3.1416 and all that

Mathematics is expressed in symbols, and this captivating primer explains the intricacies of symbolic language. No background in mathematics is needed to appreciate these graceful meditations on "Chaos and Polygons," "The House that Geometry Built," "The Logical Lie Detector," and other thought-provoking explorations of the appeal of mathematics.
These 24 essays—many of which originally appeared in Science World, a periodical with a wide circulation among students and teachers—address a diverse range of areas. The authors, who specialize in popular treatments of mathematics, offer accessible introductions to the powerful ideas behind their subjects and explain the relationships between mathematics and other fields, including biology, history, music, and philosophy. Each article is self-contained, and a bibliography offers suggestions for further reading on each topic.