Count Down

In Count Down, Steve Olson sets out to crack a secret: what inspires a select few average-seeming American teens to become wizards at the world's toughest math competition? Olson shadows the six charming U.S. contestants at the 2001 International Mathematical Olympiad, from their free-time games of Ultimate Frisbee to the high-pressure rounds of the competition, getting to the core of what drives these young people and makes them such nimble problem solvers. In each he finds a mix of inspiration, insight, competitiveness, talent, creativity, and experience, and, perhaps most important, an enduring sense of wonder. As he observes the competitors, Olson delves into math culture and education, exploring why many American students dread geometry, why so few girls pursue competitive math, and whether each of us might have a bit of genius waiting to be nurtured. For parents, teachers, students, and kindred puzzle-lovers, Count Down reveals an engaging approach to the art of beautiful solutions.

Steve Olson’s Mapping Human History was a National Book Award finalist and won the Science-in-Society Award from the National Association of Science Writers. Olson has also written for the Atlantic Monthly, Scientific American, and Science. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland, where he coaches the math team at a public middle school.