What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
This topic is about
The Colossal Book of Mathematics
SOLVED: Non-Fiction
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SOLVED. A paperback on general science topics (similar to "1, 2, 3, Infinity!") with a game and "cardboard box & marbles" as a computer one plays a simple game against. [s]
I suppose it isn't the obvious, "Flatland, A Romance in Many Dimensions" by Edwin A Abbott? It was published some hoary time ago. I tried to search the Amazon copy for "marble game" but got nothing. There's a sequel by somebody Stewart, called "Flatterland: Like Flatland Only More So." I think they are really more of math books.
I read "Flatland" in HS even before you did, and I do think it is what you seek. There is an annotated version of the book, and that could be the one with the marble game, unless you are conflating two books.
Hmmm, the description I find says it is a novella. From what I remember of the book I don't remember it being all about Flatland, but one chapter with other subjects discussed including AI (artificial intelligence)in the form of the marble "game" that learned. I hope I am not mixing up two different books (I have the book: "1,2,3, Ininity" and could not find the subjects I mentioned in it). I did download the excerpt from Amazon and do not recognize it at all, sorry. This book, although it had some "theory" in it, did not tell a "story" so to speak, but simply put forth different ideas and constructs of theory, etc.
And it was not a really BIG book or anything.... a bit small kind of thick (not like War & Peace)paperback.
Sphereland A Fantasy About Curved Spaces and an Expanding Universe by Dionys Burger (1965)Summary: A story about an inhabitant of a two-dimensional world who discovers curved surfaces provides entertaining interpretation of complex aspects of multidimensional geometry.
Sequel to: Edwin Abbott's Flatland (1884).
If I read your original post and topic header right, it's not a novel - it's not a narrative.Do you remember any other topics covered? I tried looking at Martin Gardner's books: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_G... but nothing old enough looks right.
I also went to Amazon, to the Flatland page, and there are 17 pages of 'people who bought this book also bought...'
Do you remember if it was mostly math topics, or if there was more general science (like, chapters about astronomy, or chemistry, biology, paleontology)?
bup, I can not remember at this point. I really DID think it was "1,2,3, Infinity" but I have gone through that book a few times now and don't see the chapter(s) I am looking for. It is frustrating in that I don't remember if the two subjects were even in the same book. I do know it had a lot of theory to ''think about'' :-)
I have no idea if this will help or not, but Issac Asimov wrote quite a few books that were just a gathering of scientific concepts and ideas. I know that I first learned about Flatland through reading about it in an Asimov book, though I don't think it was the same as yours.Or Martin Gardner did a lot of puzzle, logic and thought experiment articles, so maybe he might have contributed to a book of the kind you mention.
Do you remember if it was by one author, or was it a collection of works by different people?
yellowbird, I am not sure. But I lean towards it being by one author.
I've come up with The New Intelligent Man's Guide to Science published in 1965 and Asimov's Guide to Science published in 1972 as possibilities, though I've only found reviews, and not a table of contents for them. I also can't think of any other well-known writers in the 70's who would have written a general science book except maybe Carl Sagan or Arthur C. Clarke.
That's my two cents. Best of luck with your search.
Mike, Please keep checking back. Many books are found after months have elapsed.
My daughter, who recently HAS read the books, confirms that the marble game does not show up in Flatland or in Flatterland. Sorry for suggesting a book I haven't read!
Oh I will Lisa, and I have this set up to notify my email in case I don't get back for a bit. Tis ok Erica. I am still not sure if they were in the same book or not, but I thought they had been (the mention of flatland, and the marble "computer ?" )
I DID find something very similar in the book: Quantum computing and communications
By Sándor Imre, Ferenc Balázs
Page: 5 (1.3)
http://books.google.com/books?id=kU0P...
But it isn't the same.
I found The Planiverse Computer Contact with a Two-Dimensional World and The Armchair Universe An Exploration of Computer Worlds but neither falls in the time frame that you're looking for.Here's a reading list for science books:
http://glynn.schooldesk.net/Portals/G...
You're not talking about Gamov's "Mr. Tompkins" series are you? Mr. Tompkins in PaperbackWhat about one of Richard Feynman's books? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_...
I have a few books by Richard Feynman, and I know none of them are even close. I read the Wikipedia write up on that series, and it doesn't sound like it. Sorry.
hmm..it's gotta be something ...right...there... have you considered contacting a math/science teacher at your old school (email) to ask if they might remember what you're talking about?
I haven't as yet. I know most of those that taught at the time are no longer around anymore. I am mostly looking for that marble game/computer/whatever it was chapter. It bugs me that I can't find the source :-) . But I guess I will have to see if anyone is aware of what I might be talking about, there.
3D, 2D, 1D by David Adler, published in 1975. (out of print)Explains through simple experiments the principle of dimensions and how they are measured.
This is listed for grades 1 and 2 though.
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There i:
Introduction to Symbolic Logic and Its Applications by Rudolph Carnap, 1958
An Introduction to Symbolic Logic by Susanne K. Langer 1967.
Lewis Carroll's Symbolic Logic by Lewis Carroll first published in 1896.or, Symbolic logic and mechanical theorem proving by Chin-Liang Chang, Richard Char-Tung Lee, 1973, still in print.
Conceptual Information Processing by Roger C. Shank, pub.1975. (out of print)
Artificial Intelligence by Earl B. Hunt 1975, (out of print)
Learning Systems and Intelligent Robots by King Sun Fu, 1974 (out of print)
Hmm, I will have to take some time to see if I can find out more about these last suggestions. . .
It does sound a lot like Martin Gardner -- he did several books that expressed math concepts through examples like the marble game or flatland, kind of thought experiments. They're wonderful!
It appears as though most if not all the "games" he discusses are two person games. The one I am looking for from the book, involves a player playing, quite literally, against the divided box with the marbles (one tilts the box and removes marbles when the box "makes a bad move"). The actual game, as I now remember, is like tic-tac-toe only simpler (in a 2x2 box?) or maybe it IS tic-tac-toe. I can't remember. Eventually, the box will win or draw with every 'game' because all the incorrect moves will have been removed.
The only other thing about that "game" I can remember is that it demonstrated that a "box" could "learn" how to beat someone at a simple game.
Cathy wrote: "It does sound a lot like Martin Gardner -- he did several books that expressed math concepts through examples like the marble game or flatland, kind of thought experiments. They're wonderful!"I was unable to find a familiar looking book by Martin Gardner, sorry.
Not in the period before 1977 anyways, when I would have read it.
The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzberger?
The book you suggest appears to be both a novel, and written in or at least copyrighted recently.....the book I am looking for would have been written and published and in the school library (middle school / high school) by around 1970-1978, sorry.
This is one of the hardest bits of research I have ever done....I wish I could remember more about the book...
This book was not really A story, although what it taught had some story like qualities to it. It wasn't the type of book normal "fiction readers" would pick up, or those that like biolgraphies or whatever. It was written to teach stuff, but not like a text book. It was a paperback, if I recall correctly.
The one suggestion above: 3D, 2D, 1D by David AdlerSOUNDS right, except I could have sworn I read it before my high school years and that is listed as 1975 (my high school years)
Mike, You could check it out, both book and date. Come back and let us know. Thanks.ETA: I Just checked and it was, in fact, first published in 1975.
Yeah, I will have to see if I can find a copy of the book since I can not find a description of the "marble game" on line. If I knew for sure, I'd outright buy it, but I am not sure yet.
I am about to give up on this one.....I don't think I will ever find this one, nor any of the Chemistry (magic) books I read in middle and high school. *sigh*
We'll leave the thread going if you'd like Mike. You never know. I found one book here after 2 years.
Yeah, it'll be 2 years come April of 2011 for this one too. I will continue to watch the posts that come to my email, just in case someone does notice it. But I bet it gets buried pretty fast once I stop posting, right ?
Mike wrote: "Yeah, it'll be 2 years come April of 2011 for this one too. I will continue to watch the posts that come to my email, just in case someone does notice it. But I bet it gets buried pretty fast once I stop posting, right ? "Probably. But every once in a while, new members go through a lot of the old friends. And it's considered kosher here to post a post to bump up a thread; you can do that a few times before 4/11.
Ok, thanks. Lots of discouraging things happening right now, so when I remembered this was still here, I just felt a little worse....I may have enough of my description wrong that I might never find the book, or maybe it just is not complete enough...
Mike, Detailed topic title now so maybe that will help.
Thanks, the "computer" is merely a box with a divider in it and a hole in the divider to allow one marble through at a time.....it is really this game / thought experiment that I am after for the most part.
I am about ready to give up on this one.....
Mike wrote: "I am about ready to give up on this one....."Mike, I can understand that. But feel free to leave it here. You can click on the "Email me when people comment" thread in case another member finds the right book; you'll be alerted to any new messages.
One of my lost books took 2-1/2 years to be found, but when it was I was delighted!
I'll willing to leave my lost books threads open indefinitely.
Very sorry that we haven't been able to help you, at least not yet.
Ok, thanks. If I remember anything more about it (from over 35 years ago? hmmm :-) I will post it....but it looks grim at the moment :-)
It is looking WORSE then grim I am afraid....most people don't read "this" kind of book, accept a few of us Geeks :-)
Mike wrote: "It is looking WORSE then grim I am afraid....most people don't read "this" kind of book, accept a few of us Geeks :-)"Mike, You might be right. It's fine to leave it in this folder though. Mark the thread to be emailed if people comment and if someone ever does find it at least you'll be informed. I know how frustrating this must be!!!
It is thusly marked....I hope it can be found in a decarde or so...I don't think I will live beyond that :-)
It is very frustrating, mostly because the information I am looking for in the book, I can't seem to find anywhere else. Or maybe I am just not using the correct search parameters.....nah, it is probably just too far gone to have been recorded anywhere else...
Ok, I am back for my semi-annual BUMP to try to find this (obscure ?) book of science (non-fiction). Anyone find anything close yet?
From what I can remember, the "computer" (cardboard box) with the slot in it counts as a "player" in the game, and the reader of the book as the other player.
What's the Name of That Book???
Books mentioned in this topic
The Unexpected Hanging and Other Mathematical Diversions (other topics)Learning Systems and Intelligent Robots (other topics)
Artificial Intelligence (other topics)
Conceptual Information Processing (other topics)
An Introduction to Symbolic Logic (other topics)
More...
I have been looking for this for the past 20 years or so, as I read it in my High School years (32 years or so ago...that would be, um, :-) 1974-1975 or maybe 1976 even). It is one of the only two books I have been seeking from the past now, for some time. Any help would be greatly appreciated.