Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie? ↗

The books people recommended

2009-08-11 · 78 points · 55 comments · 30 books named by at least one person here and at least 3 people overall. The number on the left is how many people named it in this thread.

5
How to Solve It
George Polya
5 here · 42 all-time · #115 overall
Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 1,615 ratings on Amazon
5
Elements
Euclid
5 here · 20 all-time · #327 overall
Buy on Amazon4.8 out of 5, 1,006 ratings on Amazon
4Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning
Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning
Peter J. Eccles
4 here · 6 all-time · #1215 overall
3
Concrete Mathematics
Donald Knuth
3 here · 46 all-time · #98 overall
Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 2 ratings on Amazon
2
Calculus
Spivak
2 here · 99 all-time · #30 overall
Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 187 ratings on Amazon
2
Linear Algebra
Strang
2 here · 60 all-time · #62 overall
Buy on Amazon4.7 out of 5, 48 ratings on Amazon
2
Mathematics
Jan Gullberg
2 here · 37 all-time · #134 overall
Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 528 ratings on Amazon
2
The Princeton Companion to Mathematics
Timothy Gowers
2 here · 26 all-time · #227 overall
Buy on Amazon4.7 out of 5, 454 ratings on Amazon
2How to Prove It
How to Prove It
Daniel J. Velleman
2 here · 13 all-time · #489 overall
Buy on Amazon4.7 out of 5, 425 ratings on Amazon
2Concepts of Modern Mathematics
Concepts of Modern Mathematics
Ian Stewart
2 here · 6 all-time · #1172 overall
2Naive Set Theory
Naive Set Theory
Halmos
2 here · 5 all-time · #1367 overall
2Mathematician's Delight
Mathematician's Delight
W. W. Sawyer
2 here · 4 all-time · #1730 overall
1
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
Harold Abelson
1 here · 316 all-time · #2 overall
Buy on Amazon4.7 out of 5, 742 ratings on Amazon
1
The Elements of Style
William Strunk Jr.
1 here · 38 all-time · #129 overall
Buy on Amazon4.7 out of 5, 7,297 ratings on Amazon
1
Linear Algebra Done Right
Sheldon Axler
1 here · 36 all-time · #142 overall
Buy on Amazon4.7 out of 5, 736 ratings on Amazon
1Algebra
Algebra
Israel Gelfand
1 here · 20 all-time · #322 overall
Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 94 ratings on Amazon
1What Is Mathematics?
What Is Mathematics?
Richard Courant
1 here · 17 all-time · #385 overall
Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 571 ratings on Amazon
1Road to Reality
Road to Reality
Roger Penrose
1 here · 14 all-time · #462 overall
Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 1,265 ratings on Amazon
1The Fabric of the Cosmos
The Fabric of the Cosmos
Brian Greene
1 here · 12 all-time · #516 overall
Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 2,315 ratings on Amazon
1Calculus on Manifolds
Calculus on Manifolds
Michael Spivak
1 here · 11 all-time · #571 overall
Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 144 ratings on Amazon
1Discrete Mathematics with Applications
Discrete Mathematics with Applications
Susanna S. Epp
1 here · 10 all-time · #688 overall
1Advanced Engineering Mathematics
Advanced Engineering Mathematics
Erwin Kreyszig
1 here · 9 all-time · #722 overall
1Basic Mathematics
Basic Mathematics
Serge Lang
1 here · 7 all-time · #985 overall
1Journey Through Genius
Journey Through Genius
William Dunham
1 here · 6 all-time · #1066 overall
1Discrete Mathematics
Discrete Mathematics
NL Biggs
1 here · 6 all-time · #1110 overall
1Geometry
Geometry
Robin Hartshorne
1 here · 5 all-time · #1374 overall
1Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
Charles Seife
1 here · 4 all-time · #1563 overall
1The Mathematical Experience
The Mathematical Experience
Philip J. Davis
1 here · 4 all-time · #1564 overall
1Trigonometry
Trigonometry
Israel Gelfand
1 here · 4 all-time · #1565 overall
1The World of Mathematics
The World of Mathematics
James Newman
1 here · 3 all-time · #2003 overall