophy Of Math 🧮 Mathematical Thinking 📚 Math Pedagogy

Is Maths Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics’ Deepest Truths Summary

Is Maths Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics’ Deepest Truths 96%

Math is not about right answers but about asking why. A manifesto for the curious.

by Eugenia Cheng 2023

3.52

731 ratings

📐 Philosophy Of Math 🧮 Mathematical Thinking 📚 Math Pedagogy

Pluses and Minuses

by Stefan Buijsman • 2018

Three mathematical discoveries run your digital life; understanding them is simpler than you think.

3.41

290

🧮 Applied Mathematics 📜 History Of Mathematics 🔢 Mathematical Literacy

Pluses and Minuses 96%

Three mathematical discoveries run your digital life; understanding them is simpler than you think.

by Stefan Buijsman 2018

3.41

290 ratings

🧮 Applied Mathematics 📜 History Of Mathematics 🔢 Mathematical Literacy

Alex's Adventures in Numberland

by Alex Bellos • 2010

How counting became civilization's greatest invention, and the puzzling patterns it revealed.

4.12

6k+

Alex's Adventures in Numberland 95%

How counting became civilization's greatest invention, and the puzzling patterns it revealed.

by Alex Bellos 2010

4.12

6k+ ratings

Letters to a Young Mathematician

by Ian Stewart • 2006

Proof is story, pure and applied one: a mathematician's letters on the creative life of numbers.

3.86

2k+

🧩 Mathematical Proof 🎓 Math Education 💡 Mathematical Creativity

Letters to a Young Mathematician Summary

Letters to a Young Mathematician 95%

Proof is story, pure and applied one: a mathematician's letters on the creative life of numbers.

by Ian Stewart 2006

3.86

2k+ ratings

🧩 Mathematical Proof 🎓 Math Education 💡 Mathematical Creativity

The Grapes of Math

by Alex Bellos • 2014

Seashells, cities, and stock crashes obey the same hidden math. A guided tour of the patterns.

4.09

984

The Grapes of Math 95%

Seashells, cities, and stock crashes obey the same hidden math. A guided tour of the patterns.

by Alex Bellos 2014

4.09

984 ratings

What's the Use?

by Ian Stewart • 2021

Kidney matches, secure websites, movie animation: the invisible math that built the modern world.

3.54

175

📐 Applied Mathematics 📊 Mathematical Modeling 🔍 Hidden Mathematics

What's the Use? 95%

Kidney matches, secure websites, movie animation: the invisible math that built the modern world.

by Ian Stewart 2021

3.54

175 ratings

📐 Applied Mathematics 📊 Mathematical Modeling 🔍 Hidden Mathematics

Thinking In Numbers

by Daniel Tammet • 2013

Numbers live in a family of nine, an Icelandic counting word, snowflakes, and how decades shrink.

3.53

2k+

🧮 Everyday Mathematics 🌍 Cultural Mathematics ✨ Mathematical Imagination

Thinking In Numbers 94%

Numbers live in a family of nine, an Icelandic counting word, snowflakes, and how decades shrink.

by Daniel Tammet 2013

3.53

2k+ ratings

🧮 Everyday Mathematics 🌍 Cultural Mathematics ✨ Mathematical Imagination

Why Study Mathematics?

by Vicky Neale • 2020

A math degree opens careers from kidney swaps to climate models. Effort trumps genius every time.

3.97

📐 Applied Mathematics 🧠 Growth Mindset 📊 Data Science

Why Study Mathematics? 94%

A math degree opens careers from kidney swaps to climate models. Effort trumps genius every time.

by Vicky Neale 2020

3.97

38 ratings

📐 Applied Mathematics 🧠 Growth Mindset 📊 Data Science

Mathematica

by David Bessis • 2024

Real math isn't done with symbols. It's done with mental images, physical intuition, and curiosity.

4.18

862

🧮 Mathematical Thinking 💭 Philosophy Of Mathematics 🧠 Intuition And Reason

Mathematica 94%

Real math isn't done with symbols. It's done with mental images, physical intuition, and curiosity.

by David Bessis 2024

4.18

862 ratings

🧮 Mathematical Thinking 💭 Philosophy Of Mathematics 🧠 Intuition And Reason

Speed Mathematics

by Bill Handley • 2003

Calculate faster than a calculator using only a pencil, a circle, and simple subtraction.

3.98

146

🧮 Mental Arithmetic ✂️ Calculation Shortcuts ⚡ Rapid Calculation

Speed Mathematics 94%

Calculate faster than a calculator using only a pencil, a circle, and simple subtraction.

by Bill Handley 2003

3.98

146 ratings

🧮 Mental Arithmetic ✂️ Calculation Shortcuts ⚡ Rapid Calculation

Men of Mathematics

by Eric Temple Bell • 1937

From Descartes to Cantor, the story of mathematics is one of obsession and early graves.

4.10

2k+

📐 History Of Mathematics 📖 Mathematical Biography 🧮 Popular Mathematics

Men of Mathematics 94%

From Descartes to Cantor, the story of mathematics is one of obsession and early graves.

by Eric Temple Bell 1937

4.10

2k+ ratings

📐 History Of Mathematics 📖 Mathematical Biography 🧮 Popular Mathematics

Buddhism

by Damien Keown • 1996

Buddhism has no god, no bible, no pope. What holds its many traditions together?

3.74

3k+

📖 Introductory Buddhism ☸️ Buddhist Philosophy 🛕 Theravada Buddhism

Buddhism 94%

Buddhism has no god, no bible, no pope. What holds its many traditions together?

by Damien Keown 1996

3.74

3k+ ratings

📖 Introductory Buddhism ☸️ Buddhist Philosophy 🛕 Theravada Buddhism

The Joy of X

by Steven H. Strogatz • 2012

Numbers, shapes, and change: the tour of math that makes the universe legible.

4.05

9k+

The Joy of X 94%

Numbers, shapes, and change: the tour of math that makes the universe legible.

by Steven H. Strogatz 2012

4.05

9k+ ratings

Are Numbers Real?

by Brian Clegg • 2016

Invented to count goats, numbers now predict black holes. A history of math's grip on reality.

3.57

288

📜 History Of Mathematics 📐 Popular Mathematics 🔢 History Of Numbers

Are Numbers Real? 94%

Invented to count goats, numbers now predict black holes. A history of math's grip on reality.

by Brian Clegg 2016

3.57

288 ratings

📜 History Of Mathematics 📐 Popular Mathematics 🔢 History Of Numbers

Math-ish

by Jo Boaler • 2024

The brain uses five pathways for math. Schools teach to one, and millions walk away.

4.23

570

🧮 Math Education 🌱 Growth Mindset 🔢 Number Sense

Math-ish 94%

The brain uses five pathways for math. Schools teach to one, and millions walk away.

by Jo Boaler 2024

4.23

570 ratings

🧮 Math Education 🌱 Growth Mindset 🔢 Number Sense

The Universe and the Teacup

by K.C. Cole • 1998

Your gut is wrong about fairness, risk, and scale. Mathematics proves it, elegantly.

3.78

594

The Universe and the Teacup 94%

Your gut is wrong about fairness, risk, and scale. Mathematics proves it, elegantly.

by K.C. Cole 1998

3.78

594 ratings

The Man Who Loved Only Numbers

by Paul Hoffman • 1998

He worked 19 hours a day on amphetamines, crossed four continents, and published 1,475 math papers.

4.06

10k+

📐 Mathematical Biography 🔢 Number Theory ♾️ Infinity

The Man Who Loved Only Numbers 94%

He worked 19 hours a day on amphetamines, crossed four continents, and published 1,475 math papers.

by Paul Hoffman 1998

4.06

10k+ ratings

📐 Mathematical Biography 🔢 Number Theory ♾️ Infinity

The Joy of Abstraction

by Eugenia Cheng • 2022

What if math’s deepest lesson is that context always beats content? A category theorist explains.

3.84

190

🔢 Category Theory 🧠 Mathematical Thinking 📚 Popular Mathematics

The Joy of Abstraction 94%

What if math’s deepest lesson is that context always beats content? A category theorist explains.

by Eugenia Cheng 2022

3.84

190 ratings

🔢 Category Theory 🧠 Mathematical Thinking 📚 Popular Mathematics

Infinite Powers

by Steven H. Strogatz • 2019

GPS, planets, CT scans: one trick solves them all. Break the impossible into infinite tiny parts.

4.29

7k+

🔢 History Of Calculus 📐 Popular Mathematics 🧠 Mathematical Thinking

Infinite Powers 94%

GPS, planets, CT scans: one trick solves them all. Break the impossible into infinite tiny parts.

by Steven H. Strogatz 2019

4.29

7k+ ratings

🔢 History Of Calculus 📐 Popular Mathematics 🧠 Mathematical Thinking

The Math of Life and Death

by Kit Yates • 2019

Key mathematical ideas govern medicine, law, and media, and your intuition gets each one wrong.

3.90

2k+

The Math of Life and Death 93%

Key mathematical ideas govern medicine, law, and media, and your intuition gets each one wrong.

by Kit Yates 2019

3.90

2k+ ratings

Fermat's Enigma

by Simon Singh • 1998

150 years, countless geniuses, one unproven hunch about primes, and a million dollars waiting.

4.3

34k+

🔢 Prime Numbers 📜 History Of Mathematics ❓ Unsolved Problems

Fermat's Enigma 93%

150 years, countless geniuses, one unproven hunch about primes, and a million dollars waiting.

by Simon Singh 1998

4.3

34k+ ratings

🔢 Prime Numbers 📜 History Of Mathematics ❓ Unsolved Problems

What's Math Got to Do with It?

by Jo Boaler • 2008

Why ability grouping and timed tests backfire, and what builds mathematical thinkers instead.

4.28

1k+

🧮 Math Education 🔍 Inquiry-Based Learning 😟 Math Anxiety

What's Math Got to Do with It? 93%

Why ability grouping and timed tests backfire, and what builds mathematical thinkers instead.

by Jo Boaler 2008

4.28

1k+ ratings

🧮 Math Education 🔍 Inquiry-Based Learning 😟 Math Anxiety

Can You Solve My Problems?

by Alex Bellos • 2016

A wolf, a goat, a cabbage, and the puzzles that teach you to think in proofs.

4.03

387

🧩 Recreational Mathematics 📚 Puzzle Collections 🧠 Mathematical Thinking

Can You Solve My Problems? 93%

A wolf, a goat, a cabbage, and the puzzles that teach you to think in proofs.

by Alex Bellos 2016

4.03

387 ratings

🧩 Recreational Mathematics 📚 Puzzle Collections 🧠 Mathematical Thinking

Mathematical Mindsets

by Jo Boaler • 2015

Math ability isn't fixed; every mistake grows the brain, and how you teach determines who succeeds.

4.44

3k+

🧮 Math Education 🧠 Growth Mindset 🔬 Brain Plasticity

Mathematical Mindsets 93%

Math ability isn't fixed; every mistake grows the brain, and how you teach determines who succeeds.

by Jo Boaler 2015

4.44

3k+ ratings

🧮 Math Education 🧠 Growth Mindset 🔬 Brain Plasticity

Shape

by Jordan Ellenberg • 2021

Geometry is not about triangles. It is the hidden structure of pandemics, search, and democracy.

3.73

2k+

Shape 93%

Geometry is not about triangles. It is the hidden structure of pandemics, search, and democracy.

by Jordan Ellenberg 2021

3.73

2k+ ratings

Symmetry

by Marcus du Sautoy • 2007

Symmetry is not just pretty. It solves equations, builds viruses, and corrects your text messages.

3.82

857

Symmetry 93%

Symmetry is not just pretty. It solves equations, builds viruses, and corrects your text messages.

by Marcus du Sautoy 2007

3.82

857 ratings

How to Solve It

by George Pólya • 1944

Most problems are not solved by attacking them harder but by approaching them sideways.

4.12

5k+

🔍 Problem-Solving Heuristics 🧮 Mathematical Thinking 🧠 Heuristic Reasoning

How to Solve It 93%

Most problems are not solved by attacking them harder but by approaching them sideways.

by George Pólya 1944

4.12

5k+ ratings

🔍 Problem-Solving Heuristics 🧮 Mathematical Thinking 🧠 Heuristic Reasoning

Thinking Better

by Marcus du Sautoy • 2021

Mathematical shortcuts that save time, solve problems, and show you what everyone else overlooks.

3.59

618

🧮 Mathematical Thinking 🧠 Mental Shortcuts 🔍 Pattern Recognition

Thinking Better 93%

Mathematical shortcuts that save time, solve problems, and show you what everyone else overlooks.

by Marcus du Sautoy 2021

3.59

618 ratings

🧮 Mathematical Thinking 🧠 Mental Shortcuts 🔍 Pattern Recognition

Innumeracy

by John Allen Paulos • 1988

A lottery ticket, a medical test, a sensational statistic: when smart people can't do the math.

3.78

5k+

🎲 Probability 🔢 Numerical Reasoning 🧠 Cognitive Biases

Innumeracy 93%

A lottery ticket, a medical test, a sensational statistic: when smart people can't do the math.

by John Allen Paulos 1988

3.78

5k+ ratings

🎲 Probability 🔢 Numerical Reasoning 🧠 Cognitive Biases

Hacking Mathematics

by Denis Sheeran • 2018

Stop giving answers, start asking questions: ten shifts that build mathematical thinkers.

4.47

📐 Math Education 🔍 Inquiry-Based Learning 📝 Homework Redesign

Hacking Mathematics 92%

Stop giving answers, start asking questions: ten shifts that build mathematical thinkers.

by Denis Sheeran 2018

4.47

19 ratings

📐 Math Education 🔍 Inquiry-Based Learning 📝 Homework Redesign

How to Bake Pi

by Eugenia Cheng • 2015

Math is logical structure, not calculation. Category theory reveals it; baking makes it stick.

3.64

2k+

How to Bake Pi 92%

Math is logical structure, not calculation. Category theory reveals it; baking makes it stick.

by Eugenia Cheng 2015

3.64

2k+ ratings

The Golden Ratio

by Mario Livio • 2002

Phi appears in shells, galaxies, and the Mona Lisa. A mathematician separates fact from wish.

3.80

6k+

🧮 Mathematical Beauty 👁️ Aesthetic Perception 🤔 Philosophy Of Mathematics

The Golden Ratio 92%

Phi appears in shells, galaxies, and the Mona Lisa. A mathematician separates fact from wish.

by Mario Livio 2002

3.80

6k+ ratings

🧮 Mathematical Beauty 👁️ Aesthetic Perception 🤔 Philosophy Of Mathematics

How to Study for a Mathematics Degree

by Lara Alcock • 2012

School math was calculation. University math is proof. How to bridge the gap without drowning.

4.09

221

🧮 Proof-Based Mathematics 🎓 Math Undergraduates ✍️ Mathematical Writing

How to Study for a Mathematics Degree Summary

How to Study for a Mathematics Degree 92%

School math was calculation. University math is proof. How to bridge the gap without drowning.

by Lara Alcock 2012

4.09

221 ratings

🧮 Proof-Based Mathematics 🎓 Math Undergraduates ✍️ Mathematical Writing

Love and Math

by Edward Frenkel • 2013

Prime numbers and quantum fields share a hidden architecture. Most people never learn it exists.

3.70

4k+

Love and Math 92%

Prime numbers and quantum fields share a hidden architecture. Most people never learn it exists.

by Edward Frenkel 2013

3.70

4k+ ratings

A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper

by John Allen Paulos • 1997

The morning paper rests on hidden math. A mathematician reveals the numbers that change the story.

3.60

1k+

A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper Summary

A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper 92%

The morning paper rests on hidden math. A mathematician reveals the numbers that change the story.

by John Allen Paulos 1997

3.60

1k+ ratings

The Calculus of Friendship

by Steven H. Strogatz • 2009

They traded calculus problems by mail for thirty years. The equations said what they couldn't.

3.87

404

🖋️ Epistolary Friendship 📊 Mathematical Memoir 🔢 Mathematics Of Life

The Calculus of Friendship 92%

They traded calculus problems by mail for thirty years. The equations said what they couldn't.

by Steven H. Strogatz 2009

3.87

404 ratings

🖋️ Epistolary Friendship 📊 Mathematical Memoir 🔢 Mathematics Of Life

Math and the Mona Lisa

by Bülent Atalay • 2004

Before Newton, before Einstein, Leonardo knew the universe is mathematical. He proved it in paint.

3.79

550

🎨 Math In Art 🧠 Polymathy 📐 Golden Ratio

Math and the Mona Lisa 92%

Before Newton, before Einstein, Leonardo knew the universe is mathematical. He proved it in paint.

by Bülent Atalay 2004

3.79

550 ratings

🎨 Math In Art 🧠 Polymathy 📐 Golden Ratio

The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved

by Mario Livio • 2005

A doomed French genius proved an equation unsolvable: his method became physics' hidden language.

3.89

2k+

🧮 Group Theory 📜 History Of Mathematics ⚛️ Modern Physics

The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved Summary

The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved 92%

A doomed French genius proved an equation unsolvable: his method became physics' hidden language.

by Mario Livio 2005

3.89

2k+ ratings

🧮 Group Theory 📜 History Of Mathematics ⚛️ Modern Physics

Once Upon A Number

by John Allen Paulos • 1998

Stories and statistics are two languages your brain was never designed to reconcile.

3.36

228

🧠 Cognitive Biases 🔢 Popular Mathematics 🔍 Philosophy Of Math

Once Upon A Number 92%

Stories and statistics are two languages your brain was never designed to reconcile.

by John Allen Paulos 1998

3.36

228 ratings

🧠 Cognitive Biases 🔢 Popular Mathematics 🔍 Philosophy Of Math

Limitless Mind

by Jo Boaler • 2019

The brain grows most when you struggle and get things wrong. The science that changes how you learn.

4.09

3k+

🧠 Neuroplasticity 🌱 Growth Mindset 🧮 Math Education

Limitless Mind 92%

The brain grows most when you struggle and get things wrong. The science that changes how you learn.

by Jo Boaler 2019

4.09

3k+ ratings

🧠 Neuroplasticity 🌱 Growth Mindset 🧮 Math Education

Prime Obsession

by John Derbyshire • 2003

A conjecture from 1859 ties prime numbers to quantum energy levels. The proof is still missing.

4.15

4k+

🔢 Number Theory ❓ Unsolved Problems 📜 History Of Mathematics

Prime Obsession 92%

A conjecture from 1859 ties prime numbers to quantum energy levels. The proof is still missing.

by John Derbyshire 2003

4.15

4k+ ratings

🔢 Number Theory ❓ Unsolved Problems 📜 History Of Mathematics

Love Triangle

by Matt Parker • 2024

Triangles build skyscrapers, animate movies, and decode sound: the shape that runs the world.

3.93

2k+

Love Triangle 91%

Triangles build skyscrapers, animate movies, and decode sound: the shape that runs the world.

by Matt Parker 2024

3.93

2k+ ratings

Incompleteness

by Rebecca Goldstein • 2005

A genius turned a paradox into a proof that broke the promise of a complete mathematics.

3.99

2k+

📐 Philosophy Of Math 📜 Intellectual History 🔁 Self-Reference

Incompleteness 91%

A genius turned a paradox into a proof that broke the promise of a complete mathematics.

by Rebecca Goldstein 2005

3.99

2k+ ratings

📐 Philosophy Of Math 📜 Intellectual History 🔁 Self-Reference

The Art of Logic in an Illogical World

by Eugenia Cheng • 2018

Mathematical logic isn't about numbers. It's about untangling the arguments tearing us apart.

3.47

2k+

🧮 Mathematical Thinking 🔄 Systems Thinking ⚠️ Logical Fallacies

The Art of Logic in an Illogical World Summary

The Art of Logic in an Illogical World 91%

Mathematical logic isn't about numbers. It's about untangling the arguments tearing us apart.

by Eugenia Cheng 2018

3.47

2k+ ratings

🧮 Mathematical Thinking 🔄 Systems Thinking ⚠️ Logical Fallacies

Numerate Life

by John Allen Paulos • 2015

Your life story is a statistical error: a mathematician breaks down why.

3.49

170

🧮 Mathematical Thinking 📖 Narrative Identity 📊 Statistical Reasoning

Numerate Life 91%

Your life story is a statistical error: a mathematician breaks down why.

by John Allen Paulos 2015

3.49

170 ratings

🧮 Mathematical Thinking 📖 Narrative Identity 📊 Statistical Reasoning

How to Read Numbers

by Tom Chivers • 2021

Missing denominators, tiny samples, and the WWII plane error that bends every news stat.

4.32

478

📊 Statistical Literacy 📰 Media Skepticism ⚠️ Risk Literacy

How to Read Numbers 91%

Missing denominators, tiny samples, and the WWII plane error that bends every news stat.

by Tom Chivers 2021

4.32

478 ratings

📊 Statistical Literacy 📰 Media Skepticism ⚠️ Risk Literacy

Beyond Measure

by James Vincent • 2022

The foot, the pound, the second: none are innocent. How measurement conquered the modern world.

3.85

1k+

🧱 History Of Measurement 🔢 Quantification 📏 Standardization

Beyond Measure 91%

The foot, the pound, the second: none are innocent. How measurement conquered the modern world.

by James Vincent 2022

3.85

1k+ ratings

🧱 History Of Measurement 🔢 Quantification 📏 Standardization

Math for Mystics

by Renna Shesso • 2007

The ancient math that cast spells and built temples, retooled for modern intuition and ritual.

3.68

145

📐 Sacred Geometry 🔢 Number Mysticism 🌀 Esoteric Math

Math for Mystics 91%

The ancient math that cast spells and built temples, retooled for modern intuition and ritual.

by Renna Shesso 2007

3.68

145 ratings

📐 Sacred Geometry 🔢 Number Mysticism 🌀 Esoteric Math

A Beautiful Math

by Tom Siegfried • 2006

Adam Smith, Darwin, and your brain's dopamine all obey the same mathematical logic.

3.59

389

🎲 Game Theory 📜 History Of Science 🔢 Mathematical Modeling

A Beautiful Math 91%

Adam Smith, Darwin, and your brain's dopamine all obey the same mathematical logic.

by Tom Siegfried 2006

3.59

389 ratings

🎲 Game Theory 📜 History Of Science 🔢 Mathematical Modeling

Guesstimation

by Lawrence Weinstein • 2008

How to answer impossible questions with a napkin, a pen, and a few simple guesses.

3.75

432

📝 Back-Of-The-Envelope Math ⚛️ Everyday Physics 🔢 Quantitative Reasoning

Guesstimation 91%

How to answer impossible questions with a napkin, a pen, and a few simple guesses.

by Lawrence Weinstein 2008

3.75

432 ratings

📝 Back-Of-The-Envelope Math ⚛️ Everyday Physics 🔢 Quantitative Reasoning

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