Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Dana Mackenzie's books

142 ratings | 115 reviews | avg rating:3.75

Dana’s Year In Books

Dana’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Dana’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Dana’s 2025 Year in Books

Dana Mackenzie’s Followers (54)

Dana’s Bookshelves

to-read (1)
currently-reading (0)
read (161)
did-not-finish (0)

Dana’s Friends (22)

Rosemary

490 books | 16 friends

Lívia

462 books | 33 friends

846 books | 51 friends

Emily

1,051 books | 38 friends

Diana Lanni

318 books | 21 friends

Evelyn Lamb

1,241 books | 25 friends

Andy

781 books | 126 friends

Jesse Kraai

270 books | 222 friends

More friends…

Dana Mackenzie

Goodreads Author

Born

in Nashville, TN, The United States

Website

http://danamackenzie.com

Genre

Science

Member Since

July 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/oddodddodo

edit data

"Think of what you wanted to do when you were a child, and try to make that happen."

In 1996, I was facing the inevitability of a career change. My teaching appointment at a liberal arts college was running out, and the job market was dismal. One of my contacts gave me the advice above, and as corny as it sounds, it really did put things into perspective for me.

When I was a child, the only thing I wanted to be was a writer. I wrote my first book, "The Littlest Inchwarm" (sic), at age five. In fourth grade, when each student had to write two reports during the year, I wrote 101 (making liberal use of the Encyclopedia Britannica). Yes, I caught the writing bug early.

But how to make it happen? Well, fortunately, I found out about the Science C ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Dana Mackenzie questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Dana Mackenzie’s books

Average rating: 3.94 · 7,122 ratings · 786 reviews · 30 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told through Equations 4.08 avg rating — 281 ratings — published 2012 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Big Splat, or How Our Moon Came to Be 3.92 avg rating — 106 ratings — published 2003 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Story of Mathematics: In 24 Equations 4.22 avg rating — 49 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences (Vol. 9) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Did You Come Here to Play Chess or to Have Fun?: And other tales from 'Dana blogs ches' it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences (Vol. 10) by Dana Mackenzie (Goodreads Author), Barry Cipra 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Universe in Zero Words:the Story of Mathematics As Told Through Equations liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences, Vol. 7 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2008 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fous d'équations: Les 24 plus belles équations de l'univers really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dana Mackenzie What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences Volume 11 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Dana Mackenzie…

55 posts
Dana Mackenzie's Blog

Writing about Writing

Today is publication day for a very unusual book that I contributed to. The Best Science Stories and How They Work is a compilation of eleven articles about science, selected by longtime science editor Siri Carpenter. Siri is also the co-founder of The Open Notebook, a project that provides resources and advice to science writers and would-be science writers.

What makes this collection unique

rss
Dana’s Recent Updates

Dana rated a book really liked it Lost in Curiosity: Field Notes from Scientists' Adventures into the Unknown by Roberta Kwok (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I don't know any other book quite like this one. Roberta Kwok's mission is to take us inside the everyday experience of being a scientist: not at the moment of making a Great Breakthrough, or receiving an Important Award, but at all the other times. ...more
Aug 16, 2026 09:56AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lost in Curiosity by Roberta Kwok. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lost in Curiosity by Roberta Kwok <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana rated a book it was ok The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Well, this was a surprise and not a good one. I read and thoroughly enjoyed Kate Quinn's earlier book The Rose Code, a well-written and well-researched historical novel with very believable characters. So I was not just disappointed but mystified whe ...more
Aug 16, 2026 09:15AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Astral Library by Kate Quinn. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Astral Library by Kate Quinn <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana rated a book liked it Lost Horizon by James Hilton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book surprised me in several ways even before I read a word. I found "Lost Horizon" on a filing cabinet in my room and didn't know where it had come from. It turns out that a friend of mine had given it to me, but I didn't remember it. I had nev ...more
Aug 01, 2026 07:40PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lost Horizon by James Hilton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lost Horizon by James Hilton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana rated a book really liked it Orbital by Samantha Harvey	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I was delighted by the premise of "Orbital." Samantha Harvey sets out to describe one day on the International Space Station, 16 orbits. (That's one of the first things you have to get used to: time here is measured in orbits, not hours.) She describ ...more
Aug 01, 2026 04:27PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Orbital by Samantha Harvey <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana rated a book liked it In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life by Amy Schneider	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I've been a fan of "Jeopardy!" since childhood, and tune in sporadically nowadays. I really enjoyed the "Greatest of All Time" showdown in 2020, when Ken Jennings (the GOAT) went toe-to-toe-to-toe with James Holzhauer ("Jeopardy James") and Brad Rutt ...more
May 24, 2026 02:13PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of In the Form of a Question by Amy Schneider. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — In the Form of a Question by Amy Schneider <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana entered a giveaway Little Wonder by Sophie Chen Keller (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 23, 2026 08:34PM · like · see giveaway
Dana rated a book really liked it The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This was my reading project for Black History Month. Because we're already halfway through April, you can see that I slightly misjudged how much time it would take! I have to say that the middle part dragged a bit, and it took so long because I was h ...more
Apr 12, 2026 09:38AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana rated a book it was amazing Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I liked the fact that this was a completely apolitical look at the phenomenon of homelessness, and it taught me a different way of looking at homeless people. I'll be blunt: I have in the past had very little sympathy for homeless people. I viewed th ...more
Sep 23, 2025 07:49PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dana rated a book it was amazing The Blue Jay's Dance: A Birth Year by Louise Erdrich	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
"The Blue Jay's Dance" is undoubtedly one of a well-populated genre of books: books about motherhood. I know that (at least at one point in time) there were zillions of mom-blogs, so there must also be at least a few hundred mom-books. But here's the ...more
Aug 10, 2025 04:25PM · 1 like · like · see review
Dana rated a book really liked it The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book a lot and thought for a long time that I was going to give it five stars. However, the ending was somewhat disappointing. Two families occupy center stage in the book, along with a sort of chorus of minor characters who each step o ...more
Aug 10, 2025 11:29AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Dana's books…

Quotes by Dana Mackenzie (?)

“The other reason mathematicians were blind to chaos was that they had no computers, and were left with the kind of vague description that Poincaré gave, which other mathematicians failed to understand.”
― Dana Mackenzie, The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told through Equations

1 likes

“Here are some of the criteria I have used to decide what makes an equation great.”
― Dana Mackenzie, The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told through Equations

1 likes

“BOTH GÖDEL’S AND COHEN’S arguments proceed by constructing a model of set theory, though I will not explain them in detail.”
― Dana Mackenzie, The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told through Equations

0 likes

See all Dana Mackenzie's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Nothing But Readi...: Lady Daphne's Quest	33	123	Jul 28, 2016 02:19PM
2026 Reading Chal...: Richo's Challenges to Get to 1,000 Books	83	464	Oct 28, 2018 05:12AM
Nothing But Readi...: Level 9 of the Serious Reader Challenge for 2018	13	211	Jan 02, 2019 06:40AM
2026 Reading Chal...: Richo's 365 books for 2018	944	647	Jan 06, 2019 03:57AM
2026 Reading Chal...: Let's Turn Pages - 2018	2167	1673	Jan 12, 2019 04:17AM
Science and Inquiry: February 2025 Nominations	13	94	Dec 17, 2024 11:41PM
Nothing But Readi...: NBRC 26 Alphabet 4: The Bad, The Scary and The Terrifying: A to Z (Mixed)	251	1086	Dec 28, 2025 09:55AM