How to Cut a Cake: And Other Mathematical Conundrums

From 1987 until 2001, Ian Stewart wrote columns for Scientific American magazine and its foreign-language editions. This book is a collection of twenty of those columns including the last one he wrote, Easter is a Quasicrystal. I suppose there is no way getting around the comparisons with Martin Gardner who originated the column. Be aware that they are two, very different writers but both share the goal of presenting how interesting math can be. From both you get the idea that math doesn't have to be a dry, dull subject. There are two chapters that the book's title refer to, 'Your Half's Bigger than My Half' and 'Division without Envy'. We all know how to divide something between two people. One cuts the cake in two and the other gets first choice of the pieces. But what happens when you have more than two people? Is there a way of dividing so everyone feels they have received their fair share? Many recreational subjects are covered such as paradoxes, moves on a chess board, map coloring and Sierpinski's Gasket. The author often takes these into real world applications. In the chapter 'Why Phone Cords Get tangled', Stewart mentions that DNA is also a helix, a double helix no less, and has some of the same things happening. Stewart is good at showing the reader around, poking here and there and finding out what subjects there are. If something seems especially interesting, further readings are suggested. His style is assessable and humorous and provides a fun read.