Critics Corner

Reviews of books, websites, poster sets, movies, and other resources for learning and teaching the history of mathematics.

Euler's Gem: The Polyhedron Formula and the Birth of Topology

A sketch of the history of topology, beginning with the polyhedron formula, but continuing up to the present.

Musings of the Masters

Essays on various aspects of mathematical thought by prominent mathematicians of the past century.

Review of The Math Book

In this fascinating and accessible book, the author devotes one lively, informative page of description and one striking, full-page illustration to each of 250 milestones in mathematics.

Negative Math

The story of the negative numbers

ABOUT Website on History of Mathematics

A section of a much larger website, dealing with some random topics in the history of mathematics.

A History of Mathematics Education

A reprint of the 32nd yearbook of the NCTM, dealing with developments in mathematics education in the U.S. and Canada. In particular, it gives a history of the various reform movements up to the publication date of 1980.

Yearning for the Impossible: The Surprising Truths of Mathematics

This book explores the history of mathematics from the perspective of the creative tension between common sense and the "impossible" as the author follows the discovery or invention of new concepts that have marked mathematical progress.

Great Feuds in Mathematics

A lively description of ten of the greatest feuds in mathematics.

How Mathematics Happened: The First 50,000 Years

A popular history of ancient mathematics, dealing with the mathematics of ancient Egypt and Babylonia.

Great Moments in Mathematics Before 1650

A collection of short lectures by Howard Eves giving details on 20 important happenings in the history of mathematics before 1650.