• Beyond Infinity

  • An Expedition to the Outer Limits of Mathematics
  • By: Eugenia Cheng
  • Narrated by: Moira Quirk
  • Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (72 ratings)

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Beyond Infinity  By  cover art

Beyond Infinity

By: Eugenia Cheng
Narrated by: Moira Quirk
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Publisher's summary

Understanding the concept of infinity is a lofty task, but this creative and easy-to-follow book helps break down all the mathematic complexities so anyone can gain a better understanding of the universe.

How big is the universe? How many numbers are there? And is infinity + 1 is the same as 1 + infinity? Such questions occur to young children and our greatest minds. And they are all the same question: What is infinity?

In Beyond Infinity, Eugenia Cheng takes us on a staggering journey from elemental math to its loftiest abstractions. Along the way, she considers how to use a chessboard to plan a worldwide dinner party, how to make a chicken-sandwich sandwich, and how to create infinite cookies from a finite ball of dough. Beyond Infinity shows how one little symbol holds the biggest idea of all.

©2017 Eugenia Cheng (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Ms. Cheng's chatty tone keeps things fresh. She has a knack for folksy analogies, and at different points in the book she illuminates different properties of infinity by discussing Legos, the iPod Shuffle, snorkeling, Battenberg cakes and Winnie-the-Pooh... she does a great service by showing us non-mathematician schlubs how real mathematical creativity works."—Wall Street Journal

"Our minds cannot truly grasp the concept of infinity, but Eugenia Cheng takes us on a wild journey to help us in our search for it. It's a small, unassuming symbol, but it holds a giant idea. Cheng helps us understand the basics of infinity and then takes us on a ride to see its most lofty applications. From the practical to the entirely theoretical, this is a book to watch for."—Paste Magazine

"The idea of infinity is one of the most perplexing things in mathematics, and the most fun. Eugenia Cheng's Beyond Infinity is a spirited and friendly guide—appealingly down to earth about math that's extremely far out."—Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not to Be Wrong and professor of mathematics at University of Wisconsin-Madison

What listeners say about Beyond Infinity

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Maybe for children, but not for me

Beyond Infinity features a lot of stories about the author, and several analogies regarding young children, but not a lot about infinity or mathematics.
The narration, while perky in the extreme, isn't so bad, but it's more appropriate for a young children's book. Actually, maybe that's exactly what this is—a book for young children.
The book is charming, but it's the mathematical ideas that I want access to, and this book is so cutesy that I'm going to return it.

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10 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Overflowing With Needless Examples & Anecdotes

What did you like best about Beyond Infinity? What did you like least?

I liked the discussion of the development of calculus best. I deplored the author wasting my time by reciting all 375 digits in 200!, including the 49 zeros at the end. I also tired of the numerous needless examples to what small children think or do. The author often recited at least five elements of a sequence when three would have been sufficient. At least 90 minutes of this recording is needless fluff.

What other book might you compare Beyond Infinity to and why?

Is God A Mathematician by Livio due to its historical discussion of the development of mathematics.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Moira Quirk?

No.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Only if it were no more than two hours in length.

Any additional comments?

It is truly a shame that an author with such an insightful understanding of infinity found it necessary to swell the contents of her book with so much superfluous information.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Sad to get to the end

A really pleasant, thought provoking book. And such a pleasant narrator. (Only minor thing is there are figures in the physical book that would be nice reference in some way while listening.)

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing

Amazing ^ omega

Fun and informative. The author explains complex things in approachable and engaging ways. She finds the balance between in depth explanation and straightforward writing.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Now I Know Why I Like Certain House Designs

Very entertaining and educational from a touching and personal perspective. Thank you for this gem!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

good math too many personal stories

I think the first few chapters are the best because she talks a lot about how to solve thought problems dealing with infinity, but then as the book progress she likes to intertwine personal stories to help us relate but it's a serious distraction from the math that I came for.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

what's fun to investigate Infinity this way

this author is so much fun. I enjoyed this book almost as much as her other book about category Theory

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Truly fabulous!

If you love math and/or have a deep curiosity about infinity, this book is for you. The author is an excellent story teller and brings infinity to life. I highly recommend.

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Beyond Infinity

Eugenia Cheng is becoming one of my favorite authors. I first learned of Eugenia when I came across her other book, "How to Bake Pi". This book and "How to Bake Pi" are truly for those who enjoy maths.

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