Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula: Cures Many Mathematical Ills by Paul J. Nahin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Better than Prozac

Euler’s formula is arguably the most beautiful construction in mathematics. It shows how, with unparalleled elegance, five incommensurables universes of numbers are related to one another. Nahin makes the argument wonderfully and shows how the identity’s simple beauty is just as much use as ornament, solving a variety of mathematical problems in novel ways. Although not directed toward mathematicians, the book does require some competence in trigonometry, calculus, and elementary numerical analysis, probably obtained through study in engineering or physics. If you can handle it, I think you’ll find it comforting just how consistent, coherent and stable mathematics can be in a rapidly changing world.

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