Books that bring out the element of play in mathematics are lamentably
rare, so Edward J. Barbeau’s Power Play is valuable. He quests enthusiastically
for patterns in our number system, uncovering valuable insights and links to the
latest work. All you need is some basic algebra. Published by The Mathematical
Association of America, $29, ISBN 0883855232.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
2
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
3
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
4
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
5
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
6
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
7
I’m the first person whose life was saved by CRISPR base editing
8
The race to understand how and when Thwaites glacier will collapse
9
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
10
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
