Reception
The Number Devil received mostly positive reviews from critics. Mathematics professor John Allen Paulos of Temple University wrote an article for The New York Review of Books, praising The Number Devil as a "charming numerical fairy tale for children." Likewise, mathematics writer Martin Gardner of the Los Angeles Times applauded Enzensberger's introduction of mathematics "in such an entertaining way." In a book review for The Baltimore Sun, Michael Pakenham approved of the book's simplicity, writing, "it's not incomprehensible. Not for a minute."
Not all reviews were positive, however. The American Mathematical Society's Deborah Loewenberg Ball and Hyman Bass reviewed the book from a mathematical perspective. Although they praised its "attractive and imaginative fantasy," the two mathematicians found several issues. Ball and Bass were concerned with the The Number Devil's negative characterization of math teachers, its apparent presentation of mathematics as magical rather than factual, and a number of other contentions. Ted Dewan, writing for the Times Educational Supplement, believed it to be "far more compelling than a standard text," but found it less adventurous than he hoped for. He also criticized its use in mathematics education, stating "I suspect this is the sort of book that well-meaning adults will mistakenly thrust upon children because it will be good for them."
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