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Title: An entertaining read (it's not meant to be a textbook)
Review: I found this book fun and interesting. I admit that some of the math content was difficult for me to grasp, but this book is not just about algebraic concepts, it's about the people, events, ambitions, and cultures that gave rise to them, and in this regard the author of Unknown Quantity, John Derbyshire, writes well. Indeed, the fact that certain mathematical ideas were explained only basically is fitting, because this book is meant to be the beginning, not the end, of exploring these fascinating topics. It is a place to acquire a sample of knowledge; it is not a textbook. Overall, a good purchase. Note that a high-school level understanding of math is more or less essential, unless you aim to digest the history component of this book only.
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