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For more than twenty-five years, Martin Gardner was "Scientific
American's" renowned provocateur of popular math. His yearly
gatherings of short and inventive problems were easily his most
anticipated math columns. Loyal readers would savor the wit and
elegance of his explorations in physics, probability, topology, and
chess, among others. Grouped by subject and arrayed from easiest to
hardest, the puzzles gathered here, which complement the lengthier,
more involved problems in "The Colossal Book of Mathematics," have
been selected by Gardner for their illuminating; and often
bewildering; solutions. Filled with over 300 illustrations, this
new volume even contains nine new mathematical gems that Gardner,
now ninety, has been gathering for the last decade. No amateur or
expert math lover should be without this indispensable volume; a
capstone to Gardner's seventy-year career.
Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile is a volume of
high-quality botanical art depicting the rich diversity and beauty
of Chile’s unique forested areas where for the last 25 years the
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has engaged in collaborative
research and conservation initiatives. Featuring 81 unique
watercolour paintings painstakingly and accurately record the
minutest of details to bring alive the beautiful plant life of a
fascinating part of the world.
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The Yew Hedge (Hardcover)
Martin Gardner; Illustrated by Jacqui Pestell
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R530
Discovery Miles 5 300
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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The Yew Hedge by Martin Gardner from the Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh tells the fascinating story of some remarkable native
forests and heritage trees of the European yew (Taxus baccata)
located in the UK and overseas. The progeny of the trees have been
planted to form a unique conservation hedge which now surrounds the
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. It comprises of almost 2000 trees
collected from 16 countries where they are threatened.
For many decades, Martin Gardner, the Grand Master of mathematical
puzzles, has provided the tools and projects to furnish our
all-too-sluggish minds with an athletic workout. Gardner's problems
foster an agility of the mind as they entertain. This volume
presents a new collection of problems and puzzles not previously
published in book form. Martin Gardner has dedicated it to "all the
underpaid teachers of mathematics everywhere, who love their
subject and are able to communicate that love to their students."
Published in 1955 under the direction of psychiatrist William
Sadler, "The Urantia Book" is the largest and most sophisticated
work of New Age literature ever produced. This massive tome is
believed by devotees to be a revelation to our world, which is
allegedly called 'Urantia' in the language of the unseen higher
beings credited with inspiring the book. Unlike other channelled
'bibles', "The Urantia Book" contains a vast amount of modern
science as well as an extensive biography of Jesus Christ, filled
with details not found in the Gospels. Well-known sceptic and
acclaimed popular science writer Martin Gardner presents a complete
history of the Urantia movement, from its beginnings in the early
20th century to the present day.In addition to providing an outline
of the Urantia cult's worldview, Gardner presents strong evidence
to establish the identity of the man whose trance-like orations
formed the basis of the book. Gardner also analyzes the flaws in
Urantian science and points out many instances of plagiarism in
various sections of the book. In a new postscript to this paperback
edition, Gardner details recent developments in the Urantia
movement, corrects some errors in the original edition, and
responds to critical reactions from Urantia believers to his
sceptical perspective on the book and the movement. Although there
are other histories of "The Urantia Book", this is the only one
written by a sceptic. Anyone interested in the New Age, cults, or
the development of new religions will find much fascinating
material in Gardner's thorough overview.
Whether discussing hexaflexagons or number theory, Klein bottles or
the essence of "nothing," Martin Gardner has single-handedly
created the field of "recreational mathematics." The Colossal Book
of Mathematics collects together Gardner's most popular pieces from
his legendary "Mathematical Games" column, which ran in Scientific
American for twenty-five years. Gardner's array of absorbing
puzzles and mind-twisting paradoxes opens mathematics up to the
world at large, inspiring people to see past numbers and formulas
and experience the application of mathematical principles to the
mysterious world around them. With articles on topics ranging from
simple algebra to the twisting surfaces of Mobius strips, from an
endless game of Bulgarian solitaire to the unreachable dream of
time travel, this volume comprises a substantial and definitive
monument to Gardner's influence on mathematics, science, and
culture. In its twelve sections, The Colossal Book of Math explores
a wide range of areas, each startlingly illuminated by Gardner's
incisive expertise. Beginning with seemingly simple topics, Gardner
expertly guides us through complicated and wondrous worlds: by way
of basic algebra we contemplate the mesmerizing, often hilarious,
linguistic and numerical possibilities of palindromes; using simple
geometry, he dissects the principles of symmetry upon which the
renowned mathematical artist M. C. Escher constructs his unique,
dizzying universe. Gardner, like few thinkers today, melds a
rigorous scientific skepticism with a profound artistic and
imaginative impulse. His stunning exploration of "The Church of the
Fourth Dimension," for example, bridges the disparate worlds of
religion and science by brilliantly imagining the spatial
possibility of God's presence in the world as a fourth dimension,
at once "everywhere and nowhere." With boundless wisdom and his
trademark wit, Gardner allows the reader to further engage
challenging topics like probability and game theory which have
plagued clever gamblers, and famous mathematicians, for centuries.
Whether debunking Pascal's wager with basic probability, making
visual music with fractals, or uncoiling a "knotted doughnut" with
introductory topology, Gardner continuously displays his fierce
intelligence and gentle humor. His articles confront both the
comfortingly mundane—"Generalized Ticktacktoe" and "Sprouts and
Brussel Sprouts"—and the quakingly abstract—"Hexaflexagons,"
"Nothing," and "Everything." He navigates these staggeringly
obscure topics with a deft intelligence and, with addendums and
suggested reading lists, he informs these classic articles with new
insight. Admired by scientists and mathematicians, writers and
readers alike, Gardner's vast knowledge and burning curiosity
reveal themselves on every page. The culmination of a lifelong
devotion to the wonders of mathematics, The Colossal Book of
Mathematics is the largest and most comprehensive math book ever
assembled by Gardner and remains an indispensable volume for the
amateur and expert alike.
Only an elementary knowledge of math is needed to enjoy this entertaining compilation of brain-teasers. It includes a mixture of old and new riddles covering a variety of mathematical topics: money, speed, plane and solid geometry, probability, topology, tricky puzzles and more. Carefully explained solutions follow each problem. 65 black-and-white illustrations.
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Hunter's Run (Paperback)
George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Abraham
2
bundle available
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R315
R299
Discovery Miles 2 990
Save R16 (5%)
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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A powerful tale of betrayal, trickery and sheer human grit from a
dream-team of authors In a fight outside a bar Ramon Espejo kills a
man. Next day, all hell breaks loose. The dead man was a big shot,
a diplomat on a mission to the out-world of Sao Paulo. Ramon goes
on the run, heading north toward unexplored territory, land so far
only glimpsed from orbit during the first colony surveys. Ramon has
gone from being nothing in the hills of Mexico to being nothing on
Sao Paulo. He makes a bare living prospecting for minerals. Maybe
God meant him to be poor, or he wouldn't have made him so mean. He
can't even remember why he killed the European, only the drinking,
and the rage that followed. Better to be alone in the wild
landscape ... off the map, beyond law and civilization. Each trip
out he's sure will be the big one that'll make him rich. This one,
too. Instead he finds something else, something terrifying. Or
rather, it finds him, and uses him: as humans are used by species
more intelligent than themselves. But Ramon Espejo is about to
prove what a man is capable of. Ramon is about to demonstrate what
it is to be human; to be angry, intelligent and alive. And he is
about to discover his function in the broad flow of the universe.
And why it was he killed the diplomat in the first place...
In this lively collection, Gardner examines the rich and hilarious
variety of pseudoscientific conjectures that dominate the media
today. With a special emphasis on parapsychology and occultism,
these witty pieces address the evidence put forth to support claims
of ESP, psychokinesis, faith healing, and other pseudoscience.
The Magic Numbers of Dr. Matrix draws us into the intriguing and
fascinating world of numbers and number theory. "Numbers, you know,
have a mysterious life of their own. It would be naive," claims Dr.
Matrix, "to suppose that there is such a thing as a randomly
arranged group of symbols." Consider, for example, the decimal
expansion of pi. Long considered a random series, it is actually
rich with remarkable patterns. "Correctly interpreted," says Dr.
Matrix, "pi conveys the entire history of the human race." Dr.
Matrix uncovers patterns and signs that will astound you. As Dr.
Matrix demonstrates, we need only look to find clues all around us
in number and language "coincidences" that will unlock the
mysteries of the universe. In The Magic Numbers of Dr. Matrix,
Martin Gardner introduces us to this extraordinary man, Dr. Irving
Joshua Matrix. Believed by many to be the greatest numerologist who
ever lived, Dr. Matrix claims to be a reincarnation of Pythagoras.
He was, however, completely unknown to the scientific community
until Gardner wrote about him in Scientific American in 1960. That
first report and the subsequent ones that appeared with each new
encounter are collected here in their entirety. We follow Dr.
Matrix as he roams the world and assumes new identities and
discovers new manifestations of the power of numbers to explain and
predict and entertain. Always at his side is his beautiful Eurasian
daughter, Iva, who abets and protects her father in each new
adventure. As you delve into The Magic Numbers of Dr. Matrix, you
will master some significant combinatorial mathematics and number
theory. The many remarkable puzzles of Dr. Matrix are all clearly
answered in the back of the book, together with commentary and
references by Gardner to enlighten the uninitiated and entertain
the inquiring reader.
Experiment with cryptography-the science of secret writing. Cipher and decipher codes: transposition and polyalphabetical ciphers, famous codes, typewriter and telephone codes, codes that use playing cards, knots, and swizzle sticks...even invisible writing and sending messages through outer space. Hours of intrigue and challenge. 45 diagrams.
For many decades, Martin Gardner, the Grand Master of mathematical
puzzles, has provided the tools and projects to furnish our
all-too-sluggish minds with an athletic workout. Gardner's problems
foster an agility of the mind as they entertain. This volume
presents a new collection of problems and puzzles not previously
published in book form. Martin Gardner has dedicated it to "all the
underpaid teachers of mathematics everywhere, who love their
subject and are able to communicate that love to their students."
Commissioned by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, these tales
of dangerous women by the most stellar names in fiction are
available for the first time in three-volume paperback. George R.R.
Martin is the bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the
inspiration for HBO's hit series Game of Thrones. This first volume
features an original 35,000 word novella by George R.R. Martin.
'The Princess and the Queen' reveals the origins of the civil war
in Westeros (before the events in A Game of Thrones), which is
known as the Dance of the Dragons, pitting Targaryen against
Targaryen and dragon against dragon. Other authors in this volume
of warriors, bad girls and dragonriders include worldwide
bestselling authors Brandon Sanderson, Lawrence Block and Nancy
Kress. DANGEROUS WOMEN 1 Gardner Dozois's introduction George R. R.
Martin, 'The Princess and the Queen' Carrie Vaughn, 'Raisa
Stepanova' Nancy Kress,'"Second Arabesque, Very Slowly' Lawrence
Block, 'I Know How to Pick 'Em' Megan Abbott, 'My Heart Is Either
Broken' Joe R. Lansdale, 'Wrestling Jesus' Brandon Sanderson,
'Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell'
Magical Mathematics reveals the secrets of fun-to-perform card
tricks--and the profound mathematical ideas behind them--that will
astound even the most accomplished magician. Persi Diaconis and Ron
Graham provide easy, step-by-step instructions for each trick,
explaining how to set up the effect and offering tips on what to
say and do while performing it. Each card trick introduces a new
mathematical idea, and varying the tricks in turn takes readers to
the very threshold of today's mathematical knowledge. Diaconis and
Graham tell the stories--and reveal the best tricks--of the
eccentric and brilliant inventors of mathematical magic. The book
exposes old gambling secrets through the mathematics of shuffling
cards, explains the classic street-gambling scam of three-card
Monte, traces the history of mathematical magic back to the oldest
mathematical trick--and much more.
The bestselling Annotated Alice was the first work to decode the wordplay and mathematical riddles in Carroll's classic stories. This Definitive Edition comgines the notes of Gardner's 1960s edition, together with hundreds of newer discoveries.
Characters from "Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass"
populate these 88 puzzles involving word play, logic and metalogic,
and philosophical paradoxes. The charmingly illustrated challenges
range from easy to difficult and include solutions.
93 riddles, mazes, illusions, tricky questions, word and picture puzzles, other entertainments for youngsters. Hilarious drawings. Solutions.
Of all of Martin Gardner's writings, none gained him a wider
audience or was more central to his reputation than his
Mathematical Recreations column in Scientific American, which
virtually defined the genre of popular mathematics writing for a
generation. Flatland, Hydras and Eggs: Mathematical Mystifications
will be the final collection of these columns, covering a period
roughly from 1979 to Gardner's retirement as a regular columnist in
1986. The notable trend over Gardner's career is the increasing
sophistication of the mathematics he has been able to translate
into his famously lucid prose. These columns show him at the top of
his form and are not to be missed by anyone with an interest in
mathematics. As always in his published collections, Gardner
includes letters received from mathematicians and other commenting
on the ideas presented in the columns.
Most popular Russian puzzle book ever published. Marvelously varied puzzles ranging from simple "catch" riddles to difficult problems. Lavishly illustrated with clear diagrams and amusing sketches. Edited for English-readers, while retaining warmth and charm of original. Inexpensive edition of first English translation. Introduction by Martin Gardner. 425 line illustrations. Solutions.
This book contains scores of intriguing puzzles and paradoxes from
Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, whose interests
ranged from inventing new games like Arithmetical Croquet to
important problems in symbolic logic and propositional calculus.
Written by Carroll expert and well-known mathematics author Martin
Gardner, this tour through Carroll's inventions is both fun and
informative.
This book contains scores of intriguing puzzles and paradoxes from
Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, whose interests
ranged from inventing new games like Arithmetical Croquet to
important problems in symbolic logic and propositional calculus.
Written by Carroll expert and well-known mathematics author Martin
Gardner, this tour through Carroll's inventions is both fun and
informative.
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Dreamsongs: Volume I (Paperback)
George R. R. Martin; Introduction by Gardner Dozois
1
bundle available
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R666
R572
Discovery Miles 5 720
Save R94 (14%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Even before "A Game of Thrones, " George R. R. Martin had already
established himself as a giant in the field of fantasy literature.
The first of two stunning collections, "Dreamsongs: Volume I "is a
rare treat for readers, offering fascinating insight into his
journey from young writer to award-winning master.
Gathered here in "Dreamsongs: ""Volume I "are the very best of
George R. R. Martin's early works, including his Hugo, Nebula, and
Bram Stoker award-winning stories, cool fan pieces, and the
original novella "The Ice Dragon, " from which Martin's "New York
Times "bestselling children's book of the same title originated. A
dazzling array of subjects and styles that features extensive
author commentary, "Dreamsongs, Volume I "is the perfect collection
for both Martin devotees and a new generation of fans.
"Fans, genre historians and aspiring writers alike will find this
shelf-bending retrospective as impressive as it is
intriguing."--"Publishers Weekly"
""Dreamsongs "is the ideal way to discover . . . a master of
science fiction, fantasy and horror. . . . Martin is a writer like
no other."--"The Guardian "(U.K.)
PRAISE FOR GEORGE R. R. MARTIN
"Of those who work in the grand epic-fantasy tradition, Martin is
by far the best. In fact . . . this is as good a time as any to
proclaim him the American Tolkien."--"Time"
"Long live George Martin . . . a literary dervish, enthralled by
complicated characters and vivid language, and bursting with the
wild vision of the very best tale tellers."--"The New York
Times"
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"I always expect the best from George R. R. Martin, and he always
delivers."--Robert Jordan
Commissioned by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, these tales
of dangerous women by the most stellar names in fiction are
available for the first time in three-volume paperback. George R.R.
Martin is the bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the
inspiration for HBO's hit series GAME OF THRONES. This second
volume features an original short story by Megan Lindholm (who also
writes as Robin Hobb). In the bittersweet 'Neighbors' Sarah, a
rather strange widow, lives isolated and alone, surrounded by young
families. But is the old lady afflicted by dementia - or by
something far more odd? Other contributors to this volume of
stories of formidable women include worldwide bestselling authors
Diana Gabaldon, with an Outlander story, Sharon Kay Penman and Lev
Grossman. DANGEROUS WOMEN 2 Gardner Dozois's introduction Megan
Lindholm, 'Neighbors' Lev Grossman, 'The Girl in the Mirror' Sharon
Kay Penman, 'A Queen in Exile' S. M. Stirling, 'Pronouncing Doom'
Caroline Spector, 'Lies My Mother Told Me' Sam Sykes, 'Name the
Beast' Diana Gabaldon, 'Virgins'
Noted expert selects 70 "short" puzzles. The Returning Explorer, The Mutilated Chessboard, Scrambled Box Tops, and 67 more. Solutions included.
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