Benedict Carey - Author

I am a science reporter at the New York Times, and I set up this site as a home for my kids' math book - "The Unknowns." "The Unknowns" was named a notable book by Scientific American magazine, and winner of the 2010-2011 Battle of the Books contest in North Carolina for middle schoolers: http://www.ncslma.org/BookCompetitions/BoBstate/bobbooklist2010-2011.htm

The book is an adventure in which kids have to solve math clues to save themselves and their town. It's real math, a real adventure and, well, what the hey. Most math books are boring. This one isn't. I tried hard to find a pre-algebra book like this to help my own kids think about problem solving, but the cupboard was bare. No longer! In this book a pair of ragged kids who know nothing about anything derive for themselves the most famous theorem in the history of mathematics - and that's just the first clue.

The book is the only one I have found that teaches important math concepts as a part of a novel-length mystery. These are pre-algebra theorems and properties that are fundamental to a complete math education and will help in school - read about them on the Teaching Guide page. The book was named a notable book by Scientific American and a winner of the Battle of the Books 2010-2011 in North Carolina. The story has gotten some great reviews, all of which you can see on the Reviews page. Or, you can judge for yourself.

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The Unknowns