2010 May 01

Book Review: As Easy As Pi by Jamie Buchan

Title: Easy as Pi: The Countless Ways We Use Numbers Every Day
Author: Jamie Buchan
Publisher: Readers Digest
Publication Date: April 15, 2010
Hardcover: 176 pages
ISBN: 978-1606521342
Genre: Mathematics, Trivia

About the book:

Count the ways . . .

Have you ever stopped to think how many countless ways we use numbers? From the ring of the alarm clock in the morning to the numbers triggering our cell phones, our world is designed with numbers in mind. With Easy as Pi, you’ll get the 4-1-1 on the fascinating origin of many of the numbers we use or read about every day.

* What makes “cloud nine” and “seventh heaven” so blissful?

* Why is number 7 so lucky and 13 so unlucky?

* Is “fourth-dimensional thinking” really out of this world?

* What prompted Ray Bradbury to call his novel Fahrenheit 451?

* How did 007 become James Bond’s number?

For the math averse: Be not afraid. Easy as Pi is not a textbook but rather a lively look at the derivation of numerical expressions and their inescapable influence on our culture — from book titles to bus schedules. To sum it up, Easy as Pi equals one clever and often hilarious collection.

My Review:

Easy as Pi: The Countless Ways We Use Numbers Every Day by Jamie Buchan is a brilliant and interesting read for those who have a fondness for math as well as those who have an aversion to math. Buchan’s book offers up tidbits to delight and intrigue readers. Easy as Pi is written in short bursts, tidbits if you will, for the reader to enjoy to leisure. Being quite passionate about math, my family and I read straight through the book which equally entertained and enlightened each of us. Even if the reader did not grow up with the catchy saying, “sine, sine, cosine, sine, 3.14159″ or enjoy the wonders of mathematics and the beauty behind π, the reader will be able to enjoy Buchan’s book. One does not need a mathematics degree to enjoy Easy as Pi: The Countless Ways We Use Numbers Every Day and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys trivia books, or mathematics.

About the Author:

Jamie Buchan was educated at Westminster School and is completing a Master of Arts degree in Architectural Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Many of his family members are involved in books: his great-grandfather John Buchan is the prolific novelist famous for The Thirty-Nine Steps; his grandfather D.J. Enright is a well-known Movement poet; and his uncle James Buchan is an award-winning novelist and historical writer. Both of his parents work in publishing. For more information, please visit this website.

I received a complimentary copy of Easy As Pi by Jamie Buchan from FSB Media. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

Book Review: The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser

Title: The Lumby Lines
Author: Gail Fraser
Publisher: NAL Trade
Publication Date: May 1, 2007
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-0451221391
Genre: Fiction

About the book:

Nestled in the Northwest is a quaint little town that its quirky residents are proud to call home. With charming shops lining its one main thoroughfare, Lumby has the oldest apple tree in the county and the smallest bank in the state. And though it’s hours from the nearest big city, you’ll always find Lumby close to your heart . . .

Nearly destroyed by fire, Montis Abbey remains a ruin on the outskirts of Lumby. Once home to a resourceful order of monks, it stands abandoned, surrounded by its overgrown orchards. Then Mark and Pam Walker, a vacationing couple from the East Coast, stumble upon it — and upon the answer to their prayers. Leaving behind their hectic lives to restore the monastery and turn it into an inn is a dream come true.

But some residents of Lumby take a while to warm up to outsiders. One of them is irascible William Beezer, owner of The Lumby Lines — the newspaper “worth the paper it’s printed on.” At every turn, he tries to hinder the Walkers’ efforts. The couple soon learns that for every citizen like William, there are many more willing to lend a hand, and that Lumby isn’t just a place — it’s a way of life.

My Review:

Somewhere in the Pacific Northwest lies the quaint town of Lumby with its eccentric inhabitants and a nearby burned-out Monastery. A typical morning may consist of the bank president phoning the sheriff’s office to complain about discovering goats locked in the vault consuming thousands of dollars or an over-zealous reporter hoping to find a scoop. So begins The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser, the first in her Lumby series. Things become livelier in the town of Lumby when Mark and Pam Walker arrive hoping to restore the old Montis Abbey into a Bed and Breakfast and most of Lumby is behind them, however not everyone wants to see the Walkers succeed. Lumby and nearby towns are vividly described, the characters are wonderfully well written with a charming plot, making The Lumby Lines a delightful, charming and quick read. Anyone who enjoyed the Mitford series by Jan Karon is certain to enjoy the quirky lot in the Lumby series.

About the Author:

Gail Fraser had a successful career in corporate America holding senior executive and upper management positions in several Fortune 500 and start-up corporations. She lives with her husband, Art Poulin, and their two dogs near Saratoga Springs, New York.

For more information, view Gail Fraser’s Website.

I received a complimentary copy of The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser from FSB Media. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.