Book excerpt: From ancient mathematicians to modern trailblazers, join television legend Johnny Ball on an incredible and exciting adventure as he teaches you maths! Numbers are used in everyday life for many vital functions, from making scientific breakthroughs to equally dividing that last piece of pie. Mathematics need not be seen as a dull subject, and this book will help you see exactly that. Adding a fun and wonderful twist to regular modes of learning, Mathmagicians will give you puzzles to solve, conundrums to crack, and cool tricks to show off to friends. Using fascinating experiments, funky illustrations, and easy-to-follow language, the book narrates the story of how the field of mathematics developed, and shows you why the world cannot function without it. What makes Pi one of the weirdest numbers in the world? How can you weigh your head without chopping it off? How can you build your own cool sundial? Find answers to these questions and much more as you go about becoming a whizz with numbers. Flip through the bright and colourful pages of Mathmagicians to discover how numbers enable us to explore, plan, and build just about everything.