The Number Devil
#1819 of 2,654 all-time
The Number Devil
Hans Magnus Enzensberger
4 people recommended it in 3 threads, 2016–2023.
What people on Hacker News said
It's a zany story, but in that respect it provides a refreshing intro into some math concepts.
More importantly, all of them help you gain a new perspective on things.
As a child, I re-read The Number Devil constantly. It introduced me to some really cool mathematical ideas, couched in a cute story.
Significantly better I don't know but when I was a child I was given Der Zahlenteufel. Ein Kopfkissenbuch für alle, die Angst vor der Mathematik haben (The Number Devil) and I liked it very much
One book that works well for techy parents who have kids is The Number Devil. It's fantastic read-with-your-kid-at-bedtime material.
Where it comes up
- Ask HN: Math books that made you significantly better at math? 2023 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: Are there books for mathematics like Feynman's lectures on physics? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift? 2016 · 1 recommendation