Wonders Beyond Numbers ─ A Brief History of All Things Mathematical

Johnny Ball is Britain's most famous mathematician. Wonders Beyond Numbers is his magnum opus, and his first book for more than ten years. It is nothing less than the history of mathematics; he describes it as "a summation of my career as an enthusiast for mathematics." It will help spark (or re-spark) the reader's love of math in its many facets.

The scope of the book is breathtaking. Running in something approaching chronological order, it shows that every breakthrough in math represents a single step forward, resting on the work of others, and brings to life the importance of numbers, shapes, and patterns in the world around us.

It is all-encompassing, yet written in a light and reader-friendly fashion, and filled with diagrams to help explain the math. Dotted throughout are anecdotes and stories from Johnny's life and mathematical adventures, both on and off camera.

Johnny Ball is a life-long math obsessive and started out as a stand-up comic before appearing on BBC TV's Play School from 1967. His real break, though, came in 1977, with the first series of Think of a Number. A smash hit, this spawned various other shows (such as Johnny Ball Reveals All), as Johnny quickly became one of the most famous faces on British television.

Johnny remains a regular fixture on TV and radio, and is comfortably Britain's most famous mathematician.