John Allen Paulos cleverly scrutinizes the mathematical structures of jokes, puns, paradoxes, spoonerisms, riddles, and other forms of humor, drawing examples from such sources as Rabelais, Shakespeare, James Beattie, Ren Thom, Lewis Carroll, Arthur Koestler, W.
His most recent book is "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences.".
A few-like Paulos-are brilliant in an odd endeavor."-Los Angeles Times Book Review About the Author: John Allen Paulos is professor of Mathematics at Temple University.
Some merely manage to be dull. .is describe broadly several kinds of mathematical theory and apply them to throw sidelights on how many kinds of jokes work."-New Scientist "Many scholars nowadays write seriously about the ludicrous. .
What it does.
This book avoids that danger. "Jokes, paradoxes, riddles, and the art of non-sequitur are revealed with great perception and insight in this illuminating account of the relationship between Humor and mathematics."-Joseph Williams, New York Times "\'Leave your mind alone, \' said a Thurber cartoon, and a really complete and convincing analysis of what humour is might spoil all jokes forever.
Fields, and Woody Allen.
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John Allen Paulos cleverly scrutinizes the mathematical structures of jokes, puns, paradoxes, spoonerisms, riddles, and other forms of humor, drawing examples from such sources as Rabelais, Shakespeare, James Beattie, Ren Thom, Lewis Carroll, Arthur Koestler, W
