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THE MATH KIT

A THREE-DIMENSIONAL TOUR THROUGH MATHEMATICS

British math instructor Gardner and designer Van der Meer (Your Amazing Senses, 1987) give us a magnificently produced volumemore like a game book than an instructional manualthat might amuse even the most die-hard math-hater. A pop-up pyramid pays tribute to the ancient Egyptians' application of mathematics to such staggering engineering accomplishments as the perfectly square Great Pyramid of Khufu. ``Mechanics'' with pull tabs illustrate mathematical processes as simple as subtraction and as complex as calculus. The glossary (a separate, pocket-size volume inserted into a well on the last page) defines terms from ``acute angle'' to ``Y axis'' in refreshingly clear language. One section on handling data even shows readers how to compare apples and oranges. The tired phrase ``fun for the whole family'' is truly apropos here: Kids will love the ingenious three-dimensional objects that slip out of various enclosures and dangle from strings; grownups may find that they finally understand the principles of trigonometryor at least that puzzling them out is a lot more fun with visual aids.

Pub Date: Nov. 9, 1994

ISBN: 0-02-621535-7

Page Count: -

Publisher: Scribner

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1994

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THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE

50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...

Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.

Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").

Pub Date: May 15, 1972

ISBN: 0205632645

Page Count: 105

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972

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NUTCRACKER

This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

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