One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2004 "Keith Ball demonstrated that though math may not be laugh-out-loud hilarious, it is deeply and gloriously satisfying... Ball's style is pacy and informal, and he does far more than just show off polished results. This is math with the hood up and the engine running."
Ben Longstaff, New Scientist "A recreational math book ... Read morewith enough heft to give its intended audience a series of mental workouts, ranging from the rough equivalent of a stroll to the corner mailbox to a hard mile run. The writing style is open and engaging."
Choice "A gem... Each topic is taken up in a setting that immediately generates interest ... Ball's achievement is to have come up with a selection of topics which are fresh and unusual... It is a pleasure to report that the book is written in limpid, graceful, elegant English prose
nowadays a nearly vanished species."
Stacy G. Langton, MAA Online "The author's writing style is informal, inviting, and clear... This book gives a lively and carefully written treatment of a number of interesting topics... The range of topics is wide, so even the experienced mathematician may learn something new."
Harold R. Parks, Notices of the American Mathematical Society "[I]f you salivate at the thought of working those calculations, then run don't walk to the bookshop
for once they've produced a book just for you."
Peter Spitz, Popular Science Show Less