Translated into 16 languages
An illustrated tour of the structures and patterns we call "math."
Math Without Numbers is a vivid, conversational, and wholly original guide to the three main branches of abstract math—topology, analysis, and algebra—which turn out to be surprisingly easy to grasp. This book upends the conventional approach to math, inviting you to think creatively about shape and dimension, the infinite and infinitesimal, symmetries, proofs, and how these concepts all fit together. What awaits readers is a freewheeling tour of the inimitable joys and unsolved mysteries of this curiously powerful subject.
"Meet Milo Beckman, the whizz-kid making maths supercool ... A brilliant book that takes everything we know (and fear) about maths out of the equation"
— The Times of London
"With charm, unwavering enthusiasm, and a lot of cartoons, Math Without Numbers galvanizes the reader through a garden of higher mathematics."
— Jordan Ellenberg, professor of mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, author of How Not To Be Wrong
"Smart and creative ... Beckman's approachable writing and Erazo's delightful illustration combine to tell an insightful and entertaining story about math."
— Giorgia Lupi, author of Dear Data
"Cheerful, chatty, and charming ... Everyone should read this delightful book."
— Ian Stewart, professor of mathematics, University of Warwick, author of Do Dice Play God?
"So delightful! Mathematics is playful, surprising, and enchanting, but those qualities are often obscured behind intimidating equations and formalism. Milo brings them out into the open for everyone to share."
— Sean Carroll, professor of theoretical physics, California Institute of Technology, author of Something Deeply Hidden
"The book's accessible language and illustrations makes understanding ... math concepts feel as effortless as breathing."
— Stefanie Posavec, co-author of Dear Data and Observe, Collect, Draw!
"The book does an excellent job of capturing the essence of what makes math interesting ... A fine addition to my collection."
— Shareef Jackson (Ice Cube's son), STEM Diversity Advocate
"This is the book for you if you've ever been curious about the wonderful ideas and concepts underlying modern math, but been too frightened to make a start."
— Graham Farmelo, author of The Universe Speaks in Numbers
"Math Without Numbers offers an accessible and whimsically illustrated glimpse of what pure mathematicians study, all while capturing the playful spirit with which they do it."
— Grant Sanderson, creator of 3Blue1Brown
"In some ways, this is the best book about pure mathematics for the general reader that I've ever seen ... a delight from end to end."
— Brian Clegg, author of Are Numbers Real?
"A playful paean ... Readers with an abundance of curiosity and the time to puzzle over Beckman's many examples, riddles, and questions, will make many fascinating discoveries."
— Publishers Weekly