There's more than one way to define a paradox, and this intriguing book
offers examples of every kind. Stanley J. Farlow, a prominent educator
and author, presents a captivating mix of mathematical paradoxes: the
kind with surprising, nonintuitive outcomes; the variety that rely on
mathematical sleight-of-hand to impress the unwary observer; and the
baffling type with a solution that passes all understanding.
Students and puzzle enthusiasts will find plenty of thought-provoking
enjoyment mixed with a bit of painless mathematical instruction among
these twenty-eight conundrums. Some of them involve counting, some deal
with infinity, and others draw on principles of geometry and arithmetic.
None requires an extensive background in higher mathematics. Challenges
include The Curve That Shook the World, a variation on the famous Monty
Hall Problem, Space Travel in a Wineglass, Through Cantor's Looking
Glass, and other fun-to-ponder paradoxes.