Think of a Number

Johnny Ball - Author

£9.99
Now: £7.99

Think maths is boring? Think again! Join Johnny Ball on a dazzling adventure to infinity and beyond!

Awards

Aventis Prize for Science Books :Winner 2006

Introduction

Maths isn't just about sums and calculations, numbers can take you anywhere. With Think of a Number you'll explore a fantastic world of wonder that is full of surprises. Let Johnny Ball take you on an incredible fact-packed journey - crack codes, unravel mazes and discover why finding a prime number could make you a millionaire!

• Packed with all the fun and humorous facts that other maths books leave out
• Crammed with interactive activities including magic tricks and mind reading techniques!
• Features puzzles and quizzes that can engage the most reluctant of readers

Find out why fleas can jump higher than elephants and investigate the simple puzzles that stumped the world's brainiest mathematicians for centuries! Think of a Number is a maths book unlike any other: instead of calculations and multiplication, this book reveals how weird and wonderful the world of maths can be!

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Press reviews

'Cleverly written and well designed.' Times Education Supplement

'This is a great book for all key stage 2 children and one they will find both entertaining and educational.' Junior

“Genuinely fun and fascinating.” Primary Times

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Interview

From his favourite maths tricks to the mathematicians he most admires, Johnny Ball reveals all about his favourite subject...

How old were you when you discovered that you liked maths?

I was 5 when I discovered I liked maths. I played dominoes with my parents (fives and threes with a double nine set, which I still have).

How did you discover that you were good at maths?

I discovered I was good at maths because I kept coming top in maths tests, and I begged for maths homework.

What's your favourite maths fact?

Maths helps to explain anything and everything.

Do you use maths every day? Do you do complicated sums every day to keep up your maths skills?

Yes - I love brain teasers and tough puzzles and usually do one or two every day.

Do you try to do calculations in your head, or do you use a calculator?

I love adding up long lists of figures. I can do calculations in my head, but also use a calculator to do more complex sums.

If you weren't a mathematician, what would you be?

Like most mathematicians, I have become a polymath, or a person who has found through maths, a greater understanding of almost everything. So I re-designed and doubled the size of my house, wrote many comedy sketches (as comedy and maths have a lot in common), I have written many songs, 5 stage musicals, I wrote all my TV series as well as my six books.

I have taught people skiing, acting, golf, tug of war etc. because my mind can break things down into their essential parts. I have lectured on all aspects of science and technology, on the lives of great scientists, on histories of medicine, Chinese science, electron, nuclear and other forms of power generation and games etc.

What advice would you give to someone who found maths a bit tricky?

If you find maths calculation a bit tricky, don’t worry - that is only numeracy. Maths is much more than numbers. You may have a flair for art and be able to draw in proportion, you may be good at spatial awareness in games, you may be poetic or a good comedian. With any of these, the brain needs to work mathematically. So if you can do any of them, you are a mathematician.

Who do you think is/was the cleverest mathematician?

Archimedes was the greatest ancient mathematician. Isaac Newton was the best ever British mathematician. Leonard Euler was incredibly good and did much of his great maths after he had gone blind, showing that maths is about working within your mind.

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