Customer Reviews
a fascinating book with a brave title - By: Paul Carson, 09 Jul 2001 
There aren't many good maths books out there, but this is definitely one of them. It manages to describe the concepts - mentioned belowin other reviews - so well that by the end you wish you could meet the author & have a chat about mathematics; the sign of a really good book.
The level is about 18+ & it will be of great benefit to maths students going to or at university. It was recommended to me by my lecturer; not surprisingly, I ignored him, but I found it a few years later. I kicked myself when i finished...I wish i had read it earlier. The title doesn't help either...it turns you off immediately...so he's either brave or stupid to call it that...!
It is true that e is an extremely important number, & really, it is far more interesting than piin many ways. Unravelling its history leads to an explanation of many interesting areas of mathematics, & calculus is described well. The explanation of logs wasn't all that great, but it tied the book together.
If you're a maths student, it will help give subjects you cover some background & perspective. You may understand them better too, so...go & read it now!
The pleasure of mathematics - By: , 26 Dec 2000 All students who have undertaken a calculus course know that "e" is a very important number & on eof the cornerstones of modern mathematics; but very few students - I am afraid - know its fascinating story. That's why Eli Maor decided to fill this gap & to write his book on the story of "e": he starts with the invention of logarithms by the Scottish nobleman John Napier & guides the readerin a wonderful voyage through the mathematical discoveries of the last four centuries. In this voyage, the interested reader can meet real giants of mathematics such as Newton, Euler & the Bernoullis; he can study curious mathematical curves such as the logarithmic spiral & the catenary; he can understand how calculus was born & how it developedin the minds of the great mathematicians of the 17th Century. The book is noteworthy because of the crystal-clear mathematical accuracy with which Eli Maor explains the facts of his story; therefore a maths background is necessary to enjoy reading this book. Finally, eli Maor makes his book even more interesting by adding some "capsules" on various subjects, such as the importance of hyperbolic functions, the relationship between music & maths, the beauty of the decorative patterns that use the logarithmic spiral. A book that should bein the library of every maths-loving person.
For mystics, philosophers, or even mathematicians! - By: , 16 Jun 2000 This is a truly excellent book. This is not a collection of bound papers, this is an exhaustive study of e & we are guided by the author's own thoughts & opinions throughout. Collections of papers, although useful in saving us the legwork, are a cop-out. The author(s) does not need to make any personal input at all. It is the author's easy & informative style that makes this book so accessible to such a wide audience. Whether you are a mystic, a philosopher, a numerologist or just an ordinary mathematician, you will not be disappointed with this work!
A-level maths standard, but explained in historical context - By: M. Ringrose, 12 May 2000 This book quite clearly explains a lot of well-known theorems & their historical context. It is not "high-brow" or obtuse, as some maths history books can be. It is not necessary to read the proofs if you don't want to. It is not just about "e", but explains a little about pi & i also. The only bit that I found confusing at first was the lack of a worked example of Napiers original logarithm table, which is very earlyin the book. Neither did I think that there was an explanation of the practical logic behind Napier's original sparse log tables (apart from the fact that they take a long time to create by hand). However, there is a worked example near the end of the book.
An interesting little curiousity... - By: , 12 Feb 2000 
I thought this was & excellent book, tracing the story of e from Napier logarithms through to the development of calculus & beyond. The author's style is excellent producing an interesting, easily read, non-technical history which fleshes out some of the great charactersin the history mathematics. There are also some really diverting asides. If you've any interestin the history of mathematics, I'd recommend this.
