I know this doesn't answer your question since you asked about math in general, but in case anyone ever starts a "Best Physics books for complete noobie?" thread I'd like to go ahead and suggest Brian Greene's "Fabric of the Cosmos": http://www.amazon.com/Fabric-Cosmos-Space-Texture-Reality/dp... (http://www.amazon.com/Fabric-Cosmos-Space-Texture-Reality/dp/0375727205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249998147&sr=8-1)
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FROM THE SHARED SHELF · 2006–2026 SAMPLE
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
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