Books by Martin Gardner

Mathematical puzzles are designed to strengthen creative problem-solving by encouraging the discovery of simple solutions to seemingly complex problems.

A pocket book of riddles, full of fun and illustrations.

Aha! Insight challenges the reader's reasoning power and intuition while encouraging the development of 'aha! reactions'.

For over half a century, Martin Gardner has established himself as one of the world's leading authorities on Lewis Carroll. His Annotated Alice, first published in 1960, has over half a million copies in print around the world and is highly sought after by families and scholars alike -- for it was Gardner who first decoded the wordplay and the many mathematical riddles that lie embedded in Carroll's two classic stories: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Forty years after this groundbreaking publication, Norton is proud to publish the Definitive Edition of The Annotated Alice, a work that combines the notes of Gardner's 1960 edition with his 1990 update, More Annotated Alice, as well as additional new discoveries and updates drawn from Gardner's encyclopedic knowledge of the texts. Illustrated with John Tenniel's classic and beloved art -- along with many recently discovered Tenniel pencil sketches -- The Annotated Alice will be Gardner's most beautiful and enduring tribute to Carroll's masterpieces yet.

Relates the story behind these celebrated poems.

The entertaining epic about ten men who join a strange expedition in pursuit of an elusive and remarkable animal known as the Snark is accompanied by distinctive, original illustrations, a detailed bibliography, and informative annotations that provide a close-up look at the text and the many literary, linguistic, and mathematical references embedded in th text.

"Something about Gardner's prose—straight-ahead, factual, free of literary pretension—is deliciously addictive.—Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World
Martin Gardner—"one of the most brilliant men and gracious writers I have ever known," wrote Stephen Jay Gould—is the wittiest, most devastating debunker of scientific fraud and chicanery of our time. In this new book Gardner explores startling scientific concepts, such as the possibility of multiple universes and the theory that time can go backwards. Armed with his expert, skeptical eye, he examines the bizarre tangents produced by Freudians and deconstructionists in their critiques of "Little Red Riding Hood," and reveals the fallacies of pseudoscientific cures, from Dr. Bruno Bettelheim's erroneous theory of autism to the cruel farces of Facilitated Communication and Primal Scream Therapy. Ever prolific, and still engaging at the spry age of eighty-eight, Gardner has become an American institution unto himself, a writer to be celebrated.

The 127 poems in this superb collection of 19th-and 20th-century British and American verse range from Shelley's "To a skylark" to the impassioned "Renascence" of Edna St. Vincent Millary and to Edward Lear's whimsical "The Owl and the Pussycat."

A truck driver goes three blocks in the wrong direction down a one-way street...without breaking the law! How can that be? That's just one of the many brain bafflers, knotty problems, mind teasers, and tricky tactics that will have you scratching your head and puzzling it out. Warm up on a few easy ones...but then be very prepared to use your smarts. Give this little conundrum your best shot: Laura won a prize in a raffle. It had been donated by a woman's clothing store. "Great!" she exclaimed happily. "I know just the person to share it with!" What did she win? Happy solving. Answers: 1. The truck driver was walking. 2. The prize was a pair of gloves. Laura only had one arm, and she knew someone else who was in the same situation.

In perhaps the most important popular math publications of the decade, this classic calculus primer has been transformed into a modern masterpiece that explains the timeless concepts of calculus in a contemporary and user-friendly voice. Martin Gardner, The "Mathematical Games" columnist for Scientific American for over a quarter of a century, is the perfect mathematician to make calculus easy once again.Calculus, though usually seen as the most challenging subject faced by a math student, does not have to be impossible. Silvanus P. Thompson wrote Calculus Made Easy nearly ninety years ago to show that differential and integral calculus is in fact not difficult at all. Thompson believed that once a reader has grasped the basic principles of differentiation and integration, the rest of calculus will follow naturally. The books continuing popularity over the years is proof of his complete success.In the first major revision of Calculus Made Easy since 1921, Gardner has thoroughly updated the text to reflect recent developments in method and terminology, written an extensive preface and three new introductory chapters, and added more than twenty recreational problems for practice and enjoyment.Calculus Made Easy, already the preeminent primer for the average reader, a book that has sold over one million copies, has become even more accessible and informative in the masterful hands of one of the twentieth century's greatest thinkers.

Cipher and decipher codes; transposition, polyalphabetical, famous codes, typewriter and telephone codes, much more to challenge minds. Includes 45 diagrams.

Martin Gardner...is perhaps the wittiest, most devastating dissembler of scientific fraud and intellectual chicanery of our time. In DID ADAM AND EVE HAVE NAVELS?, Gardner muses on topics as diverse as numerology, the late Senator Claiborne Pell's paranormal passions, Freud's flawed dream theory, the Heaven's Gate suicides, William F. Buckley's NEARER, MY GOD, and the seemingly inexhaustible American appetite for third rate science. Indeed, no one has ever written so witheringly of New Age nostrums than Gardner does here. His funny, brilliantly unsettling exposes of reflexology and urine therapy alone should be required reading for anyone interested in "alternative" medicine. In a world increasingly tilted toward superstition, DID ADAM AND EVE NAVELS? will give those of us who prize logic and common sense immense solace and inspiration.

A master debunker of scientific fraud and psuedo-science takes on numerology, Freud's dream theory, reflexology, and the Heaven's Gate cult, among other assaults on reason and rational thought. Reprint.

Entertaining collection includes stimulating puzzles involving arithmetic, money, speed, plane and solid geometry, topology, more. Solutions.

Over 100 experiments for youngsters. Will amuse, astonish, teach, and entertain. Over 100 illustrations.

Fair, witty appraisal of cranks and quacks of science: Velikovsky, orgone energy, Bridey Murphy, medical fads, etc.

Martin Gardner's legacy in mathematics and science is well established, and never is he so at home than when picking apart paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Yet like Isaac Asimov, Gardner's interests encompass a wide range of views and arguments. His wit and encyclopedic knowledge have made him a sought-after contributor to Discover, Nature, Psychology Today, and The New York Review of Books. Gardner's Whys & Wherefores includes articles on the puzzles in James Joyce's Ulysses and on the fantasies of Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Lord Dunsany, Gilbert Chesterton, and H. G. Wells. Gardner expresses strong opinions about the "anthropic principle, " computer games capable of discovering scientific laws, the philosophy of W. V. Quine, Marvin Minsky's view of the workings of the mind, the idiosyncrasies of social theorist Allan Bloom, the reality of unknown digits that "sleep" in pi, and whether physicists are really on the verge of discovering Everything.

A new critical assessment of Mary Baker Eddy and the international movement she spawned is long overdue. Of the hundreds of books written about Mary Baker Eddy and Christian Science, almost all have been by believers. With the notable exception of Mark Twain's Christian Science, the small number penned by skeptics have long since gone out of print. Martin Gardner, noted for his work in science, mathematics, philosophy, and literature, had intended to write a short essay about Mrs. Eddy, but became so fascinated by her life and personality that his work grew to book length. Written with humor, insight, and a wealth of fantastic detail, The Healing Revelations of Mary Baker Eddy will delight skeptics and infuriate true believers. Learn about the granite replica of the Great Pyramid of Egypt that was erected on the site of Mrs. Eddy's birthplace, only to be mysteriously dynamited years later. Read about Mrs. Woodbury, who was on her way to becoming Mrs. Eddy's rival until Woodbury announced her "immaculate conception" of a child, which she named the Prince of Peace. Discover how Mrs. Stetson, once Mrs. Eddy's beloved pupil, was excommunicated when her Christian Science church in Manhattan began to outshine the Mother Church in Boston. While Mrs. Eddy foretold the coming of a millennium in which all persons would be Christian Scientists and healthy, Gardner shows her to be a power-hungry individual whose life included spiritualism, a morphine addiction, frequent hysterical rages, and accusations of the use of "malicious animal magnetism" against herself and her followers, as well as litigation against her critics and persecution of those she regarded as disloyal. Martin Gardner exposes theplagiarism that occurs in the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, including the early editions of Science and Health, which were so filled with errors of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, as well as attacks on fancied enemies, that the church has done everything in its power to prevent reprintings. Later editions were edited and polished by skillful writers, notably James Henry Wiggin, who thought the book was "balderdash". Recent scandal, financial woes, the resignation of top officials and editors of church publications, and the tragic deaths of Christian Science children denied medical aid by their parents have all contributed to the rapid decline of church membership. Mr. Gardner's final chapter places Christian Science within the context of New Thought, a movement that anticipated all the elements of today's New Age. He focuses on the life of New Thought poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox, now forgotten but once our nation's most loved versifier. She was, in Gardner's opinion, the Shirley MacLaine of her time.

A masterpiece of nonsensical verse by the enigmatic author of ALICE IN WONDERLAND inspired by the serendipitous line "For the Snark was a Boojum, you see", which Lewis Carroll claimed occurred to him while on a stroll one day. The adventures of a motley crew in search of an elusive prey, THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK is a fantasy that sails along on magical language, surreal images, and an undercurrent of sly humor. 14 illustrations.

Noted philosopher's coverage of laws, probability, measurement and quantitative language, structure of space, causality and determinism, much more.

Traces the development of logic machines from diagrams of logical statements to modern computers and discusses the fundamentals of mathematical logic.

Suggests math games and problems involving binary numbers, paper cutting, the four-color map theorem, ellipses, calculus, and games.

Dip into this collection of over 80 amazing tricks, stunts, and brain busters, all created in the name of science by famous puzzler and mathematician Martin Gardner.

Challenging mathematical games range from penny puzzles and card shuffles to a mathematical journey into the art of M. C. Escher and an attempt to visualize a four-dimensional object.

Games ranging from the simple to the practically impossible illustrate basic mathematical concepts of their origins and instructions for their procedure.

The puzzle master's ninth collection offers mathematical games, puzzles, and paradoxes ranging from the simple and down-to-earth to the complex and cosmic.

A dictionary of games, puzzles, and tricks that move from Nothing to Everything and range from finger arithmetic to game theory.

Math behind card tricks, stage mind reading, coin and match tricks, etc. Plus more than 400 tricks, guaranteed to work. 135 illustrations.

Noted expert selects 70 "short" puzzles. "The Returning Explorer", "The Mutilated Chessboard", "Scrambled Box Tops", and 66 more. Solution included.

Martin Gardner takes an entertaining look at one of man's most puzzling questions: Is the universe symmetrical? This book is a popular survey of mirror symmetry (left vs. right) and asymmetry, and the significant roles they play in such diverse fields as mathematics, physics, art, music, poetry, and more!

A definitive anthology of fifty-four incisive essays representing nearly sixty years of work encompasses topics ranging from the mysteries of quantum physics to the question of the existence of God to the paradox of the significance of nothing.

A collection of articles which explores pseudoscience and strange religious beliefs. This book covers a range of topics - including UFOs, rainmaking, ghosts, the Big Bang, ESP, Oral Roberts, as well as the early history of spiritualism and bizarre 'trance channelling' cults.

Offers puzzles and problems dealing with logic, fractals, negative numbers, topology, and geometry.

A collection of word and picture puzzles, riddles, and tricky questions. Includes answers at the back of the book.

93 riddles, mazes, illusions, tricky questions, word and picture puzzles, other entertainments for youngsters. Many hilarious drawings. Solutions.

Mathematician and author Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) has delighted millions with his most widely regarded book, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Known for pointing out the absurdities of life in his fiction and poetry, Carroll took paranormal to the extreme in the satirical poem "Phantasmagoria", the humorous story of an annoying ghost assigned to haunt a new house. Illustrations.

Presents thirty-seven science fiction tales, each featuring a puzzle by a master puzzle-maker.

Sets forth a non-mathematical discussion of Einstein's relativity theory.

One of the clearest, most entertaining introductions to the subject ever written offers lucid explanations of special and general theories of relativity, gravity and spacetime, models of the universe and other topics.

This classic collection examines the rich and hilarious variety of pseudoscientific conjectures that dominates the media. Witty pieces address the evidence for ESP, psychokinesis, faith healing, and a variety of pseudosciences. Included are readers' letters and Gardner's replies.

Science can be more mystifying than magic and more entertaining than comedy. Dip into this collection of over 80 amazing tricks, silly stunts, and brainbusting puzzles, all created in the name of science....While you're having fun you actually learn about water, air, fire, heat, gravity, motion, inertia, friction, magnetism, electricity, sound, and light.

In a collection of writings spanning thirty years, Gardner probes the state of contemporary scientific research with emphasis on the problems of pseudoscience and the lack of hard evidence to support findings in parapsychology and the occult phenomena.

Presents riddles, games, and other brain teasers based on "The Hunting of the Snark" and "Jabberwocky"

Brief introductions to space flight and the various bodies in the solar system are followed by sections of related puzzle questions. Answers are given at the back of the book.

Analyzes the Bible in regard to its authorship and teachings, and discusses the topics of abortion, Adam and Eve, the Ten Commandments, the devil, the flood, humanism, Moses, and the Resurrection.

Gathers paradoxes, logic puzzles, number problems, geometric problems, gambling puzzles, optical illusions, and string, word, and chess problems featured in scientific American.

Dorothy and friends return to New York City, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. Ever since The Wizard of Oz was first published in 1900, Dorothy and her companions have captured the imaginations of Americans, both young and old. Generations of readers raised on L. Frank Baum's incredible Oz books, and on books by his worthy successors, will be amazed and entranced by Martin Gardner's exciting account of further adventures of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman in United States. Indeed, by placing the story in Manhattan of the late 1990s, with cameo appearances by Rudy Giuliani, Oprah Winfrey, and Geraldo Rivera, Gardner has for the first time ingeniously adapted Baum's immortal characters to an American setting. While a century's worth of readers has enjoyed the Oz series, it is not generally known that in Baum's fifth Oz book, Ozma teleported Dorothy and her uncle permanently to Oz. Nor is it known that Glinda moved Oz to a parallel world. In Gardner's wild novel, Dorothy and her faithful friends visit several towns in Oz--including Wonderland, a new Mount Olympus, and Ballville--before they arrive in New York's Central Park by way of a mathematical curiosity called a Klein Bottle.The purpose of their visit to Earth is to publicize a new musical film about Oz. But plans go awry when two evil mobsters, hired by a wicked rival movie producer, try to kill Dorothy and her companions. In their desperate attempts to flee these villains, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman find themselves in a series of precarious predicaments across New York City. Combining vivid suspense with a host of mathematical riddles and technological pyrotechnics, Martin Gardner has created a new fable in the finest traditions of L. Frank Baum that celebrates the power of imagination and the lure of an ageless heroine named Dorothy at the turn of a new century.A jewel of a story, Visitors From Oz will bedazzle children and adults alike for decades to come.

Never before has American education in science sunk so low, or the flood of books about bogus science risen so high. Books discrediting the paranormal are outnumbered by those promoting astrology, angels, parapsychology, bizarre forms of medicine and healing, the prophecies of Nostradamus, the secrets of the Great Pyramid, attacks on evolution, and scores of similar follies. Martin Gardner is among those science writers who believe that this tide of irrationality needs to be stemmed by informed writing. For years Gardner has authored the "Notes of a Fringe Watcher" column for Skeptical Inquirer magazine. Weird Water and Fuzzy Logic: More Notes of a Fringe Watcher is a collection of Gardner's columns, to which are added thirty recent reviews of books that deal with science, philosophy, theology, and the paranormal.

'Martin Gardner is an amateur magician, but, putting in the shade all his sleight-of-hand, is the magic whereby he can take any mathematical subject and make it impossible for me to stop reading till he stops writing- whether I know anything about the subject to begin with or not. And when he does stop, I complain. In WHEELS, the prestidigistating master is better than ever.' -Isaac Asimov

First published in 1983, this classic work by a consummate philosopher, thinker, and great mathematician is discussed alongside Hofstadter's "Godel, Escher, Bach." the work challenges the discerning reader with fundamental questions of classical philosophy and life's greater meanings.

At a state library conference in 1957 the director of the Detroit Public Library system fueled a controversy heard across the nation. He voiced the sentiment that L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz stories had no value. At that time it became apparent that even the original work in this series of more than twenty-five titles (additional Oz books were penned by Ruth Plumly Thompson and Rachael R. Cosgrove after Baum's death) - especially popularized by its third film rendition (MGM 1939) - was not readily available in children's stacks in American libraries. Furthermore, numerous librarians rallied in support of the Detroit director's proclamation, calling the Oz books "poorly written", "unimaginative", "negativistic", and "unwholesome". This paperback edition of Michigan State University Press's highly-acclaimed The Wizard of Oz and Who He Was has something special for everyone, including a reprint of the 1900 edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with original W. W. Denslow illustrations; an essay by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Russel B. Nye, which explores Lyman Frank Baum's unique approach to children's literature and the irony of critical neglect in light of its extraordinarily popular success; a biographical sketch of Baum written by Martin Gardner; a bibliography of Baum's many publications, arranged chronologically and including anonymous and pseudonymous citations; and a new introduction by Maurice Hungiville describing the national controversy surrounding the first publication of this text in 1957.

Believers in paranormal powers of precognition have long maintained that the sinking of the Titanic was perceived in advance by extrasensory perception (ESP). Their prize example is Morgan Robertson's sea novel, The Wreck of the Titan, published 14 years before the Titanic went down. This unusual short novel is reproduced here in full, along with a selection of other writings that seem to foretell the Titanic's fate.