Out of the Labyrinth Setting Mathematics Free

Who hasn't feared the math Minotaur in its labyrinth of abstractions? The subject can seem convoluted and forbidding. Yet to do mathematics is to wrestle with "accessible mysteries"-and Out of the Labyrinthshows how exhilarating the challenge can be. Robert and Ellen Kaplan are founders of the Math Circle, a pioneering learning program begun at Harvard in 1994 and now spreading around the world. In their classrooms students ages six to sixty have discovered mathematics as the highest form of intellectual play, while exploring topics that range from Roman numerals to quantum mechanics. The Kaplans reveal the secrets of their highly successful approach, leading readers out of the labyrinth and into the joyous embrace of mathematics. Stocked with puzzles, colorful anecdotes, and insights from the authors' own teaching experience, Out of the Labyrinthis both an engaging and practical guide for parents and educators, and a treasure chest of mathematical discoveries. For any reader who has felt the excitement of mathematical discovery-or tried to convey it to someone else-this volume will be a delightful and valued companion.

Robert and Ellen Kaplan have taught subjects ranging from Sanskrit through mathematics to philosophy and history, and founded the Math Circle in 1994. Robert Kaplan is the author of the bestselling The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero. Ellen is coauthor, with their son Michael, of Chances Are . . . and Bozo Sapiens. Together, Robert and Ellen are the authors of The Art of the Infinite. Their website is www.themathcircle.org.