Maybe not "made me better at math" per-se, but definitely "made me more enthusiastic about math":

The Universe Speaks in Numbers[1] by Graham Farmelo

I found this very motivating and insightful, in terms of developing even more of an appreciation for how much math underpins other branches of science. Not that that is a novel insight by any means... but the details of the incidents where breakthroughs in mathematics allowed further advances in physics, etc. and looking at the "back and forth" between the domains, that was wildly interesting to me. Reading this book definitely helped motivate me to get serious about committing more time / focus to studying mathematics.

I also enjoyed the "counterpoint" book by Sabine Hosenfelder, Lost in Math[2]. I think these two books complement each other nicely.

Then the handful of additional (no pun intended) books that jump to mind would be:

- How Mathematicians Think by William Byers[3]

- How to Think Like a Mathematician by Kevin Houston[4]

- Discrete Mathematics with Applications[5] by Susanna Epp

- How Not To Be Wrong[6] by Jordan Ellenberg

- Introduction to Mathematical Thinking[7] by Keith Devlin

- How to Measure Anything[8] by Douglas Hubbard

[1]: https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Speaks-Numbers-Reveals-Natur...

[2]: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Math-Beauty-Physics-Astray/dp/15...

[3]: https://www.amazon.com/How-Mathematicians-Think-Contradictio...

[4]: https://www.amazon.com/How-Think-Like-Mathematician-Undergra...

[5]: https://www.amazon.com/Susanna-S-Epp-Mathematics-Application...

[6]: https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Be-Wrong-Mathematical/dp/0143...

[7]: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Mathematical-Thinking-Ke...

[8]: https://www.amazon.com/How-Measure-Anything-Intangibles-Busi...

Something Deeply Hidden - Sean Carroll[1]

Lost in Math - Sabine Hossenfelder[2]

The First Three Minutes - Steven Weinberg[3]

Hyperspace - Michio Kaku[4]

Not Even Wrong - Peter Woit[5]

The Trouble With Physics - Lee Smolin[6]

About Time - Paul Davies[7]

Time Reborn - Lee Smolin[8]

The Elegant Universe - Brian Greene[9]

The Hidden Reality - Brian Greene[10]

The Fabric of the Cosmos - Brian Greene[11]

Quantum Space: Loop Quantum Gravity and the Search for the Structure of Space, Time, and the Universe - Jim Baggott[12]

The Universe Speaks in Numbers: How Modern Math Reveals Nature's Deepest Secrets - Graham Farmelo[13]

Three Roads To Quantum Gravity - Lee Smolin[14]

Programming the Universe: A Quantum Computer Scientist Takes on the Cosmos - Seth Lloyd[15]

Higgs - The invention and discovery of the 'God Particle' - Jim Baggott[16]

[1]: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Deeply-Hidden-Emergence-Spa...

[2]: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Math-Beauty-Physics-Astray/dp/15...

[3]: https://www.amazon.com/First-Three-Minutes-Modern-Universe/d...

[4]: https://www.amazon.com/Hyperspace-Scientific-Parallel-Univer...

[5]: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Even-Wrong-Failure-Physical/dp/04...

[6]: https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Physics-String-Theory-Science...

[7]: https://www.amazon.com/About-Time-Einsteins-Unfinished-Revol...

[8]: https://www.amazon.com/Time-Reborn-Lee-Smolin/dp/0544245598/

[9]: https://www.amazon.com/Elegant-Universe-Superstrings-Dimensi...

[10]: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Reality-Parallel-Universes-Cos...

[11]: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375412883/ref=dbs_a_def_r...

[12]: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Space-Gravity-Structure-Unive...

[13]: https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Speaks-Numbers-Reveals-Natur...

[14]: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Roads-Quantum-Gravity-Smolin/dp...

[15]: https://www.amazon.com/Programming-Universe-Quantum-Computer...

[16]: https://www.amazon.com/Higgs-invention-discovery-God-Particl...

Fair enough, I wasn't aware. I'll check it out.

I think you mean this: “Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray”

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Math-Beauty-Physics-Astray/dp/04...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1KFTPqc0nQ

I still find the tone off putting, reminds me of the fox and the grapes fable, not sure if it's known to most cultures.

Nevertheless, I'll watch the video and reexamine my opinion.

I expected this to be an a new article or report of Sabine Hossenfelder's work, but apparently the author S is someone else?

Hossenfelder's counterpoint, disussed on HN in the past:

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Math-Beauty-Physics-Astray/dp/04...

"A contrarian argues that modern physicists' obsession with beauty has given us wonderful math but bad science

Whether pondering black holes or predicting discoveries at CERN, physicists believe the best theories are beautiful, natural, and elegant, and this standard separates popular theories from disposable ones. This is why, Sabine Hossenfelder argues, we have not seen a major breakthrough in the foundations of physics for more than four decades. The belief in beauty has become so dogmatic that it now conflicts with scientific objectivity: observation has been unable to confirm mindboggling theories, like supersymmetry or grand unification, invented by physicists based on aesthetic criteria. Worse, these "too good to not be true" theories are actually untestable and they have left the field in a cul-de-sac. To escape, physicists must rethink their methods. Only by embracing reality as it is can science discover the truth."

Hossenfelder's blog: http://backreaction.blogspot.com/