Euler's Gem: The Polyhedron Formula and the Birth of Topology

Euler's Gem is a fascinating & well written book. However, it is also a pretty challenging read, one can not really sit back & read it straight through. But this is also what mathematics & learning is all about, as you often have to stop, re-read, & think a bit about what is being said. The claim is made that someone with only high school mathematics could read the book, & while this is probably true, it would be a steep climb. Especially as one progresses further & further into the book, many references are made to calculus, differential equations, & other related ideas, which the author does a fantastic job of explaining the ideas to people that never had the courses, but in the end it really would help the reader to have that knowledge beforehand. What makes this a five star book is that it is so rich in knowledge. The average person won't be able to read it in a week, but if you're willing to put the time into the book, you'll get a lot of out it as it really is a great introduction to topology. Even if you can't pick up all the concepts, you're sure to be able to pick up many of the neat tricks the author points out, such as the wedding ring knot, coloring map problem, etc. Overall, one of the best books I've ever read, & one day I'll probably have to re-read it again because it's just so rich & packed with knowledge.