Around the World in Eighty Games

Reviews

“An engrossing tour… delivered in refreshingly simple and consistently entertaining terms.”—Kirkus (Starred) “The book encapsulates the very essence of human ingenuity and our intrinsic love for play and exploration. You do not need to be a seasoned player nor a skilled mathematician to relish in this enchanting read. However, this book may just encourage you to become the one or the other.”—Reiner Knizia, award-winning game designer “A delightful global tour of how humans think and play, led by one of our finest mathematical storytellers.”—Ben Orlin, author of Math Games with Bad Drawings “In this book, you will learn beautiful facts about games you have enjoyed all your life as well as games you have never played but can provide a lifetime of enjoyment. Written by mathematician Marcus du Sautoy, this book can be appreciated by game players of all mathematical backgrounds. Highly recommended!”—Arthur T. Benjamin, professor of mathematics and author of The Magic of Math "Whether your game is Go, Dungeons and Dragons, or Chocolate Chilli Roulette, you’ll find this book adorable. It’s lively, creative and humane – exactly as one would expect from Marcus du Sautoy"—Tim Hartford, author of How to Make the World Add Up "A delightful and addictive celebration of games. You’ll keep wanting one more go"—Dara Ó Briain, comedian "Marcus du Sautoy’s brilliantly clear and captivating prose manages to bring to life the drama of so many different games. With the lightest of touches du Sautoy manages persuasively to show how games are both narratives that speak about us and structures whose ideas underlie everything in our known universe. And on top of it, the book serves as an absolutely indispensable compendium. Rainy weekends in Cornwall will now be welcomed."—Stephen Fry, actor "Maths is fun? Who knew? Certainly not me when I was growing up, but I think I’d have got on differently had I been handed a copy of Marcus du Sautoy’s book."—Prospect Magazine “This meticulous and deeply researched survey will appeal to math-lovers and history buffs alike.”—Publisher's Weekly Expand reviews