Welcome
CM Seminar
Charlotte Mason 
 Study Guide
Charlotte Mason 
 Approach to Ed.
Nature  
 Journaling
Art  
 Appreciation
Links and 
 Book Lists
Order Form
Living Math Books and Mathematical Classics

Below is a list of Math Classics compiled by Troy Henke. But first I’d like to list some modern living math books, mainly appropriate for elementary-aged students.
(If you have a recommendation, please let me know. Disclaimer: I have not personally read every book on this list and do not guarantee these recommendations. New additions are in color.)

String, Straightedge, & Shadow: The Story of Geometry
The Man Who Counted
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth
Archimedes and the Door of Science
The Mystery of the Periodic Table
Mathematicians are People, Too (Vol. 1)
Mathematicians are People, Too (Vol. 2)
Classic Math: History Topics ,
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All
Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream
The King’s Chessboard
The Grapes of Math
Math Fables (preschool-grade 1)
Math for All Seasons
Math-Terpieces: The Art of Problem-Solving (uses famous art)
Riddle-Iculous Math
How Big is a Foot
One Hundred Hungry Ants
Grandma’s Button Box and others in the Math Matters series
Women and Numbers
The Math Curse
Sir Cumference
Mathematics: The Science of Patterns
Math Games and Activities from Around the World
What Is Mathematics?
Math Through the Ages
The Language of Mathematics
Mathematics and the Physical World
Life by the Numbers
Mathematics and Humor
Joy of Mathematics
Algebra Unplugged
The Measure of All Things (history of metric system)
What Is Quantum Mechanics: A Physics Adventure
The Calculus Gallery
Piece of the Mountain: Pascal
The Ocean of Truth: Sir Isaac Newton
Women in Mathematics
Euler: The Master of Us All
The Golden Ratio: The Story of PHI
Concepts of Modern Mathematics
In Code: A Mathematical Journey (modern day Irish girl)
My Brain Is Open: Mathematical Journey of Paul Erdos
The Man Who Knew Infinity: Ramanujan
Fermat’s Enigma
The Equation That Couldn’t Be Solved
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics
Which Door Has the Cadillac: Adventures of a Mathematician
Of Men and Numbers: Story of Great Mathematicians
Remarkable Mathematicians
Fantasia Mathematica
The Mathematical Magpie
The Devil and Tom Walker
Men of Mathematics (high school level)
Japanese Abacus: Its Use and Theory
Mathematics: A Human Endeavor
Elementary Algebra
Geometry: Seeing, Doing, Understanding
Logic: A Very Short Introduction
Introduction to Logic
I Think, Therefore I Laugh
Enigma--Robert Harris (HS, about a mathematician in WWII)

living books

MATH CLASSICS Compiled by Troy Henke

Classical Work; Author; Significance
Timaeus; Plato; First mathematical treatise of western thought
Analytica posteriora;
Aristotle; System of deductive logic and method
The Elements; Euclid; Exhaustive compilation of Greek geometry, proof [This is in 3 volumes.]
The Sand-Reckoner; Archimedes; Introduces base ten system, principle of the logarithm
Method; Archimedes; Lays the foundation of integral calculus
Conic Sections; Apollonius; Exhaustive work on the conic sections
Introduction to Arithmetic; Nicomachus; Compilation of arithmetic principles
The Almagest; Ptolemy; Greek trigonometry used to record star positions
al-jabr w’al-muqâ-balah; al-Khowârizmî; First treatise on algebra and Hindu-Arabic numerals
Libra de abacci;
Fibannacci; Introduces Hindu-Arabic numerals to Europe
Linear Perspective;
da Vinci; The mathematical elements of painting
La Disme; Stevin; Systematic treatment of decimal fractions
Ars Magna; Cardano; Solves cubic & biquadratic equations, imaginary numbers
Two New Sciences; Galileo; Challenges Aristotle’s law of falling bodies
Geometry; Descarte; Lays the foundation of analytical geometry
On the Theory of Probabilities; Fermat; Pascal Lays the foundation of probability
Mathematica Principia; Newton; Invention of calculus and defines gravity
Law of Large Numbers; Bernoulli; Lays the foundation of statistics
Seven Bridges of Königsberg; Euler; Lays the foundation of topology
Celestial Mechanics; Laplace; Applies calculus to heavenly orbits
Celestial Mechanics; Sommerville Translation and expansion of La Place’s work
Symbolic Logic; Boole; Discovery of symbolic and boolean logic
Flatland; Abbott; Fictional work about mathematical dimensions
Chance; Poincaré; Probability and statistics
Mathematical Creation; Poincaré; How to create mathematics
Periodic Law of  the Chemical Elements; Mendeléeff; Lays the foundation for the Periodic Table
Principia Mathematica; Russell, Whitehead; Deepest study of the foundations of mathematics
How to Solve It; Polya; Problem solving
Mathematics of Music; Jeans; Lays the foundation for the physics of music
Games & Economic Behavior; Neumann; Lays the foundation of game theory

*This list is not exhaustive. Send your living math book suggestion to add to the list. Titles are linked to the exact title found at Amazon.com. Authors are linked when the exact title was not available but the work was included in a larger work. When nothing was available the link may be to another book that discusses the original author’s work. Print out a list of great mathematicians for reference. Used by permission.

Return to academic subjects. Return to CM Approach to Education.