Did you know there are 17 possible types of symmetric wallpaper pattern? Do you know what 'casting out the nines' is? Or why 88 is the fourth 'untouchable' number? Or how 7 is used to test for the onset of dementia. Number fanatic Derrick Niederman has a mission to bring numbers to life. He explores the unique properties of the most exciting numbers from 1 to 200, wherever they may crop up: from mathematics to sport, from history to the natural world, from language to pop culture. Packed with illustrations, amusing facts, puzzles, brainteasers and anecdotes, this is an enthralling and thought-provoking numerical voyage through the history of mathematics, investigating problems of logic, geometry and arithmetic along the way. ***PRAISE FOR THE REMARKABLE LIVES OF NUMBERS*** 'A hugely entertaining pick-and-mix of history, culture and mathematical puzzles.' BBC Focus 'This book is a complete joy. It made me smile. A lot.' Carol Vorderman 'Entertaining and engaging... Once you start reading it's just like the number system itself - impossible to stop.' Ian Stewart 'A fun book... definitely challenging.' Vanity Fair 'All sorts of fascinating mathematical minutiae.' Time Out

From mathematics to word puzzles, from logic to lateral thinking, veteran puzzle maker Niederman delights in tackling the trickiest brainteasers in a new way. Using real-world analogies, infectious humor, and a fresh approach, this deceptively simple volume will challenge, amuse, enlighten, and surprise even the most experienced puzzle solver.

A compulsively readable look at the secret language of numbers- their role in nature, movies, science, and everything in between.
What do "Fight Club," wallpaper patterns, George Balanchine's "Serenade," and Italian superstitions have in common? They're all included in the entry for the number 17 in this engaging book about numbers- detailing their unique properties, patterns, appeal, history, and lore.
Author Derrick Niederman takes readers on a guided tour of the numbers 1 to 300-covering everything from basic mathematical principles to ancient unsolved theorems, from sublime theory to delightfully arcane trivia.
Illustrated with diagrams, drawings, and photographs, plus 50 challenging mathematical brainteasers (with answers), this book will fascinate and engage readers of all levels of mathematical skill and knowledge. Includes such gems as:
? There are 42 eyes in a deck of cards, and 42 dots on a pair of dice
? In order to fill in a map so that neighboring regions never get the same color, one never needs more than four colors
? Hells Angels use the number 81 in their insignia because the initials "H" and "A" are the eighth and first numbers in the alphabet respectively

Unlike other investment books that dole out one brand of advice to a potentially diverse readership, this unique book guides you to your own best personal strategy by showing you what types of stocks fit your individual style. Written in a witty and engaging style by securities analyst and long-time financial columnist Derrick Niederman, The Inner Game of Investing reveals the Seven Stock Market Personalities: The Bargain Hunter, The Visionary, The Contrarian, The Sentimentalist, The Skeptic, The Trader, and The Adventurist. You will be amazed to see how your own psychological attributes and predispositions interact with the market and how they may be blinding you to both habitual mistakes and golden opportunities.
Niederman's invaluable insights extend into other aspects of investing, including widely held, but often misguided beliefs about the irrationality and efficiency of the market, the psychological nuances of dealing with market professionals, and the general psychology of analyzing stocks.
The Inner Game of Investing shines a light into areas of your personal investment process. This is one book that could change the way you invest and raise your stock market skills to a level you never thought possible.

Our society is churning out more numbers than ever before, whether in the form of spreadsheets, brokerage statements, survey results, or just the numbers on the sports pages. Unfortunately, people's ability to understand and analyze numbers isn't keeping pace with today's whizzing data streams. And the benefits of living in the Information Age are available only to those who can process the information in front of them.
"What the Numbers Say offers remedies to this national problem. Through a series of witty and engaging discussions, the authors introduce original quantitative concepts, skills, and habits that reduce even the most daunting numerical challenges to simple, bite-sized pieces. Why do the nutritional values on a Cheerios box appear different in Canada than in the U.S.? How is it that top-performing mutual funds often lose money for the majority of their shareholders? Why was the scoring system for Olympic figure skating doomed even without biased judges?
By anchoring their discussions in real-world scenarios, Derrick Niederman and David Boyum show that skilled quantitative thinking involves old-fashioned logic, not advanced mathematical tools. Useful in an endless number of situations, "What the Numbers Say is the practical guide to navigating today's data-rich world.

"From the Hardcover edition.