The Magic of Math: Solving for x and Figuring Out Why

The world's greatest mental mathematical magician takes us on a spellbinding journey through the wonders of numbers (and more)

"Arthur Benjamin ... joyfully shows you how to make nature's numbers dance."--Bill Nye (the science guy)


The Magic of Math is the math book you wish you had in school. Using a delightful assortment of examples-from ice-cream scoops and poker hands to measuring mountains and making magic squares-this book revels in key mathematical fields including arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus, plus Fibonacci numbers, infinity, and, of course, mathematical magic tricks. Known throughout the world as the "mathemagician," Arthur Benjamin mixes mathematics and magic to make the subject fun, attractive, and easy to understand for math fan and math-phobic alike.

"A positively joyful exploration of mathematics."
-Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Each [trick] is more dazzling than the last."
-Physics World

• Short-Cut Math
• Secrets of Mental Math: The Mathemagician's Guide to Lightning Calculation and Amazing Math Tricks
• Mental Math: Tricks To Become A Human Calculator (For Speed Math, Math Tricks, Vedic Math Enthusiasts & GMAT, GRE, SAT Students) (Volume 1)
• The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity
• Be a Human Calculator: Mere Observation - No Magic
• Math with Bad Drawings: Illuminating the Ideas That Shape Our Reality
• The Trachtenberg Speed System of Basic Mathematics
• How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics
• Math Magic: How to Master Everyday Math Problems, Revised Edition
• Here's Looking at Euclid: From Counting Ants to Games of Chance - An Awe-Inspiring Journey Through the World of Numbers