This is a rather cute book, and I think it's a shame that it can only be found by looking to used booksellers. However, there seem to be a lot of copies out there (I found a really nice first edition quite cheap) and it's worth taking a look at. Things that I think are especially worth considering are:

• An interesting view of the future (the year 2196), in which University lectures are like prime-time TV shows [well, I think they are quite a bit more like TV shows now than when Pohl wrote this; he certainly caught on to this trend early], marriage is a short-term contract, and our coastlines are surrounded by floating "texases" (power stations).
• The mathematicians all focus much of their efforts on creating mnemonic devices for remembering mathematical definitions and theorems. (Quoting "Master Carl" from the book: "A mathematician must know these simple classical facts and definitions as well as he knows that February has 28 days, and in the same way. By mnemonics!") For example:

  "If a number set M is closed by subtraction
  A modul is the term for this transaction."

  or

  "Strike the Twos and strike the Threes
  The Sieve of Eratosthenes!
  When the multiples sublime,
  The numbers that are left, are prime."

• The investigation into the statistical anomoly is a bit far fetched and unbelievable, but still it is an interesting (and important) role for mathematics in the story.