Polster and Ross offer a delightful romp through a thoughtfully curated selection of 64 columns from their "Maths Masters" series, which appeared first in the Melbourne, Australia, newspaper 'The Age' and later moved online. Polster and Ross are enabled by a quirky sense of humor that permeates their writing and makes for a delightful read. Each chapter presents an interesting topic and ends with one or two "puzzles to ponder," making this text a worthy addition to any math teacher's desk collection. The book provides excellent reading for undergraduate mathematics majors and pre-service math teachers.

This simple-but-deep theme perfectly captures the spirit of the collection of articles by Polster and Ross: amusing titles and clever narratives serving as easily accessible entry points to some surprisingly deep, sophisticated, and, above all, fun mathematics.

As someone who teaches primarily undergraduate students, does research with undergrads, and is heavily involved in math circles and other math outreach activities, I found this book to be a pleasure to read. Finding math materials that are appropriate for a variety of levels and backgrounds can be a challenge. Care must be put into both the scaffolding of topics and the 'hook' to draw in the reader or student. I found that this book excelled at delivering the hooks and ordered the presentation of the material in a thoughtful and clear way.

This is a fun, well-written book that epitomizes the idea of 'low floor, high ceiling' in mathematics. There is something here for readers of all ages and backgrounds, and it would be hard to find anything either too daunting or too trivial. Whether purely for recreation, as a supplement to a class, or as an inspiration for future studies or lessons, this book provides something for every learner.

What does this book talk about? Nearly everything. Just to cite two of my favorites: the optimal way to lace your shoes, and why pictures often refuse to hang straight....All the chapters are nicely illustrated, with pictures or drawings helping to visualize and understand the reasoning throughout. By the way, several chapters are about the shapes of buildings located in various places in Australia, so it's definitely handy to have their pictures at the beginning of the chapter. I think this is a book that is never boring, always entertaining and humorous, and often positively surprising.

Polster and Ross are masters of the genre this book represents: a cornucopia of offerings, from across the mathematical spectrum. Their articles are entertaining, captivating, and informative, and will appeal to everyone from interested amateurs to old pros. On top of all that, the prose is clear, concise and a lot of fun—happily with a charmingly Aussie flavo(u)r. Crack the spine and enjoy!

The American Mathematical Society must be congratulated on publishing a singularly amusing synthesis of cultural anthropology coupled with mathematical entertainment.

Polster and Ross are as good as the original master, Martin Gardner! They are also as good as that other great popularizer of mathematics, Ian Stewart, who took up Gardner's mantle, and as good as Douglas Hofstedter, who also followed in Gardner's footsteps as popularizers of mathematics within regular columns in “Scientific American”, and elsewhere.

I recommend this new book very highly! Like Poster and Ross's first collection of columns, it is one that you can happily read from cover to cover, or dip into at any random point, and find treasures. You will then often return, savouring, and often laughing, while also learning, and responding to thoughtful challenges!