How a little mathematics goes a long way in helping you not to be wrong The maths we learn in school can seem like an abstract set of rules, laid down by the ancients and not to be questioned. In fact, Jordan Ellenberg shows us, maths touches on everything we do, and a little mathematical knowledge reveals the hidden structures that lie beneath the world's messy and chaotic surface. In How Not to be Wrong, Ellenberg explores the mathematician's method of analyzing life, from the everyday to the cosmic, showing us which numbers to defend, which ones to ignore, and when to change the equation entirely. Along the way, he explains calculus in a single page, describes Gцdel's theorem using only one-syllable words, and reveals how early you actually need to get to the airport.

The international bestseller - a whip-smart, entertaining exploration of the geometry that underlies our world, from the author of How Not to Be Wrong How should a democracy choose its representatives? How can you stop a pandemic from sweeping the world? How do computers learn to play chess? Can ancient Greek proportions predict the stock market? (Sorry, no.) What should your kids learn in school if they really want to learn to think? The answers to all these questions can be found in geometry. If you're like most people, geometry is a dimly-remembered exercise, handed down from the ancients, that you gladly left behind in school. It seemed to be a tortuous way of proving some fact about triangles that was obvious to you in the first place. That's not geometry. OK, it is geometry, but only a tiny part, that has as much to do with the modern, fast-moving discipline as conjugating a verb has to do with a great novel. In Shape, Sunday Times-bestselling author Jordan Ellenberg reveals the geometry underneath some of the most important scientific, political, and philosophical problems we face, from the spread of coronavirus to rise of machine learning. The word 'geometry,' from the Greek, means 'measuring the world.' But geometry doesn't just measure the world - it explains it. Shape shows us how.

From the author of ‘The Music of the Primes’ and ‘Finding Moonshine’ comes a short, lively book on five mathematical problems that just refuse be solved – and on how many everyday problems can be solved by maths. Every time we download a song from Itunes, take a flight across the Atlantic or talk on our mobile phones, we are relying on great mathematical inventions. Maths may fail to provide answers to various of its own problems, but it can provide answers to problems that don't seem to be its own – how prime numbers are the key to Real Madrid's success, to secrets on the Internet and to the survival of insects in the forests of North America. In ‘The Number Mysteries’, Marcus du Sautoy explains how to fake a Jackson Pollock; how to work out whether or not the universe has a hole in the middle of it; how to make the world's roundest football. He shows us how to see shapes in four dimensions – and how maths makes you a better gambler. He tells us about the quest to predict the future – from the flight of asteroids to an impending storm, from bending a ball like Beckham to predicting population growth. It's a book to dip in to; a book to challenge and puzzle – and a book that gives us answers.

It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be (2003) has sold over half a million copies worldwide. There have been many books written on good business practice. All eminently sensible. All based on logic, common sense and good manners. Essential if you want to be a supermarket manager. But for those wishing to break new ground it is not enough. Logic and common sense have a habit of leading us to the same conclusions. If you are going to make your mark on the world you have to start thinking differently. To think differently you have to think illogically. Whatever You Think Think The Opposite looks at life the wrong way in a bid to explain the benefits of making wrong decisions.

A fascinating book, from a leading maths educator and demystifier, that shows how maths is relevant to our everyday lives. Have you ever wondered how the meter in a taxi works? Or why a lift takes so long to respond to your call? Is there a mathematical secret to making a hit single? And how long is a piece of string? In this fascinating book you will find the answers to these and many other intriguing questions of everyday life. Discover the astonishing '37% rule' for blind dates, how to avoid the gentleman's urinal, and some extraordinary scams that people have devised to get rich quick. Here you will also find the origins of the seven-day week and the seven-note scale, an explanation of why underdogs sometimes win, some clever techniques for detecting fraud, and the reason why epidemics sweep across a nation and disappear just as quickly. How Long is a Piece of String? is the perfect book for anyone who is curious about the way in which maths underlies so much in our everyday lives. Whatever your mathematical ability level, you will find this book informative, thought-provoking and, most of all, fun.

What makes a bridge wobble when it's not meant to? Billions of dollars mysteriously vanish into thin air? A building rock when its resonant frequency matches a gym class leaping to Snap's 1990 hit I've Got The Power? The answer is maths. Or, to be precise, what happens when maths goes wrong in the real world. As Matt Parker shows us, our modern lives are built on maths: computer programmes, finance, engineering. And most of the time this maths works quietly behind the scenes, until ... it doesn't. Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near-misses and mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman empire and a hapless Olympic shooting team, Matt Parker shows us the bizarre ways maths trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Mathematics doesn't have good 'people skills', but we would all be better off, he argues, if we saw it as a practical ally. This book shows how, by making maths our friend, we can learn from its pitfalls. It also contains puzzles, challenges, geometric socks, jokes about binary code and three deliberate mistakes. Getting it wrong has never been more fun.

Award-winning Steven Strogatz, one of the foremost popularisers of maths, has written a witty and fascinating account of maths’ most compelling ideas and how, so often, they are an integral part of everyday life. Maths is everywhere, often where we don’t even realise. Award-winning professor Steven Strogatz acts as our guide as he takes us on a tour of numbers that – unbeknownst to the unitiated – connect pop culture, literature, art, philosophy, current affairs, business and even every day life. In The Joy of X, Strogatz explains the great ideas of maths – from negative numbers to calculus, fat tails to infinity – with clarity, wit and insight. He is the maths teacher you never had and this book is perfect for the smart and curious, the expert and the beginner.

Renowned and loved for her refreshing candour on everyday issues, social, domestic and intimate, Stacey Solomon reminds us how important it is to embrace ourselves; the good, bad and the ugly. Stacey's authenticity and her courage to say what others daren't opens discussions on sensitive but significant topics; her lack of sex drive after having kids, her battles with anxiety, the lows of motherhood and even the importance of hairy legs. In Happily Imperfect, be moved to tears and laughter by joining Stacey in her journey so far, as she reveals how to stay positive despite the everyday pressure to be and look perfect. Told through hilarious, sometimes moving, and always charming anecdotes, discover how to get the best out of life by being positive, not following the crowd, and trusting your gut instincts. Covering how to navigate motherhood, deal with anxiety and prejudice, as well as the experience of getting older, Stacey has plenty of words of wisdom to share. With tips and tricks on how to apply a positive mindset within your own day-to-day life, become emotionally freer and happier with Stacey by your side.

What makes a bridge wobble when it's not meant to? Billions of dollars mysteriously vanish into thin air? A building rock when its resonant frequency matches a gym class leaping to Snap's 1990 hit I've Got The Power? The answer is maths. Or, to be precise, what happens when maths goes wrong in the real world. As Matt Parker shows us, our modern lives are built on maths: computer programmes, finance, engineering. And most of the time this maths works quietly behind the scenes, until ... it doesn't. Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near-misses and mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman empire and a hapless Olympic shooting team, Matt Parker shows us the bizarre ways maths trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Mathematics doesn't have good 'people skills', but we would all be better off, he argues, if we saw it as a practical ally. This book shows how, by making maths our friend, we can learn from its pitfalls. It also contains puzzles, challenges, geometric socks, jokes about binary code and three deliberate mistakes. Getting it wrong has never been more fun.

What makes a bridge wobble when it's not meant to? Billions of dollars mysteriously vanish into thin air? A building rock when its resonant frequency matches a gym class leaping to Snap's 1990 hit I've Got The Power? The answer is maths. Or, to be precise, what happens when maths goes wrong in the real world. As Matt Parker shows us, our modern lives are built on maths: computer programmes, finance, engineering. And most of the time this maths works quietly behind the scenes, until ... it doesn't. Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near-misses and mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman empire and a hapless Olympic shooting team, Matt Parker shows us the bizarre ways maths trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Mathematics doesn't have good 'people skills', but we would all be better off, he argues, if we saw it as a practical ally. This book shows how, by making maths our friend, we can learn from its pitfalls. It also contains puzzles, challenges, geometric socks, jokes about binary code and three deliberate mistakes. Getting it wrong has never been more fun.

Discover the ten things we all should know about mathematics in this fascinating collection of short essays Uncover the language of our universe - numbers - in this wide-ranging whistle-stop tour of the history and majesty of mathematics. Our world simply wouldn't function if we didn't have numbers. But where do they come from? Why do we cut cake the wrong way? How can there be different sizes of infinity? All these questions and more are answered in this engaging romp through the history of numbers by acclaimed science writer, Colin Stuart. From the mathematicians who have (and haven't) shouted 'Eureka!' to the theories that affect and inform our everyday lives; Numbers shows us that maths was never boring - we were just being taught it in the wrong way. Consisting of ten bite-sized essays, there's no better guide to this fundamental science.

What does it mean to be 'bad' at money? Money is not a maths problem. Spending, saving, splitting the bill or asking for a pay rise - these are moments dominated by our own hang-ups, habits, anxiety and ambitions. Money features in our friendships, family life, our choice of late-night treat and who we date. And yet it's so often hidden behind shame and silence. We need to start talking about it. Funny, frank, and filled with insights, practical advice and conversations with everyone from company CEOs to debt advisors to housemates, Open Up is the book that will transform your relationship to money. It shows how talking can change your life, relationships and bank balance, and influence bigger issues like pay gaps or the living wage. This book strips away the awkwardness to help you gain knowledge, take control of your finances and finally get 'good' with money.

Navigating day-to-day life can be a tricky business. By the time we are adults, our experiences have formed our way of thinking and we have learned patterns of behaviour that are not always helpful. We must unravel these to understand, accept, nurture and allow ourselves to rise with our vulnerabilities, not in spite of them. After having a breakdown in 2011, Will Young went about the process of interrogating everything he thought he knew: how he formed his identity, what he relied on for self-esteem and how he behaved and communicated. Everything he has learned over the past ten years, he has now condensed into this easy to access A-Z guide. He digs into how everyday life can affect our wellbeing, how we can navigate our emotions, where they come from and how to create a balanced mindset, offering practical techniques we can all use to ground ourselves and set boundaries. With wit and wisdom and revealing his own vulnerabilities along the way, Will shows us how to identify destructive patterns, develop good mindful habits, be true to who we are and grow into better versions of ourselves.

A fun and engaging STEM activity book for kids that combines creativity and calculations - perfect for budding mathematicians! This is the perfect maths exercise book for kids interested in STEM topics. Choose between 27 creative projects and experiments that will turn your child into a maths whizz! It's the perfect book for curious minds interested in taking the mystery out of maths. Explore the exciting world of numbers and maths problem-solving! In the pages of this maths book for kids you'll discover: - 27 hands-on creative projects to engage reluctant mathematicians between the ages of 9-12 - Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions will show you how to make each project - All materials used can be easily found around your home with no specialist equipment needed - Every project includes an explanation of how maths is involved in creating the project or the results of the experiment - Real-world maths projects show that maths isn't just abstract - it has an impact in the real world too! Produced in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, Maths Lab is designed to appeal to maths geeks and those that prefer practical projects. To complete these engaging projects, kids don't need to be maths genius or even know how to use a calculator. Each task comes with easy-to-follow instructions, photographs and illustrations to help whip up super cool maths creations! Maths Lab features interesting activities that cover many aspects of the subject including measurement, geometry and trigonometry. Kids will combine art and maths by learning to draw impossible objects - creating beautiful patterns to make things like a timetable dream-catcher or perfect the ratio for making refreshing fruit drinks. Each project has an explanatory box that demonstrates how maths is applied to the activity to demystify and make maths fun!

Bestselling author Rafael Santandreu knows how to ensure our happiness in life. One of the most prestigious psychologists in Spain, he has established his own renowned center of psychotherapy and has laid the foundations of a new era in the treatment of emotional disorders. Teaching a philosophy of rational acceptance and emotional resilience, Santandreu allows us to use our capacity for logic to good effect in everyday life. We do not need to be buffeted by our emotions or to catastrophise our lives. Building on the work of the imminent psychologist Albert Ellis, Santandreu adds his own take on how to build our capacity for dealing with life's problems. Shake It Off! offers ways to: • Build self-esteem • Improve personal relationships • Alleviate feelings of depression and anxiety • Unravel irrational beliefs and unhealthy thought-patterns With case studies and suggestions throughout, you will learn how to stop obsessive, unhelpful thoughts and create a life which is free from fears and open to adventure.

In 1930 the great economist Keynes predicted that, over the next century, income would rise steadily, people's basic needs would be met and no one would have to work more than fifteen hours a week. Why was he wrong? Robert and Edward Skidelsky argue that wealth is not - or should not be - an end in itself, but a means to 'the good life'. Tracing the concept from Aristotle to the present, they show how far modern life has strayed from that ideal. They reject the idea that there is any single measure of human progress, whether GDP or 'happiness', and instead describe the seven elements which, they argue, make up the good life, and the policies that could realize them.