mathematical adventure german die angst der book children young adults explores mathematics originally written german illustrated book follows young boy named robert taught mathematics sly number devil called course dreams book met positive reviews critics approving description math praising simplicity colorful use fictional mathematical terms creative descriptions concepts suggested book children adults troubled math bestseller europe translated english plot robert young boy suffers mathematical anxiety school mother wilson experiences recurring dreams including falling endless slide eaten giant fish interrupted sleep habit night small creature introduces number number heaven robert knows number devil learning actual later story course dreams number devil teaches robert mathematical principles night appears robert world introduces number night number devil emerges forest trees shaped like ones explains necessity number zero negative numbers introduces fictional term describe night number devil brings robert cave reveals numbers prime numbers divided remainder later fourth night number devil teaches robert fictional term depict square roots beach time fourth night robert find number devil dreams later fifth night robert finds desert number devil teaches triangular numbers use sixth night number devil teaches robert natural occurrence numbers number devil numbers counting brown white rabbits reproduce multiple times dream robert mother noticed visible change robert mathematical interest robert begins going sleep earlier encounter seventh night brings robert bare white room number devil presents triangle patterns triangular array displays eighth night robert brought classroom school number devil arranges robert classmates multiple ways teaches number devil calls numbers ninth night robert dreams bed suffering flu appears number devil teaches robert natural numbers calls garden variety numbers unusual characteristics infinite infinite series robert finds number devil introduces numbers numbers aspects geometry dots edges lines eleventh night robert shown considerable increased interest mathematics questions validity number devil introduces concept mathematical ending number devil showing robert complicated proof basic twelfth night robert number devil receive invitation names number heaven robert time finished number heaven robert learns imaginary numbers describes imaginative numbers bottle walking number heaven introduces robert famous calls professor singer book ends robert class newfound mathematical knowledge history fostered passion mathematics numbers mathematician trade delivered speech criticizing isolation mathematics popular culture ultimately written suggestion year old daughter displeased way mathematics taught students school german author decided pen book teaches mathematics innovative way german illustrator provided page illustrations smaller drawings book published german noted unorthodox abandonment standard instead created variety fictional terms help describe mathematical concepts instance takes term fictional term numbers coined numbers ucla professor slavic languages michael translated book german english translation particularly difficult required special attention numerical aspect book challenged necessity use simple english words appropriate target audience children aged fourteen mathematics book published english book hit europe best seller spain germany netherlands italy considerable success japan success wrote follow called robert children book focusing history math german author stated write young adult books instead direct effort poetry later published educational computer game similarly titled number devil mathematical adventure based book released reception number devil received positive reviews critics mathematics professor temple university wrote article praising charming numerical fairy tale children likewise mathematics writer los_angeles_times applauded introduction mathematics entertaining way book review approved book simplicity writing minute reviews positive american mathematical society reviewed book mathematical perspective praised attractive imaginative fantasy found issues ball bass concerned negative characterization math teachers apparent presentation mathematics magical factual number writing believed far compelling standard text found adventurous hoped criticized use mathematics education stating suspect sort book meaning adults mistakenly thrust children good
The Number Devil