Summer Math Book List

The end of the school year is nigh. No more teachers, no more books. No more phrases like, “The solution is left as an exercise for the reader.” If you need some light reading for your summer vacation, I highly recommend Math Jokes 4 Mathy Folks. Until you get your hands on a copy, though, here are a few jokes about books to make you smile.

Why was the math book sad?
Because it had so many problems.

Why did the math book become a recluse?
Because no one understood him.

How many math books have you read in your lifetime?
I don’t know. I’m not dead yet.

What book are you reading?
Flatland.
What is it about?
About 120 pages.

Seriously, here are some good math books to read on summer vacation:

• Calculus for Cats by Kenn Amdahl and Jim Loats
• The Calculus Diaries by Jennifer Ouelette
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
• Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott
• Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter
• The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures by Malba Tahan
• Mathematics: From the Birth of Numbers by Jan Gullberg
  
• Prisoner’s Dilemma by William Poundstone
• Proofiness: The Dark Arts of Mathematical Deception by Charles Seife

And if none of those float your boat, try this one from Spiked Math.

If Mathematicians Wrote Joke Books for Kids
http://img.spikedmath.com/comics/340-the-joke-book.png