School mathematics sometimes excite and sometimes scare, and sadly, sometimes bore. In fact, elementary school arithmetic seems to get us through most situations. So why all the rest? This book aspires to give a glimpse into how things started and evolved, and how math can help us today, from simple measurements to navigating using mathematically simplified maps. The accompanying activities (some easier and some more challenging ones) aim to engage you with what was happening at a given time. Answers and explanations are in the end of the book.

Getting and keeping teens interest in mathematics is vital to their future. But how, when there are so many dreary textbooks and repetitive curriculum requirements? Covering everything that they need to know is about all a school can do. What approach would work, when there are million other things for them to do? Ioanna Georgiou and Asuka Young have come up with a novel approach that is based on stories from history - with a twist! Peculiar Deaths combines short stories about key mathematicians from the past and how they died, with details of the mathematical advances that they made. But one of the deaths is made up - but which one? Can Beans Kill You? - Pythagoras Death by Square Root - Hippasus You should not be Disturbing my Circles! - Archimedes What? A Woman Mathematician? Die! - Hypatia A bit of Gambling Killed No-one, Ever - Gerolamo Cardano A Very Rich Way to Die - Tycho Brahe Death by Time Calculation - Abraham De Moivre Just a Bit Too Young - Evariste Galois At the Mental Asylum - Andre Bloch Self-imposed Starvation and other Difficulties - Kurt Gödel Funny and enjoyable stories, with visual puzzles throughout. A great way to learn about mathematics of the past, and for students age 13 and over to enjoy learning and understand key concepts. Perfect for libraries, clubs and as prizes too.