Inspiring 'popular-science' maths books

[OnlyGlowingSlightly]

Can anyone suggest fun books to inspire wider interest in maths for a bright 12 year old?

Possibly with a rebellious slant: maybe showing how gambling works, or code-breaking, something like that (although I don't want him getting into gambling!!)

He's bright (did very well in maths challenges outside school) but not very engaged with learning at school, so I'm looking for something fun to inspire him, and keep him thinking that maths is 'for him'. Definitely not looking for workbooks, or anything that looks like work.

He's also very interested in art, especially graphic novels. I can't think of a tie-in to that, but mention it in case one of you can!

Thanks for any suggestions!

Not a book, but wildmaths, plus, mathigon are great maths site to inspire.

Murderous maths is good fun, as well as the books called Bletchley Park - there is IQ puzzle, number puzzles, etc.

What about the graphic novel "the thrilling adventures of Lovelace and Babbage"?

Also, the Martyn Gardner maths puzzles books are excellent.

We also have Curious History of Mathematics by Joel Levy.
And DK Rocket Science for the rest of us.

A few years old (but maths doesn''t really change).

Number Mysteries book by Marcus du Sautoy and the royal society Christmas Lectures (2006?). There is also a 4 part maths overview on "Yesterday".

Simpsons and their maths secrets by Singh (as well as his cryptography book and Parallel website).

Ian Stewart does some good introductory / popular maths books.

There's Brebas competitions in November, other cryptography / coding challenges in September / January.

Most of the books can be picked up second hand for a couple of quid, so there's no harm in getting one or two and seeing how he gets on with them.

Oops- it's called Science but not as we know it, by Ben Gilliland, sorry

Not quite a book, but we went on the
Past, Present, Future: Codes and Ciphers
at bletchley park yesterday. Only £11 lasts 10-3.30 and repeated a couple of times a year.
www.bletchleypark.org.uk/whats-on/past-present-future-codes-and-ciphers-2
Very good for an introduction to codes/cyphers, you can visit the park before and after and you get a short tour and "play" with an enigma as well as some code cracking activities.

The man who loved only numbers is my favourite book!

It’s a biography so I know it’s not exactly what you’re looking for but it’s great. It’s the biography of Paul Erdos one of the greats of the mathematical world.

I loved this when I was younger - I went on to do a degree in physics. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1861058624/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_IuSwBb3553994?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Also a brief history of time by Stephen Hawking is fascinating and not actually a difficult read.

I love maths! Did my degree in it

The code book by Simon Singh is a really good read

And I'd definitely second Lovelace & Babbage

Not sure if this is quite what you're looking for, but I really enjoyed the way maths was used by the protagonist in The Martian to survive! Fiction, but still good fun.

Fantastic suggestions - thank you everyone!

I've bought the Lovelace and Babbage one and a Martyn Gardner one.

I'll also get the 'The Hidden Maths of Everyday Life' (reminds me of David Friedman's book which changed the way I understand the world) and also The Martian - which despite being fiction is just the kind of accessible inspiration I'm looking for

And I'm keeping a note of all the other suggestions, to read myself and then drip feed in if these go down well (mwah hah ha! )

The Bletchley Park talk looks like a perfect gift for FIL. Actually, I'd love to do it too, but it wouldn't keep 5yo DD's attention, and DH would want to do it too so can't just sneak off by myself

Thank you all!

These are three of the books DS2 has.
Anything by Matt Parker is good.