The book consists of thirty lectures on diverse topics, covering much of the mathematical landscape rather than focusing on one area. The reader will learn numerous results that often belong to neither the standard undergraduate nor graduate curriculum and will discover connections between classical and contemporary ideas in algebra, combinatorics, geometry, and topology. The reader's effort will be rewarded in seeing the harmony of each subject. The common thread in the selected subjects is their illustration of the unity and beauty of mathematics. Most lectures contain exercises, and solutions or answers are given to selected exercises. A special feature of the book is an abundance of drawings (more than four hundred), artwork by an award-winning artist, and about a hundred portraits of mathematicians. Almost every lecture contains surprises for even the seasoned researcher.

Readership

Undergraduates, graduate students, and research mathematicians interested in mathematics.

Reviews

"This is an enjoyable book with suggested uses ranging from a text for a undergraduate Honors Mathematics Seminar to a coffee table book. It is appropriate for either It could also be used as a starting point for undergraduate research topics or a place to find a short undergraduate seminar talk. This is a wonderful book that is not only fun to read, but gives the reader new ideas to think about."

-- MAA Reviews

"Summarizing, this is a "desert island book", a "coffee table book", a book to share with friends, colleagues and students, a gift for beginner and expert alike--in short, a wonderful addition to our personal, school and university libraries."

-- Mathematical Reviews