The lady or the tiger?
by Raymond M. Smullyan · first published 1992
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Logic puzzles and paradox-style brain teasers written with a playful, witty voice. It serves as a fun introduction to mathematical thinking, suited to curious teens and general readers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…Peterson, The Mathematical Tourist Davis and Hersh, The Mathematical Experience Polya, How to Solve It Huff, How to Lie With Statistics McGervey, Probabilities in Everyday Life Raymond Smullyan: The Lady or the Tiger, Alice in Puzzle-Land, others Anything by Martin Gardner. I happen to have picked up Mathematical Magic Show and Mathematical Circus, but I'm sure there are many other collections. I also recommend…
on “Ask HN: Good books on mathematics for somebody who's only taken high school math?” ↗Yes -- anything by Smullyan is a pleasure to read. I think much of it is out of print, but should still be findable. "Lady or the Tiger" and "Satan, Cantor, and Infinity" were both good reads. "Alice," as well.
on “Ask YC: Math problems” ↗…else out there. The Colossal Book of Mathematics is a good way to get a lot in one place. The Night is Large is also great but less math-focused. I don't see any recommendations for Smullyan yet. The Lady or the Tiger is the classic I think, but I really loved Forever Undecided.
on “Ask HN: Recommend a maths book for a teenager?” ↗…caught off guard. At that moment I believed anything was possible. I agreed to the bet. > He asked me to close my eyes, kissed me on the cheek and laughed, “I lost.” And this bit from the preface to The Lady or the Tiger aptly summarizes most people's attitude towards maths: > Before he called the boy to the phone, the father said to me in soft conspiratorial tones: "He is reading your book and loves it! But when you…
on “Raymond Smullyan has died” ↗…recommend the following: • Ted Chiang's Exhalation • Ted Chiang's Story of Your Life and Others • Ken Liu's Paper Menagerie • Borges's Ficciones • Smullyan's What is the Name of This Book? • Smullyan's Lady or the Tiger? • Douglas Adams's God's Debris Remember to support local booksellers when possible :) [2] https://bookshop.org
on “They're Made Out of Meat” ↗The Raymond Smullyan puzzle books might work. I think the first part of The Lady or the Tiger might be fun. To Mock A Mockingbird might work too, but the initial learning curve might be too steep. The Island of Knights and Knaves part could work. Satan, Cantor and Infinity has some good parts,…
on “Ask HN: Material for Elementary School Math Club?” ↗"The Lady or the Tiger" is, quite literally, probably the single most influential book from my childhood. In 6th grade, my math teacher had a copy in his classroom. He noticed that I spent so much time before class, after class,…
on “Raymond Smullyan has died” ↗I don't have much to add, except that when I read his books -- for me, the ones I fell in love with were The Lady or the Tiger, What is the Name of this Book? and To Mock a Mockingbird -- I felt I was communing with a spirit for whom wit, delight, charm and generosity were one. I'm delighted, and not a bit surprised, to hear…
on “Raymond Smullyan has died” ↗Try Raymond Smullyan. He has books at a range of levels of accessibility; I'm not sure if there's anything great for your 8th grader, but I remember first getting into The Lady or the Tiger? as a teen.
on “Gödel, Escher, Bach: an in-depth explainer” ↗His book 'The Lady or the Tiger' came at a pivotal point in my life in my early forties, actually helped lift me out of a deep depression upon being separated from my children. I had planned to write him to see if I could visit him,…
on “Raymond Smullyan has died” ↗I finished What is the name of this book? by Smullyan and am halfway through The Lady or the Tiger? (also Smullyan). I'd read the latter years ago along with one other book of his. I'll find out which it was when I get to it and recognize the text. They've been a pleasant, light diversion in the evenings…
on “Ask HN: What books have you read recently?” ↗Two other stories by Raymond Smullyan: - In "What Is the Name of This Book?" he recalls being introduced to logic at the age of six. - In "The Lady or the Tiger?" (if I remember correctly), a friend asks Raymond not to tell his child that the puzzles he's enjoying are actually math because he hates math!
on “Attention Spans for Math and Stories (2019)” ↗