This book can be enjoyed by a lay person. It requires no special previous knowledge.  It is just plane fun as well as interesting and in some ways novel.  Gardner is a good writer and will keep your interest.  I have seen a number of books on math puzzles and games, this one was the best I had seen when I first saw it.  (since then I read other Gardner books that surpass this in, at least, volume.)   If you are curious at all you will like it.

Mathematical circus: more puzzles, games, paradoxes, and other mathematical entertainments from Scientific American with a preface by Donald Knuth, a postscript from the author, and a new bibliography by Mr. Gardner: thoughts from readers, and 105 drawing

Mathematical circus: more puzzles, games, paradoxes, and other mathematical entertainments from Scientific American with a preface by Donald Knuth, a postscript from the author, and a new bibliography by Mr. Gardner: thoughts from readers, and 105 drawing PDF

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