The Number Devil

By Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Rotraut Susanne Berner (Illustrator), Michael Henry Heim (Translator)

A boy's dreams reveal the magical world of numbers with a mischievous guide.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 7,506 ratings

264 pages

$23.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Robert, a math-hating boy, embarks on a dream journey with a cunning Number Devil. Through twelve dreams, he explores infinite numbers, primes, and Fibonacci sequences. As Robert delves deeper into this enchanting numerical realm, he discovers the beauty and mystery hidden within mathematics. Will his newfound understanding change his view of numbers forever? Dive into a world where math becomes a thrilling adventure.

From the publisher

The international best-seller that makes mathematics a thrilling exploration In twelve dreams, Robert, a boy who hates math, meets a Number Devil, who leads him to discover the amazing world of numbers: infinite numbers, prime numbers, Fibonacci numbers, numbers that magically appear in triangles, and numbers that expand without end. As we dream with him, we are taken further and further into mathematical theory, where ideas eventually take flight, until everyone–from those who fumble over fractions to those who solve complex equations in their heads–winds up marveling at what numbers can do. Hans Magnus Enzensberger is a true polymath, the kind of superb intellectual who loves thinking and marshals all of his charm and wit to share his passions with the world. In The Number Devil, he brings together the surreal logic of Alice in Wonderland and the existential geometry of Flatland with the kind of math everyone would love, if only they had a number devil to teach them.

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