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Math City
Math City is a place where is into Math book, and also the pages of the book are the streets of Math City.
In this City, Monster Number was grossly overweight and had a shaggy body, like a mammoth. In the beginning, Monster Number could not walk very well. Though he swayed a little, tottering and often falling, my father trained him for detecting and killing. After a few days, we attacked Math City.
Math City was bombarded, the doors and the walls shaking while the dark shade of the Monster Number came down, covering the city. Monster Number threw big stones, one after another; and like a repulsive ghoul crashed through any barrier.
Then, after many horrible explosions, Monster Number entered the city, and we followed him. He smashed countless numbers as he put down his steps on the earth.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00B9291FI
In this City, Monster Number was grossly overweight and had a shaggy body, like a mammoth. In the beginning, Monster Number could not walk very well. Though he swayed a little, tottering and often falling, my father trained him for detecting and killing. After a few days, we attacked Math City.
Math City was bombarded, the doors and the walls shaking while the dark shade of the Monster Number came down, covering the city. Monster Number threw big stones, one after another; and like a repulsive ghoul crashed through any barrier.
Then, after many horrible explosions, Monster Number entered the city, and we followed him. He smashed countless numbers as he put down his steps on the earth.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00B9291FI
- GenresFantasy
70 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2011
About the author
Ahmad Amani
6 books21 followersAhmad lives in the Middle East. He is a graduate of the Art University in Tehran. He has worked for many newspapers in Iran as a Kurdish journalist.
He hopes that his books make you think, while you enjoy it. Like the words:
“Yes, in Math City 2 + 2 + a profit = 5 not 4.
Professor Six discovered this formula when he was studying businessmen. He saw that a businessman buys 2 apples for 2 dollars and 2 oranges for 2 dollars, but he wants to make at least $1 profit in this process, so when he wants to sell them, he will sell the apples and oranges for 5 dollars.
In this way, the businessman sells 2 apples + 2 oranges + a profit which is = 5.
Therefore, Professor Six announced: "Businessman means "Business" + "Man" = Business + Him (profit) = 2
The profit was always a constant."
From Math City Book
He hopes that his books make you think, while you enjoy it. Like the words:
“Yes, in Math City 2 + 2 + a profit = 5 not 4.
Professor Six discovered this formula when he was studying businessmen. He saw that a businessman buys 2 apples for 2 dollars and 2 oranges for 2 dollars, but he wants to make at least $1 profit in this process, so when he wants to sell them, he will sell the apples and oranges for 5 dollars.
In this way, the businessman sells 2 apples + 2 oranges + a profit which is = 5.
Therefore, Professor Six announced: "Businessman means "Business" + "Man" = Business + Him (profit) = 2
The profit was always a constant."
From Math City Book
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 3, 2016
Review copy kindly donated by author and GR friend Ahmad Amani.
This book is an imaginative look at the world of numbers. Like the first book I read by this author, it attempts to convey large ideas in easy-to-understand language. Unlike the first book, however, it is aimed at an older audience.
Math City is a mathematical allegory with heavily political overtones. The Lying Line (minus sign) and the Upward Lying Line (plus sign) have both negative and positive effects on the various numbers who make up the population of the city. At first they are comical; to give just one example, the Lying Line, whose specialty is subtraction, helps an enormous number lose weight in order to impress an attractive number whom he wants to marry. But when the Lying Line's antics spin out of control, the citizens object, a conflict quickly arises, and the City finds itself with its loyalties divided between the plus and minus sides. Things turn ugly, then deadly. Even though this is a mathematical allegory, the description of the revolution is rather chilling in its matter-of-fact listing of details. The reason for this is no doubt that the author himself is from a part of the world where warfare has often been a sad fact of life.
This well-thought-out little fable may serve to give its readers a different perspective on mathematics. And along the way, it conveys a sobering view of the politics of revolution and the brutality of war.
This book is an imaginative look at the world of numbers. Like the first book I read by this author, it attempts to convey large ideas in easy-to-understand language. Unlike the first book, however, it is aimed at an older audience.
Math City is a mathematical allegory with heavily political overtones. The Lying Line (minus sign) and the Upward Lying Line (plus sign) have both negative and positive effects on the various numbers who make up the population of the city. At first they are comical; to give just one example, the Lying Line, whose specialty is subtraction, helps an enormous number lose weight in order to impress an attractive number whom he wants to marry. But when the Lying Line's antics spin out of control, the citizens object, a conflict quickly arises, and the City finds itself with its loyalties divided between the plus and minus sides. Things turn ugly, then deadly. Even though this is a mathematical allegory, the description of the revolution is rather chilling in its matter-of-fact listing of details. The reason for this is no doubt that the author himself is from a part of the world where warfare has often been a sad fact of life.
This well-thought-out little fable may serve to give its readers a different perspective on mathematics. And along the way, it conveys a sobering view of the politics of revolution and the brutality of war.
May 9, 2012
I really love the concept of the book. I have never read a book like this. This is so unique and very intelligent. It is a story about a world populated by numbers, equations, math concepts, etc. as if they are real persons with qualities and distinct characters. This is really amazing. I am very happy reading it because it opened my mind into something good and entertaining. I hope this author would write more books like this. Indeed, very creative!
May 20, 2012
Open your mind to the equations, the concepts, the abundant possibilities of a world ruled solely by mathematical concepts.
Math City is in actuality a book; the streets in Math City are actually pages; the city was quite rich but the people of the rest of the world didn't deem them important and were only interested in Math City's money. Of course Math City in return had no interest in the rest of the world either, especially their laws.
One man, known at the Lying Line, is unpopular to say the least however everyone fears him even more. Every number wants something from him, but when their number is up, they blame everything on the Lying Line. When war comes, no one will make a stand, they follow and do as they are told, too conditioned by years of being told what to do and what to think.
Changes need to be made to survive but can all the numbers in Math City come together and unite or will they forever be at war?
This is a very well done urban fantasy tale that draws from the real life situations that we see daily depicted on television, the internet and in the papers. Very interesting!
Math City is in actuality a book; the streets in Math City are actually pages; the city was quite rich but the people of the rest of the world didn't deem them important and were only interested in Math City's money. Of course Math City in return had no interest in the rest of the world either, especially their laws.
One man, known at the Lying Line, is unpopular to say the least however everyone fears him even more. Every number wants something from him, but when their number is up, they blame everything on the Lying Line. When war comes, no one will make a stand, they follow and do as they are told, too conditioned by years of being told what to do and what to think.
Changes need to be made to survive but can all the numbers in Math City come together and unite or will they forever be at war?
This is a very well done urban fantasy tale that draws from the real life situations that we see daily depicted on television, the internet and in the papers. Very interesting!
June 1, 2013
Math City by Ahmad Amani is uniquely written in that the book is the city and the streets are the pages within it. Readers are introduced to characters that are products of mathematical equations, but the significance of these characters is much more than mere numbers.
Math City is very wealthy, but is of no "importance to the world's people, except for the money." One of its citizens is the Lying Line. All the numbers in Math City are fearful of him. He prowls around and subtracts something from the other numbers and if he changes them to zero it is equal to death. Zero was "everywhere and nowhere," none of the other numbers viewed Zero as relevant. Being Zero was a sad life. Try as he might, Zero was unable to get any of the other numbers to heed his warnings and they soon begin to quarrel. The low numbers were angry at the Lying Line for taking from them and the larger numbers were upset with the Upward Lying Line for making them fat. If not for the Upward Lying Line, Math City would not have been so powerful, but nonetheless even the boss of Math City, Seven Million, took sides. Will Math City ever find peace?
Math City is different than any story you've ever read. Although, it appears to be a simple story written to entertain children through the use of numbers and math, it is anything but simple. The underlying story of war, conflict, and human rights is cleverly interwoven throughout the pages. Younger children may not grasp the story's true message and even some adults will miss it. Math City is a short story, but readers should take their time and absorb all the book has to offer.
Definitely a must read for children and adults.
Math City is very wealthy, but is of no "importance to the world's people, except for the money." One of its citizens is the Lying Line. All the numbers in Math City are fearful of him. He prowls around and subtracts something from the other numbers and if he changes them to zero it is equal to death. Zero was "everywhere and nowhere," none of the other numbers viewed Zero as relevant. Being Zero was a sad life. Try as he might, Zero was unable to get any of the other numbers to heed his warnings and they soon begin to quarrel. The low numbers were angry at the Lying Line for taking from them and the larger numbers were upset with the Upward Lying Line for making them fat. If not for the Upward Lying Line, Math City would not have been so powerful, but nonetheless even the boss of Math City, Seven Million, took sides. Will Math City ever find peace?
Math City is different than any story you've ever read. Although, it appears to be a simple story written to entertain children through the use of numbers and math, it is anything but simple. The underlying story of war, conflict, and human rights is cleverly interwoven throughout the pages. Younger children may not grasp the story's true message and even some adults will miss it. Math City is a short story, but readers should take their time and absorb all the book has to offer.
Definitely a must read for children and adults.
August 8, 2012
When author Ahmad Amani asked me to read and review his book "Math City," the storyline sounded so original that I agreed to review it. The story began with "This is the Lying Line, which all the children liked," and the Lying Line was described as a caterpillar-like creature with a head on either end. That read like the beginning of a children's story, but it was soon obvious that it was something else entirely. It was indeed a very original story concept, where the characters were all numbers. Small characters were small numbers, and large characters were large numbers. Initially, Math City was a fairly peaceful place, but as with the real world, unrest was brewing, and revolution was in the air. As the various number factions fought for control, and outside forces from became involved, the chaotic turmoil and upheaval was reminiscent of the recent "Arab Spring" uprisings, but could equally apply to revolutions and civil wars all around the world.
The author compared "Math City" to Orwell's classic "Animal Farm." There were some analogies, but since the author is Iranian, with a birds-eye view of the conflicts in the Middle East, I can imagine that much of the story is his own translation of the human conflict in that troubled region.
Your own understanding of "Math City" may differ from mine or from other readers' interpretations, but in any case, it's a very thought-provoking short read.
The author compared "Math City" to Orwell's classic "Animal Farm." There were some analogies, but since the author is Iranian, with a birds-eye view of the conflicts in the Middle East, I can imagine that much of the story is his own translation of the human conflict in that troubled region.
Your own understanding of "Math City" may differ from mine or from other readers' interpretations, but in any case, it's a very thought-provoking short read.
February 6, 2013
The author asked me to read this book and leave him a review if I was pleased with it. At first, I have to say, I was a little intimidated by this. I wasn't sure what to think. As the book progressed, I found myself smiling and really enjoying myself. This is perhaps one of the most creative reads I have ever seen. There is no one simple way to say what this book is about. Obviously it makes use of numbers and math to tell the story it presents, but it is so much more than that. The author manages to tell his story by making connections through equations.
Where a lot of books are character driven, this book makes use of the intellect of the reader and forces you to stop and think about what you have read. I had a really good time with this and was continually surprised by how intelligent and crafty the author is. The idea of having a book that requires participation from the reader was not new to me, but this book was completely unique. I haven't ever read anything quite like it.
If you love math, or even if you don't but you love to tease your brain with an interesting read, this is definitely a book for you. I would recommend this to anyone. Don't let the simplicity of the cover fool you, this book has a lot more depth than it first appears.
Where a lot of books are character driven, this book makes use of the intellect of the reader and forces you to stop and think about what you have read. I had a really good time with this and was continually surprised by how intelligent and crafty the author is. The idea of having a book that requires participation from the reader was not new to me, but this book was completely unique. I haven't ever read anything quite like it.
If you love math, or even if you don't but you love to tease your brain with an interesting read, this is definitely a book for you. I would recommend this to anyone. Don't let the simplicity of the cover fool you, this book has a lot more depth than it first appears.
November 29, 2017
The book shows how a world of numbers would look like it's like showing nature of our physical world that is everything is feeding on something ,the fight between big and small numbers is like reading some history of a war event between communities .
I think War is there only due to ego and it can only be cleansed by attachment with selfless .
I think War is there only due to ego and it can only be cleansed by attachment with selfless .
September 15, 2012
Ahmad Amani's novella, "Math City" first grabbed my attention because it is wonderfully and appropriately illustrated. I didn't know quite what to expect and thought at first I was reading what might happen if a mathematician turned a very complicated equation into a story. That is exactly what the author must have had in mind. Each of his characters has a special set of qualities. All of them live in Math City where there is a social order defined by the mathematical qualities of each character.
This story isn't for everyone, but some might find the interactions among the characters Lying Line and Upright Lying Line as well as the Ones and fat numbers to be entertaining. I thought the addition of Physics City and the social conflicts between Amani's characters were a testimony of the human condition. In the author's notes at the end, Amani tells readers he's a fan of Orwell and "Animal Farm." "Math City" is a must read for fans of that genre.
This story isn't for everyone, but some might find the interactions among the characters Lying Line and Upright Lying Line as well as the Ones and fat numbers to be entertaining. I thought the addition of Physics City and the social conflicts between Amani's characters were a testimony of the human condition. In the author's notes at the end, Amani tells readers he's a fan of Orwell and "Animal Farm." "Math City" is a must read for fans of that genre.
July 16, 2012
When I first downloaded the book I thought it was for children. I quickly discovered I was mistaken. It turned out to be a clever book about how differences in individuals can lead to conflict. Amani cleverly uses math to get his point across. I found it to be an interesting read.
February 27, 2013
I had an extremely hard time following this book even though I found the story as a whole to be relatable to almost everyone. This had a lot of potential to be something more but the overall story fell flat.
Note I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Note I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2014
A misogynist tale of revolution from an overbearing and seductive government, highly reminiscent of George Orwell's Animal Farm, but replaced with a story of numbers and a wicked lying line (Minus) who uses propaganda to further his evil scheme.
July 29, 2012
Math City is a short story using numbers and mathematical symbols to tell a story of power, war, and poverty. I think everyone can somehow relate this story to their own corner of the world's issues. However, I had a hard time following the broken english.
There are two main characters searching for power: the Lying Line and the Upward Lying Line. We see a lot of side characters, and the story details how these main characters try to help them and their city. But in the end, they are motivated by greed, corruption and power. And as the lowly can rise to power, so can the powerful fall down.
The thought and the story behind the story have a lot of potential to be very powerful. However, I think the grammatical mistakes held me back, and I kind of wished the story had put more depth to the characters. This book has comparisons to Animal Farm, but I think another good comparison would be The Good Earth.
This is something I could see people picking up and reading while waiting to see their dentist or doctor in some type of office. It's a short read and thought-provoking. I recommend you pick it up when you have an hour to spare (and only if you aren't going to get hung up on the grammar).
There are two main characters searching for power: the Lying Line and the Upward Lying Line. We see a lot of side characters, and the story details how these main characters try to help them and their city. But in the end, they are motivated by greed, corruption and power. And as the lowly can rise to power, so can the powerful fall down.
The thought and the story behind the story have a lot of potential to be very powerful. However, I think the grammatical mistakes held me back, and I kind of wished the story had put more depth to the characters. This book has comparisons to Animal Farm, but I think another good comparison would be The Good Earth.
This is something I could see people picking up and reading while waiting to see their dentist or doctor in some type of office. It's a short read and thought-provoking. I recommend you pick it up when you have an hour to spare (and only if you aren't going to get hung up on the grammar).
May 11, 2015
I received a free ecopy of this book for an honest review.
I understand that Ahmad Amani was using Math City to make the reader think and that it’s supposed to have social implications. The problem is that the story is difficult to follow and I was confused most of the time. I can’t relate a fantasy story to real life when I can’t follow the story. This is a book that might work well in college classes where they analyze fiction.
I don’t recommend this book unless you’re looking for something to analyze. I do support and greatly admire authors. I wouldn’t know where to begin to write a novel or even a short story. Just because this book is not one I would recommend, I applaud this author for the time, thought, and courage to not only write a book but to write something out of the ordinary that I’m sure others will find to their taste.
I understand that Ahmad Amani was using Math City to make the reader think and that it’s supposed to have social implications. The problem is that the story is difficult to follow and I was confused most of the time. I can’t relate a fantasy story to real life when I can’t follow the story. This is a book that might work well in college classes where they analyze fiction.
I don’t recommend this book unless you’re looking for something to analyze. I do support and greatly admire authors. I wouldn’t know where to begin to write a novel or even a short story. Just because this book is not one I would recommend, I applaud this author for the time, thought, and courage to not only write a book but to write something out of the ordinary that I’m sure others will find to their taste.
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September 5, 2012Withholding review.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews