Life by the Numbers Paperback - 1999

From the rear cover

From uncanny movie dinosaurs to the loopy physics of the triple axel, Keith Devlin's vibrantly illustrated book illuminates the mathematics inherent in every human endeavor.

"A beautiful book . . . the aim is not to teach but to entertain, and it succeeds. The view that mathematics is dull is replaced by an image of how math can be both interesting and useful, if not all-powerful."— New Scientist.

"A colorful and exciting introduction to the ways in which mathematics can help us to under-stand phenomena. Devlin presents fascinating real-world problems posed by real people and shows how mathematics is used to solve them."— Choice.

"Not in many, many years have I seen a book nearly as instructive and enlightening about the beauty of mathematics. Life by the Numbers is superb."— Amir Aczel, author of Fermat's Last Theorem.

"This wondrous book reveals how, on the brink of the millennium, wizards are using math to bring movie dinosaurs to life, to improve tennis stars' serves, to win sailboat races, and to probe the eeriest corners of the cosmos. A pleasurable read for adult and young alike."— Keay Davidson, coauthor of Wrinkles in Time.

"A fascinating account of many of the ways in which mathematical ideas find application in the world around us. Keith Devlin is to be congratulated for bringing these ideas so accessibly to the public."— Sir Roger Penrose, author of The Emperor's New Mind.