Customer Reviews (1)

Pythagoras
The book is an interesting rendition on a well-known topic to mathematicians and scientists. Pythagoras lived from 580 BC to 500 BC. The rendition covers math, the sciences, gods, planets and music. Pythagoras had sway
over the government of Croton-a small group of aristocrats. He was
persecuted in Italy. The followers spread out to Sicily and Greece.
Copernicus credited Pythagoras for the groundwork set forth in
modern Astronomy and musical ratios. The work is an excellent acquisition
for any student project in the arts or sciences.
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Customer Reviews (10)

A wonderful read!
This book is about Archimedes' life. He found out how to measure a circle and the principle of buoyancy. He invented the Archimedes' screw. He moved a ship full of cargo with one hand and a machine he built. And he did all this without electricity. I think that you will love this book.

Great little book
My 12 year old and then my wife have read this nifty little book before I got to read the father's day present. I generally like less-than-one-hour biographies with pictures, particularly of inventors.
Great book for readers at 4th grade level and above.
For adults, if you admit to liking cliff notes, I would recommend this book on Archimedes first, before buying something more scholarly.

A combination of science and history
Placing scientific theory in historical context is a concept that sounds dreadful.My children loved it.They adore the comic stories of Archimedes.My eight year-old son couldn't put it down.As a parent of a boy to 'hates to read,' it was AMAZING to hear my son giggling and laughing out loud while studying history and science on his own.What was even more thrilling, was listening to him apply the knowledge to everything from playing with Knex to a catapult.

One of the Greats
Like others, I read this to my homeschooled children.After reading this book, I probably appreciated Archimedes more than they did.For adults and children alike, this is a great introduction to one of the world's (not just the ancient world's) analytical thinkers.This book presents a good mix of scientific education and humanizing biography.We learn that Archimedes died too soon as the result of a stupid misunderstanding, and the world was denied the other scientific advances that he could have given us.

Do Not Hesitate to Buy This Book!
I have had an interest in buying this book for many years.It is recommended in virtually every reputable catalog.It just always seemed like when essential schoolbooks were purchased, it didn't make sense to purchase a book about just ONE person.Well, that was a gigantic mistake on my part.The accomplishments of Archimedes made him one of the most important founders of science.This captivating book tells the story of Archimedes life AND gives vivid imagery to his accomplishments through simple, effective text and delightful illustrations.From my 3rd grader to my 10th grader, they all eagerly finished the book with enthusiastic comprehension.Of course, the "Eureka" story stood out to all, but other concepts such as levers and water displacement were covered in a way that brought clarity to those scientific principles.So this book is not about one man, but a plethora of important scientific observations. ... Read more

Book Description
Many people have heard two things about Archimedes: he was the greatest mathematician of antiquity, and he ran naked from his bath crying 'Eureka!'. However, few people are familiar with the actual accomplishments upon which his enduring reputation rests, and it is the aim of this book to shed light upon this matter. Archimedes' ability to achieve so much with the few mathematical tools at his disposal was astonishing. He made fundamental advances in the fields of geometry, mechanics, and hydrostatics. No great mathematical expertise is required of the reader, and the book is well illustrated with over 100 diagrams. It will prove fascinating to students and professional mathematicians alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Remembering Archimedes for more than his naked stroll
The thought of a man running naked through the streets shouting with joy over a physical and mathematical discovery is one to warm the hearts of all who value knowledge. When Archimedes experienced this flash of joy, little did he know that his actions would become the genesis of a legend that would last for thousands of years. However, he should be remembered for so much more than that and several of his significant mathematical contributions are explored in this book.
It is really amazing to realize how close he was to inventing calculus 22 centuries ago, which was 18 before Newton and Leibniz. With notation that was minimally expressive, he was able to solve problems using a technique that demonstrates at least a rudimentary understanding of the concept of a limit. While many different problems can be solved using calculus, it only takes one breakthrough solution to demonstrate how it can be applied to so many of the others. It can be plausibly argued that algebraic and decimal notations would have been the tools that would have allowed him to overcome those last barriers. One can only speculate on how that would have changed history.
The book is not exhaustive and no attempt is made to make it that. Ten of his most significant discoveries are presented and the solutions are those of Archimedes, although modern notation is used. While the proofs are generally easy to follow, one is often left in awe as to how he thought of how to approach some of these solutions. The explanations are succinct, yet thorough, which is the signature of a solid storyteller.
Given the answers to the question posed in the title of this book, one can pose another that logically follows. Was Archimedes the greatest mind of all time? If the legends are correct, then the answer is probably yes. However, even if the unconfirmed stories are false, the mathematical and mechanical discoveries should make him a legend for more than one short stint of becoming a 'natural man.'

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

Recommended for all mathematicians and scientists
The author's aim is to make what he views "as Archimedes' most mathematically significant discoveries accessible to the busy people of the mathematical community."In this he succeeds admirably.The book isnot only understandable by anyone who "recognizes the equation of aparabola," but is also very well written in a style that brings outthe beauty of the mathematical ideas discussed, as well as the power ofArchimesdes' creativity. As the author points out, the book treats mostof Archimedes' mathematical discoveries.The presentation cleverlyintegrates Archimedes' own writing with the author's modern explanation ofthe ancient discoveries.Frequently, before a main idea is introduced, aquotation fromArchimedes' own writing is presented in which the masterreveals his thinking about what he had accomplished in that particulartopic.

In addition to providing the scientific community with a detailedaccount of Archimedes' main mathematical discoveries and an insight intothe ancient master's thinking, this book, I believe, can be useful in theclassroom in a variety of ways.The most obvious use, of course, would bein designating it as a textbook or a reference in courses on the history ofcalculus or, more generally, on the history of mathematics.But it wouldalso make an excellent textbook for a course on axiomatic mathematics: thebook starts with a few axioms from which Archimedes had developed thetheory of center of gravity and used it throughout a good part of thematerial covered in the book, includingthe development of the volumes ofa paraboloid and a sphere and the theory of floating bodies.

In sum, thisis an excellent book that should be within reach of any person interestedin mathematics or science. ... Read more