Fascinating Mathematics (2 Volumes) cover

Fascinating Mathematics (2 Volumes)

Rating 4.1
Word count
312K words
Chapters
388

Tags

Summary

This is a collection of works by Ivan Moscovich, a world-renowned expert in intelligence games, designer, and artist. With more than 600 carefully designed brain-teasers, it helps develop your brain potential from different angles.

Develop your creativity, sharpen your intuition and insight, and improve your decision-making. Each game is presented with fun images, expressive and interactive, easy to understand, so you can train mathematical thinking and build a stronger brain while having fun!

The history of mathematics from prehistoric times to the 21st century is cleverly woven into these puzzles, so that while challenging yourself and unlocking your brain potential, you can also follow the trajectory of mathematics and appreciate its captivating charm.

This is a set of mathematical puzzle books with opinions and stories, dedicated to all who love beauty, wonder, challenge, mathematics, and games.

Editor's review

What this set does best is truly fuse the history of mathematics with brain-teasers. The more than 600 puzzles are not dry stacks of formulas but are presented through images, graphics, and interactive design; as readers work through them, they are drawn almost unconsciously into the development of mathematics from prehistory to the 21st century. Its value lies not in teaching you to apply formulas but in training intuition, insight, and decision-making judgment—many puzzles require you to guess first, then test, then revise, which is precisely the part of mathematical thinking that is hardest to teach in the classroom. The author is both a designer and an expert in intelligence games, and the puzzles show great ingenuity in their visual expression; it reads less like a workbook than like a thinking picture book to be savored repeatedly. It is suitable for leaving on the coffee table or bedside, picking one or two puzzles a day to ponder slowly, and also for parents and children to discuss together. One caveat: it is not intended for systematic teaching, and readers will gain more if they approach it in a playful spirit.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Casual players who enjoy brain-teasers, sudoku, and logic games
  • Parents of upper-elementary to middle-school children who want to cultivate an interest in mathematics
  • Designers and planners who want to train intuitive judgment and creative thinking
  • General readers interested in the history of mathematics but intimidated by dry textbooks

Not a good fit for

  • Students who need systematic exam preparation and topic-by-topic practice
  • Professional readers expecting rigorous mathematical derivations and theorem proofs
  • People with no patience for hands-on trial who just want to see the answers

Reading tips

  1. Choose one or two puzzles a day; answer by intuition first, then go back and check where your reasoning went off.
  2. Keep pen and paper or sticky notes handy and record your first reaction when solving, so you can review your thinking habits.
  3. Skip puzzles you get stuck on and return to them a few days later; a new angle often emerges.
  4. When reading with children, let them explain their ideas first; parents should only ask questions, not give answers.

About the publisher

Tianjin Boji Xinmei Technology Co., Ltd. is a publisher focused mainly on literature and general reading. Public information about the company is limited, but its catalog of nearly one thousand titles indicates publishing directions that include mystery and detective fiction, foreign literature, classic works, health, and Eastern philosophy. Representative publications include The Complete Dark Stories of Edgar Allan Poe, the works of Jo Nesbø, Nobel laureates John Steinbeck and Yasunari Kawabata, the collected works of Shi Tiesheng, and the healing books of neurologist Oliver Sacks. Its author resources combine foreign classics such as Poe, Steinbeck, and Kawabata with contemporary mystery writers like Nesbø, supported by translators including Cao Minglun and Lin Liren, reflecting a publishing profile that balances retranslated classics with genre reading.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 迷人的数学
  3. 推荐序
  4. 自序
  5. 第一章 激发思考的玩意与你的大脑
  6. 第二章 希腊数学、几何学与阿默士谜题
  7. 第三章 质数、幻方与狄多女王问题
  8. 第四章 点、拓扑与欧拉的七桥问题
  9. 第五章 概率、切蛋糕与钟摆的神秘之处
  10. 第六章 维度、随机性与河内塔游戏
  11. 第七章 无穷、不可能图形、混在一起的帽子与茶混奶谜题
  12. 第八章 悖论、元胞自动机、空心立方体与夜间过桥谜题
  13. 第九章 幻觉、奇偶性与雷蒙德的真假话谜题
  14. 第十章 答案
  15. 关于伊凡·莫斯科维奇
  16. 感谢
  17. 迷人的数学2:激发你的创意大脑
  18. PART 1 创造力
  19. 欢迎!
  20. CHAPTER 1 即兴
  21. 动动手,体会游戏的益处!
  22. 提利克的双色金字塔
  23. 最少颜色数
  24. 品特先生的钥匙
  25. 六角形常数
  26. 卢的逻辑矩阵
  27. 芙蕾雅的配对项链
  28. 落单的六边形
  29. 一排摩天大楼
  30. 滑块拼图之谜
  31. 从三角形到星星
  32. CHAPTER 2 不从众
  33. 走自己的路“挑战陈规”
  34. 箭头回路
  35. 条码噩梦
  36. 十二面体切片
  37. 沃尔特的砝码
  38. 六球平衡
  39. 神秘玫瑰
  40. 佩里加尔正方形
  41. 切兹·伊万餐厅
  42. 对称的正方形
  43. 对称的矩形
  44. CHAPTER 3 新颖
  45. 用创意方法重塑流程
  46. 一块蛋糕
  47. 莫斯科维奇汽车
  48. 百变小丑
  49. 黑夜过桥
  50. 鳞翅目学者拉娜
  51. 形状和图案
  52. 对称轴
  53. 字母对称
  54. 两种颜色的游戏
  55. 幸运大转盘
  56. CHAPTER 4 专注
  57. 拥抱新体验找到“最佳击球点”
  58. 蚂蚁迷宫
  59. 在数字大街上
  60. 彩色靶子
  61. 多米诺之梦
  62. 曼荼罗
  63. 蜜蜂的爱
  64. 无限的圆圈
  65. 图形和颜色的小径
  66. 展厅电路
  67. 模式配对
  68. CHAPTER 5 发现
  69. 自己解决问题
  70. 伊万游乐场的平衡台
  71. 圆的重叠
  72. 五次翻转
  73. 彩色斗牛士拼图
  74. 立方体与平铺图
  75. 一块巧克力
  76. 海伦娜的后背
  77. 亨利·杜德尼的邮票问题
  78. 数三角形
  79. 四个盒子的重量
  80. CHAPTER 6 游戏
  81. 学习的乐趣以及激发你的创造力
  82. 正面,我赢了!
  83. 诺亚与对角线
  84. 莫斯科维奇美术馆
  85. “消失的”六边形
  86. 6人排排站
  87. 堵车之城的交通
  88. 6点树状图
  89. 8数配对
  90. 正方形游戏
  91. 棘手的光盘
  92. CHAPTER 7 非线性思维
  93. 思考,从在轨到脱轨
  94. 彩色路径
  95. 在农场
  96. 动物园里
  97. 万花筒嵌套
  98. 旋转体
  99. 旋转的桌子
  100. 偷偷滑动的硬币谜题
  101. 网状图
  102. 折叠报纸
  103. 三岔口畜栏边的枪战
  104. CHAPTER 8 重组
  105. 创造性的连接
  106. 动物旋转木马
  107. 布莱克的烧瓶
  108. 杜德尼的棋盘
  109. 四色盘
  110. 萨米尔的架子
  111. 渔网
  112. 从六边形到三角形
  113. 锯齿形重叠
  114. 大鱼,小鱼
  115. 最小的完美矩形
  116. CHAPTER 9 灵活性
  117. 自我更新迎接挑战
  118. 侦察兵
  119. 猫和老鼠
  120. 十二面体的颜色
  121. 四个点,两种长度
  122. 杜德尼的骑士
  123. 伊万国王和圆桌骑士
  124. 迷信的跳伞员
  125. 危险的喷嚏
  126. 唯一数
  127. 杜德尼的皇后巡游
  128. CHAPTER 10 坚持
  129. 灵感与汗水“再试一次”
  130. 总部连线1
  131. 堵车之城的路线
  132. 连续整数
  133. 四个四
  134. 拉丁幻方
  135. 数列101
  136. 保持距离
  137. 佩德罗小猪存钱罐
  138. 两船相遇
  139. 触碰立方体
  140. PART 2 直觉和洞察力
  141. 欢迎!
  142. CHAPTER 1 直觉
  143. 拥抱创造性工作
  144. 童年好友
  145. 彩色圆圈方案
  146. 捉迷藏
  147. 形状匹配
  148. 概率之梦
  149. 单脚跳的玛德琳
  150. 神秘DJ的唱片
  151. 特雷弗的旋转色块拼图
  152. 被展示出来的密码
  153. 佐尔拉平行线
  154. CHAPTER 2 想象
  155. 跨越创造力的鸿沟
  156. 在线上
  157. 伊万爵士与恶龙
  158. 纸结
  159. 绳结配对
  160. 星际通信
  161. 路径填色
  162. 柏林六边形环
  163. 芙蕾雅的最短配对项链
  164. 椭圆形在哪里
  165. 第五种颜色
  166. CHAPTER 3 好奇
  167. 好奇心是初学者的幸运
  168. 阿维和大卫
  169. 握手
  170. 数学帽俱乐部
  171. 西奥和芬娜
  172. 卡普雷卡尔的数位加法
  173. 阿曼的邮票问题
  174. 阿维尼翁的弓箭手
  175. 伊本·赫勒敦的棋盘
  176. 魔方
  177. 为什么物品会下落?
  178. CHAPTER 4 自知
  179. 学会硬思考和软思考
  180. 上升-下降
  181. 激光路径
  182. 抗倾倒稳定性
  183. 四根火柴的拓扑匹配
  184. 五根火柴的拓扑匹配
  185. 几何咖啡馆的心灵体操
  186. 数钉子
  187. 钉板上的四边形
  188. “独立钻石棋”挑战
  189. 穿过十字窗
  190. CHAPTER 5 孵化
  191. 让潜意识为你效力
  192. 啤酒杯垫挑战
  193. 10/1圆形七巧板
  194. 二进制的基础
  195. 失踪的立方体
  196. 感知重叠
  197. 一堆纸牌
  198. 望向深处
  199. 钉板图形
  200. 钉板上的正方形
  201. 重叠的圆
  202. CHAPTER 6 开放
  203. 创造一种可能性
  204. 迷信的瑞典杂技演员
  205. 连上就行
  206. 色彩限制
  207. 四个花瓶
  208. 回旋镖和双耳细颈瓶
  209. 两只瓢虫的爱情故事
  210. 完全数
  211. 鲁本的玩具
  212. 荷马的侦察
  213. 阿曼的邮票供应
  214. CHAPTER 7 接受
  215. 生活在创造性的不确定中
  216. 扔硬币、伪造结果和本福德定律
  217. 兔子魔术表演
  218. 投掷三枚硬币
  219. 消防员和耳环
  220. 朱丽安娜的手套
  221. 抽跑车
  222. 马塞尔派对上的转盘游戏
  223. 方形的眼睛
  224. 马塞尔,生日快乐!
  225. 楼梯悖论
  226. CHAPTER 8 视觉逻辑
  227. 用你的双眼获取灵感
  228. 色彩旋风
  229. 一道给小鸟的题
  230. 十二边形
  231. 彩色边线图
  232. 弗雷迪的星期五无裂纹的正方形
  233. 这只猫有点饿了
  234. 克里斯托夫的小杏仁饼挑战
  235. 隐藏的图形
  236. 攻击计划
  237. 不完美的三角形
  238. CHAPTER 9 注意力
  239. 关掉噪音
  240. 四眼外星人
  241. 嘀嗒
  242. 修道院院长的账册
  243. 有多少条弦?
  244. 火柴棍正方形
  245. 无和游戏
  246. 特雷的显示器
  247. 特雷的最小数字和最大数字
  248. 棋盘上的超级皇后
  249. 西尔维斯特的直线
  250. CHAPTER 10 感知力
  251. 打破熟悉感发现新意
  252. 阿尔汉布拉图案
  253. 失真图像的变形
  254. 情人节的信息
  255. 平面国的浩劫
  256. 平面国的闲暇时光
  257. 普拉托问题与最短路径
  258. 错觉轮盘
  259. 分解正方形
  260. 折叠立方体
  261. 阻断
  262. PART 3 决策力
  263. 欢迎!
  264. CHAPTER 1 辨识
  265. 判断哪些事应该鼓励 哪些事应该绕开
  266. 外星人登陆
  267. 令人吃惊的蚂蚁?
  268. 杀鼠猫
  269. 发飙的将军
  270. 空心立方体
  271. 追踪
  272. 莫比乌斯环
  273. 马尔科的楼梯
  274. 玫瑰花环
  275. 气象站
  276. CHAPTER 2 聚焦
  277. 头脑风暴还是独自思考?又或者齐头并进?
  278. 色彩入侵者
  279. 连续称重
  280. 不可能的艺术花园
  281. 填充正方形
  282. 覆盖挑战
  283. 平面切割
  284. 囚犯列队
  285. 在阿伯丁运动会上
  286. 感知夜总会 半圆链挑战
  287. 仙女座空间站的通道
  288. CHAPTER 3 重构
  289. 发现问题的艺术
  290. 阿波罗尼奥斯问题
  291. 13个三角形
  292. 德卡普兹酒店
  293. 六联骨牌和立方体
  294. 有多少个立方体?
  295. 彩绘立方体
  296. 保罗的问题
  297. 内部的圆
  298. 星星的拼图
  299. 杜德尼的3切6
  300. CHAPTER 4 解谜
  301. 语言游戏即思维游戏
  302. 身份危机
  303. 威斯敏斯特教授的字母汤
  304. 字母顺序
  305. 多边形的螺旋推进
  306. 刮了胡子的费加罗?
  307. 马戏团逻辑题
  308. 数弹珠
  309. “爱因斯坦”和他的学生们
  310. 两位父亲
  311. 谁在过第一百万个生日?
  312. CHAPTER 5 策略
  313. 先了解自己的风格再选择策略
  314. 麦克马洪的彩色方块
  315. 不同的路线
  316. 从一朵花到另一朵花
  317. 疯狂跳跃
  318. 交换骑士
  319. 皇后的小小对峙
  320. 皇室血统
  321. 星际旅行
  322. 在阿夫拉姆的花园里
  323. 笔迹
  324. CHAPTER 6 反思
  325. 任想法跳跃再做思考
  326. 开着或关着?
  327. 桑德罗的倒酒问题
  328. 马尔科的倒酒挑战
  329. 查尔斯国王的头像
  330. 装水的玻璃球
  331. 马克思的镜面图形
  332. 辛西娅的对称线
  333. 20个零件的正方形
  334. 有多少个三角形?
  335. 字母表的拓扑学
  336. CHAPTER 7 尝试横向思考
  337. 横向思考和反向思考
  338. 奥斯卡溺水的结局
  339. 月球、水星和恒星
  340. 母亲和孩子
  341. 相似数列
  342. 等距种树
  343. 数正方形
  344. 总和
  345. 卡米洛特危机
  346. 三处错误
  347. 下一个是?
  348. CHAPTER 8 思维清晰
  349. 跳过缺口,关注细节
  350. 给三角形上色
  351. 国王行进问题
  352. 星状多边形
  353. 切割五角星
  354. 杰里·法雷尔的蜘蛛
  355. 多联骨牌对称
  356. 可以开始点餐了吗?
  357. 凯伦的生日蛋糕
  358. 弯折的词意
  359. 对称-镶嵌上色挑战
  360. CHAPTER 9 勇敢
  361. 勇敢地跨出创造性的一步
  362. 无限大酒店
  363. 岛与桥
  364. 区分钥匙的关键
  365. 警察捉小偷
  366. 方格旗
  367. 蜗牛赛跑
  368. 提图斯的三联骨牌
  369. 布莱恩的穿越
  370. T形片
  371. 分开的问候语
  372. CHAPTER 10 探索
  373. 游戏性:探索性创造力的核心
  374. 尤里卡的座右铭
  375. 太空动物园
  376. 藏起来的多边形
  377. 命运和盘子
  378. 数字蜂巢
  379. 皇后的覆盖问题
  380. 布卢门达尔的绳索表演
  381. 七巧板数字
  382. 给顶点上色
  383. 维恩图难题
  384. 答案
  385. PART1 创造力
  386. PART2 直觉和洞察力
  387. PART3 决策力
  388. 创意资源

FAQ

How much mathematical background do I need to read this set?
Most puzzles rely on observation, reasoning, and trial and error rather than memorized formulas; anyone with upper-elementary arithmetic can get started. For the few puzzles that involve background in the history of mathematics, the book provides images and explanations to aid understanding, so no extra research is needed.
Will I be able to finish more than 600 puzzles?
This set was never designed to be worked through in one go. You can treat it as a long-term tool for training your thinking, picking one or two puzzles a day and jumping around according to interest; this actually keeps it fresher, and you need not feel pressured about not finishing.
Is the history of mathematics presented in separate chapters or woven into the puzzles?
The history of mathematics is woven into the puzzle games; as readers tackle the puzzles, they encounter the trajectory of mathematical development from prehistory to the 21st century. This arrangement lets historical knowledge follow the puzzles rather than having to memorize timelines separately, making it read more naturally.

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About the author

Ivan Moscovich is an author known for popular mathematics books, though public information about his life is quite limited: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the four works held in the collection, his writing centers on the fun and beauty of mathematics. Representative titles include The Moscow Puzzles? No—representative titles include the Chinese editions of his mathematics titles, such as the two-volume set of fascinating mathematics and Beautiful Mathematics, along with Fascinating Mathematics 2: Stimulating Your Creative Brain. These books generally fall under popular science and are aimed at general readers rather than specialists, tending to present mathematical thinking through games, puzzles, and intuitive examples, turning abstract concepts into hands-on problems that encourage creativity and active exploration. Words such as "fascinating," "beautiful," and "creative" in the titles reflect his aim of removing readers' sense of distance from mathematics and making the reading experience akin to an intellectual game. On the available evidence, he is an author devoted to making mathematics accessible to a wide audience, offering readers an easy entry point into popular science reading.

聂涵今 Author

Nie Hanjin is a Chinese author of popular science books. Public information about him is currently limited, and details such as his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the two works held in the database, The Fascinating Mathematics (2 volumes) and The Fascinating Mathematics 2: Inspire Your Creative Brain, he focuses on writing popular science on mathematical topics, commonly categorized as science popularization. His works share the overarching title “Fascinating Mathematics,” and the subtitles emphasize fun and creative inspiration, suggesting that his writing aims to turn mathematical knowledge into accessible, thought-provoking reading rather than systematic textbook instruction. The subtitle “Inspire Your Creative Brain” further indicates that the books encourage readers to think and engage hands-on while reading and to appreciate the pleasure of mathematics. Overall, Nie Hanjin is an author known for mathematics popularization books aimed at general readers interested in mathematics, offering an approachable entry point to the subject in the field of popular science reading.

梁桂霞 Author

Liang Guixia is a Chinese popular-science author about whom limited public information is available; what is known is that her writing centers on mathematics popularization. Two of her works are included in the library: the two-volume Fascinating Mathematics and Fascinating Mathematics 2: Inspire Your Creative Brain, both classified as science popularization. Judging from the titles and the volume structure, her writing is aimed at general readers, especially young people and mathematics enthusiasts, and tends to present mathematical content in an entertaining and thought-provoking way, emphasizing creativity and active thinking rather than listing knowledge as a systematic textbook would. The subtitle of the sequel, “Inspire Your Creative Brain,” also suggests a focus on mathematical thinking and the cultivation of creativity. The two books form a series, showing her sustained engagement with the subject. Although her biography, nationality, and educational background cannot be verified, the works themselves reflect an effort to turn mathematical knowledge into accessible reading and hold a certain appeal for popular-science readers.

佘卓桓 Author

She Zhuohuan is an author about whom limited public information is available. Four of the author's works are currently known, spanning the categories of popular science and management. Among the representative titles, The Fascinating Mathematics and its two-volume and two-book collections all center on mathematics; the word "fascinating" in the title suggests an emphasis on interest and readability, aiming to lead readers toward mathematical knowledge in an accessible way. The other work, Just Do It: A Workplace Methodology for Rapid Progress (six volumes), falls into the field of workplace methods and management, focusing on action and self-improvement. The considerable distance between these two subjects indicates that the author has written in both popular science and practical management. Because basic details such as dates of birth and death, nationality, and English name remain unavailable, a detailed account of the author's personal experience and background cannot be given; readers may instead begin with the works above to understand the author's approach to fostering interest in mathematics and to methods of workplace progress.

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