Bellos Alex. Alex's Adventures in Numberland

London: Bloomsbury, 2011. — 448 p. — ISBN: 978-1-4088-0959-4.Alex's Adventures in Numberland' is a delightful cornucopia of stories and insights into the history and development of mathematical ideas. Peppered with wit and written with great charm, it sweeps the reader along in its exploration of the weird and wonderful world of mathematical abstractions, old and new. The narrative is greatly helped by the author's journalistic experience and his ability to use historical settings to draw the reader in to what may otherwise appear to be some tricky mathematics. The story is given a human face by the many anecdotes based on Alex's visits to talk with mathematicians across the globe, giving the book the feel of a travelogue, reflecting the best of travel writers such as William Dalrymple. Much is packed in to the 400 pages and the occasional disappointment that some of one's own favourite snippets and characters are omitted is more than compensated for by the exhilaration of the journey. A real page turner! (G.Roberts)