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Strange Curves, Counting Rabbits, and Other Mathematical Explorations by Keith Ball, Princeton University Press, £19.95/$29.95, ISBN 0691113211 Reviewed by Ben Longstaff

IT IS a dismal idea that you shouldn’t laugh at your own jokes. You tend to hear it from people who consider themselves particularly witty. Thank goodness mathematicians aren’t too smug to champion their subject’s high points, which are, like good puns, as much discoveries as inventions.

In Strange Curves, Counting Rabbits, and Other Mathematical Explorations, Keith Ball demonstrates that though maths may not be laugh-out-loud hilarious, it is deeply and gloriously satisfying. The book’s 10 chapters explore diverse and richly rewarding mathematical territories, taking in bizarre curves, improbable probabilities and some gems rarely seen in popular maths writing. All of it is navigable by anyone with a bit of calculus. Ball’s style is pacy and informal, and he does far more than just show off polished results. This is maths with the hood up and the engine running.

Newcomers to the topics will find them fascinating; those who reckon they’ve seen it all before will be treated to fresh proofs and new perspectives. My only quibble is that in his eagerness to get to the goodies, Ball’s scene-setting can be a little unclear. But that doesn’t spoil the fun.