Copyright © 2012 by Sean Connolly Illustrations copyright © by Allan Sanders

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced—mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying—without written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son Limited.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-0-7611-6374-9 eISBN: 978-1-5235-0237-0

Design by Netta Rabin and Tae Won Yu Cover and chapter opener illustrations by Allan Sanders Method illustrations by Robb Allen Math advisors: Kara Imm; George Hart, Museum of Mathematics

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Workman Publishing Company, Inc. 225 Varick Street New York, NY 10014-4381 www.workman.com

To Frederika, Jamie, Anna, Thomas, and Dafydd, who continue to help me sidestep perils—perfectly.

I am indebted to Raquel Jaramillo, Krestyna Lypen, and Netta Rabin of Workman Publishing as well as my agent, Jim Levine, for helping to solve the problems raised in—and by—this book. We can all take pride in the result. In addition, the following individuals and organizations provided inspiration, patient advice, or willing ears at every stage:

AAAS, Camco International, Gregory Etter, Dr. Gary Hoffman, Hostelling International, Professor Stewart Johnson, Dr. Peter Lydon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Professor Frank Morgan, Dr. Sarah Morse, Professor Jay Pasachoff, Ian Phipps, Peter Rielly, Elizabeth Stell, Nora Walsh, and Williams College Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Contents

Cover

Title

Copyright Page

Dedication

Contents

Introduction

Chances of Survival: You might make it

Challenge 1 The Pit and the Pendulum

Challenge 2 Pizza Peril

Brain Bender: Beat the Calculator

Challenge 3 Spend a Million

Brain Bender: The “11 Trick”

Challenge 4 The Gallon or the Gallows

Chances of Survival: slim to none

Challenge 5 Sage in the Tower

Challenge 6 The “Solution” Solution

Challenge 7 The Desert Decision

Brain Bender: The Disappearing Dollar

Challenge 8 Make It Last!

Challenge 9 The Secret Code

Challenge 10 Quick Change on the Train

Challenge 11 Buying a Pyramid

Challenge 12 Buried Alive?

Challenge 13 The Rope Bridge

Brain Bender: Guesswork? No—Gausswork!

Challenge 14 The Punk Prank Payback

Brain Bender: The Four Nines

Challenge 15 Tornado on Your Tail!

Challenge 16 The Long Way Around

Challenge 17 The Sands of Time

Challenge 18 The Final Countdown

Brain Bender: The “1,089 Trick”

Chances of Survival: You're dead

Challenge 19 Defeat the Vampires

Brain Bender: Two Minutes

Challenge 20 Lost at Sea

Challenge 21 Beat the Bends

Challenge 22 Escape Blast!

Challenge 23 Deadly Treasure

Brain Bender: Can 2 = 1?

Challenge 24 Which Door to Choose?

index

About the Author

Navigation

Cover

Start of Frontmatter

Contents

Copyright Page

Dedication

Start of Content

Challenge 1: The Pit and the Pendulum

Start of Backmatter

About the Author

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