These books contain more maths than those in the popular maths books (easier reading) page but are still mostly books that I’d think of reading through or in sections. There might be places where you can benefit from stopping and thinking about the maths before moving on, but they are certainly not textbook style.
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Godel, Escher, Bach
It’s hard to explain the ways in which this book educates, entertains and inspires. The ultimate goal is perhaps an understanding of Godel’s Incompleteness Theorem, also exploring the common theme of self-reference incredible mathematical art of Escher and the fugues of Bach. It’s an epic book that has inspired entire lecture courses and may take more than one read to truly appreciate.
The Colossal Book of Mathematics
Martin Gardner wrote so much so well about mathematics, inspiring generations of students. This book consists of 50 short chapters, each of which is a delightful journey into a fascinating but accessible mathematical curiosity across a broad range of types of recreational mathematics.
What is Mathematics?
A classic book examining a range of fundamental questions across a range of areas of pure mathematics.
Proofs and Refutations – Imre Lakatos
Contains incredible insight into the nature of mathematical proofs, written as a dialogue between teacher and students, exploring a range of interesting mathematical theorems and statements that claim to prove them.