Math Games with Bad Drawings: 75 1/4 Simple, Challengin… (2024)

Okay, perhaps it's gauche to write a five-star review one's own book. But (a) it's really good, and (b) it's only "mine" in the loosest sense.

See, although I crafted a handful of the games myself, the others come from dozens of different designers, ranging from mathematicians to schoolchildren to self-aggrandizing magicians.

Also, although I gave each game a thorough test-drive, I relied on additional play-testing feedback from hundreds of kind and insightful strangers, whose words you'll hear throughout the book as I try to explain how each game brings out our best mathematical thinking.

Finally, although I distinctly recall writing the book myself, my two-year-old has started saying "This my book" and "I wrote this book." Who am I to contradict her?

So, since the book is scarcely mine at all, I can make impartial claims like "These games are all fun, thought-provoking, and easy to learn" and "Some of them deserve to become universally-known classics" and "This book is objectively enormous, with the mass and dimensions of a queen-sized mattress." (Seriously though. The thing is huge.)

Anyway, a book of games never really belongs to the author. It belongs to the players, whose creativity and curiosity will take the games to places that their artistically inept compiler could never have imagined.

It's exactly what it says on the tin: you've got math games illustrated through bad drawings. What's not to like? Plus each of the games that are detailed fully lead to a mathematical concept. Neat.

My gripes with it are subjective: it was too ridiculously expensive, I already knew some of the games presented, others were just not so interesting, the drawings are not bad but superfluous. But still it's such a fascinating, nerdy experience I can't rate it lower than four stars.

Lovely drawings. Lovely games. I hope to work my way through all of them someday. For now, I’m at about five.

A fascinating book of maths based games for two or more players. Separated into various categories, there are more than enough here to keep more maths minded people happy. Most of the games can be played using coloured pens or pencils and paper with dice (on-line ones will do). The book might be a hit for families or groups who are interested in mathematical fun (and some disguised mathematical lessons).

Each game starts with an introduction to the game and its rules, then some notes on the games, a brief history of the games, why they are mathematically interesting, and closes with variations of the games that can be played.

You don't have to read the book from cover to cover, although that is the way to read it to discover all the games covered in the book. If you have an interest in a certain type of game, you can skip directly to it. A case could also be made to turn the book itself into a game by letting each person in your group choose a game to play (by choice or randomly).

Even if you don't play the games, the background material is sufficiently interesting for those into mathematics and discovering (or learning) some of the possibly strategies (if any) than be used to play the games.

I haven’t yet read the book cover to cover, but took it over to my nephew’s and we picked through a few games to play. Some of the games were more interesting than others. I need to explore the game variations and mathematical connections more. A lot of the time, my nephew and I wanted the games to be more challenging.

I look forward to sharing this book with a math teacher!

This is a lot of fun and a great resource for anyone (not just math teachers!) who want to both pick up some fun games to play and take a dive into the mathematics behind them.

I received an ARC of this one and the publisher was kind enough to also send along The Ultimate Game Collection - a companion box of dry erase boards, markers, a mini version of the much larger book, dice, and small tokens, all of which can be used to do a sort of travel sized version of the larger book. And when I say large - I do mean large - the hardcover is 11.5 inches tall and 7.5 inches wide. This has to be my main complaint about this one - it's too cumbersome. I think this would have worked better as a workbook sized paperback or spiral bound. Other than that, the games are relatively fun. This one can't have a true book review because it's not a true book, but this is the best I've got in terms of an activity text.

This a fun, enjoyable book for anyone who enjoys board games, puzzles, and pencil & paper games. Though it says "math games" (and math people will enjoy this for sure), there is really no math required. In truth, the weakest part of the book is when Orlin tries to expound on "why this game matters", reaching to make connections between a game, mathematical theory, and that theory's applicability in life ... when really, sometimes a game is just a game. Still, there are a lot of games to explore and enjoy here!

Not a bad word to say about this one. It’s an endless playground for anyone at all ages. I’m the kind of person who likes the “why” and application and context behind creations, and this book delivers. I feel validated in my love of games and my aptitude towards them. It’ll help me in my life because it helps with problem solving and applying different skills in smaller contexts.

Wonderful collection of math games that can be done on paper, or with your fingers. Orlin is an insightful writer, teacher and comic maker. This book is great for the classroom, for the family or just for your own curiosity.

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Flipped through Mike's copy - fascinating

Brilliant book with interesting games and very insightful discussion throughout. I'm particularly taken with the variety of games, and the minimal equipment (generally just paper and pen) needed. I'm taking this on the next long family trip!

Perché giocare è importante anche per i matematici

Vabbè, Ben Orlin e i suoi disegni brutti non hanno bisogno di presentazioni. I giochi qui presenti (non sono davvero 75 1/4: alla fine c'è tutta la spiegazione di come è arrivato a quel numero) mi erano in parte noti ma generalmente sconosciuti: Orlin si muove nel sottile crinale tra non spiegare assolutamente le possibili strategie e dare troppe spiegazioni. La struttura secondo me è anche ottima, non tanto per la suddivisione in capitoli a seconda della matematica che sta dietro il gioco quanto per le variazioni indicate alla fine di ogni gioco e che spesso sono giochi dalla strategia completamente diversa. Ma soprattutto quella che mi è piaciuta è la parte "perché è importante" alla fine della spiegazione di ogni gioco. Spesso quando giochiamo non vogliamo farci tanti problemi: ma se uno è un matematico dentro, a volte i problemi sono più divertenti del gioco stesso, e sapere quali sono i temi matematici toccati può essere utile.
Ricordo che esiste anche la scatola con gli strumenti per giocare, se uno è un collezionista :-)