Mathematics often gets a bad press. Describing someone as 'calculating' or 'rational' is hardly as flattering as being labelled 'artistic' or 'creative' and mathematicians in movies or novels are often portrayed as social misfits who rarely get the guy or girl. No wonder some folks say 'oh I don't care for mathematics, I was never any good at it' with a wistful sense of pride. Yet professional mathematicians talk of the subject differently. They look for elegant solutions to problems, revel in playing around with mathematical ideas and talk of the creative nature of mathematics. As the Russian mathematician Sophia Kovalevskaya said "It is impossible to be a mathematician without being a poet in soul." So why is there such a gap between the views of everyday folks and professional mathematicians? Part of the problem lies in how most of us were taught mathematics in school. The mathematics served up there is presented as a series of de-contextualised, abstract ideas, wrested from the human struggles and interactions that gave birth to the ideas. Through looking at some of the history of mathematics, psychological studies into how we come to know mathematics and key ideas in mathematics itself, the intent of this book is, if not to make the reader fall in love with mathematics, then at least to come to understand its nature a little better, and perhaps care a little more for it. In short, this book explores the human side of maths.

This excellent book, written by the established author David Acheson, makes mathematics accessible to everyone. Providing an entertaining and witty overview of the subject, the text includes several fascinating puzzles, and is accompanied by numerous illustrations and sketches by world famouscartoonists. This unusual book is one of the most readable explanations of mathematics available.

Learning the math behind good poker has never been simpler. Owen's methods and shortcuts will have you applying the math at the poker table overnight.

In his follow-up to the groundbreaking Maththatmatters, David Stocker gives us Maththatmatters2 a collection of 50 brilliant lessons for grades 6-9 that link mathematics and social justice. For educators keen to provide rich learning opportunities and differentiated content that engages students with their lived realities, these lessons are sure to spark meaningful discussions...and action.

The ultimate smart reference to the world of mathematics - from quadratic equations and Pythagoras' Theorem to chaos theory and quantum computing. Maths 1001 provides clear and concise explanations of the most fascinating and fundamental mathematical concepts. Distilled into 1001 bite-sized mini-essays arranged thematically, this unique reference book moves steadily from the basics through to the most advanced of ideas, making it the ideal guide for novices and mathematics enthusiasts. Whether used as a handy reference, an informal self-study course or simply as a gratifying dip-in, this book offers - in one volume - a world of mathematical knowledge for the general reader. Maths 1001 is an incredibly comprehensive guide, spanning all of the key mathematical fields including Numbers, Geometry, Algebra, Analysis, Discrete Mathematics, Logic and the Philosophy of Maths, Applied Mathematics, Statistics and Probability and Puzzles and Mathematical Games. From zero and infinity to relativity and Godel's proof that maths is incomplete, Dr Richard Elwes explains the key concepts of mathematics in the simplest language with a minimum of jargon. Along the way he reveals mathematical secrets such as how to count to 1023 using just 10 fingers and how to make an unbreakable code, as well as answering such questions as: Are imaginary numbers real? How can something be both true and false? Why is it impossible to draw an accurate map of the world? And how do you get your head round the mind-bending Monty Hall problem? Extensive, enlightening and entertaining, this really is the only maths book anyone would ever need to buy.

#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER AN ADAM SAVAGE BOOK CLUB PICK The book-length answer to anyone who ever put their hand up in math class and asked, “When am I ever going to use this in the real world?” “Fun, informative, and relentlessly entertaining, Humble Pi is a charming and very readable guide to some of humanity's all-time greatest miscalculations—that also gives you permission to feel a little better about some of your own mistakes.” —Ryan North, author of How to Invent Everything Our whole world is built on math, from the code running a website to the equations enabling the design of skyscrapers and bridges. Most of the time this math works quietly behind the scenes . . . until it doesn’t. All sorts of seemingly innocuous mathematical mistakes can have significant consequences. Math is easy to ignore until a misplaced decimal point upends the stock market, a unit conversion error causes a plane to crash, or someone divides by zero and stalls a battleship in the middle of the ocean. Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near misses, and mathematical mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman Empire, and an Olympic team, Matt Parker uncovers the bizarre ways math trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Getting it wrong has never been more fun.