Math for Those Afraid of Math: Another Book with Silly Pictures
24.99 €
19.99 €
In stock
Math for Those Afraid of Math: Another Book with Silly Pictures
24.99 €
19.99 €
They say math is a universal language. Bestselling author of Math with Silly Drawings Ben Orlin wondered: what if we took that idea literally? Not “math is like logical poetry” or “math is, metaphorically, the language of the universe.” No. What if math is a language in the same way that Spanish, Arabic, or Dothraki are languages: a means by which a small group of people express their small human thoughts? But if languages unite, why does math make so many of us feel so alone?
In Math for People Afraid of Math: Another Book with Silly Drawings, Orlin offers a perspective that will be refreshing to those who are at a loss for any mathematical expression (let’s be honest, humanities students) as well as to those who know the subject. Orlin searches for and finds in the language of mathematics nouns (numbers), verbs (mathematical operations), and grammar (algebra), funny idioms (squaring), quirky etymologies (scientific notation), and peculiar ambiguities (order of operations). There’s even a special form of literature—equations and equations ranging from the common wisdom of x = 1 to the astonishing profundity of eiπ + 1 = 0. Along the way, Orlin shares stories of his own mathematical failures and epiphanies, as well as the struggles and triumphs of his students. Most important, he uses his awkward—but surprisingly effective—illustrations to illuminate some pretty deep and varied questions. What exactly is high school math? Why is it so hard for so many of us to learn anything useful from it? Can shuffling symbols teach us anything new about reality? And how does math even work?
In Math for People Afraid of Math: Another Book with Silly Drawings, Orlin offers a perspective that will be refreshing to those who are at a loss for any mathematical expression (let’s be honest, humanities students) as well as to those who know the subject. Orlin searches for and finds in the language of mathematics nouns (numbers), verbs (mathematical operations), and grammar (algebra), funny idioms (squaring), quirky etymologies (scientific notation), and peculiar ambiguities (order of operations). There’s even a special form of literature—equations and equations ranging from the common wisdom of x = 1 to the astonishing profundity of eiπ + 1 = 0. Along the way, Orlin shares stories of his own mathematical failures and epiphanies, as well as the struggles and triumphs of his students. Most important, he uses his awkward—but surprisingly effective—illustrations to illuminate some pretty deep and varied questions. What exactly is high school math? Why is it so hard for so many of us to learn anything useful from it? Can shuffling symbols teach us anything new about reality? And how does math even work?
See also:
- All books by the publisher
- All books by the author