Dr Euler's Fabulous Formula: Cures many mathematical ills

WHILE Paul Nahin is not the first to proclaim the power and beauty of mathematics, few have alluded to the “erotic connection between mathematical insight and sexual orgasm”. A stretch too far, perhaps, but Nahin’s tale of the formula e^{i π} + 1 = 0, which links five of the most important numbers in mathematics, is remarkable. With a plethora of historical and anecdotal material and a knack for linking events and facts, he gives the reader a strong sense of what drove mathematicians like Euler. But be warned: it contains thousands of equations and is a challenging read.