David Wells
author of numerous
books of mathematical puzzles and general math, he has contributed articles to
The Times Educational Supplement, The Mathematical Intelligencer, and The
Mathematical Gazette . Mr. Wells lives in Beckenham, England.
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 The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting
numbers
Penguin. All you ever wanted to know about
numbers: obscure details, little known facts... Although 43 is missing from his
book, which is curious because it is the smallest integer with that property.
And 51 is missing too, which is odd because students often mistakenly think it
is prime.
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 The
Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Mathematics
Penguin. A collection of strange mathematical facts and stories. This anthology
covers a whole range of ages, maths and mathematicians, and includes
probability paradoxes, jumbled Shakespearean sonnets, record-breaking monkeys
and typewriters, and theories of big game hunting. Also featured are stories of
people who looked for logical loopholes in the American Constitution, calmed
their nerves with algebra or used sextants to measure the buttocks of Hottentot
women.
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 The
Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Geometry
Penguin. A companion volume to the author's Dictionary of Curious and
Interesting Numbers, which focuses on arithmetic and number theory. The
entries in this book cover curves, topology, tilings and all branches of plane
and three-dimensional geometry, from Euclid to fractals. Review from
Amazon.com: 5 stars
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 You Are A
Mathematician
Penguin. Anyone familiar with numbers,
circles, straight lines and squares can start becoming a mathematician. Sample:
when taking a penalty kick in rugby football (and assuming you are not "between
the posts"), how far back should you place the ball? Too close or too far and
the angle is too tight...
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