Review: Martin Gardner’s Mathematical Games CD
I remember riding the subway to high school in the late 1970’s. I rode from Manhattan to the Bronx five days a week for four years. When I wasn’t chatting with one of the other kids I’d often be reading some “Mathy” thing or working out a Math problem. Yes, I was geeky even back then. A number of my very favorite mathematical excursions came from Martin Gardner’s “Mathematical Games” column in Scientific American. Gardner’s column ran from 1956 to 1986. Gardner is one of my Math heroes, and I know his writing is enjoyed by many many people who enjoy recreational mathematics. In my opinion, Gardner has done more than anyone to popularize recreational Math in the US.
Over the years I’ve read a number of Gardner’s books and enjoyed many of his diversions. A year ago for my birthday I received a copy of Martin Gardner’s Mathematical Games CD, published by the Mathematical Association of America. The CD contains every single one of Gardner’s articles in Scientific American. Wow! I was pleased.