I recently listened to the audio book version of Alex Bellos’ Alex’s Adventures in Numberland. I found it absolutely fascinating and plan on listening to it or reading it again (I’d love to get a hard copy). Alex gives depth and colour to the world of mathematics by exploring its history and use in differing cultures all over the world.
I’m a mathematics tutor with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and even I learned so many things that I didn’t know about numbers and mathematics, and it gave me a lot of novel ideas about how to convey mathematical concepts to my students. Alex delves into many topics and facets of maths that most students will never get to hear about, and this makes maths really come alive compared to what students typically experience in school. In regards to the audio book, I loved Alex’s narration and felt I was right there with him travelling the globe and meeting the amazing people Alex interviews. I highly recommend this book, even for people who don’t think they are a fan of maths. This book will open up the true world of mathematics for you.