Mathematics Life

Brian Clegg was always fascinated by Isaac Asimov’s classic Foundation series of books, in which the future is predicted using sophisticated mathematical modeling of human psychology and behavior. Only much later did he realize that Asimov’s "psychohistory" had a real-world equivalent: game theory. Originating in the study of probabilistic gambling games that depend on a random source—the throw of a dice or the toss of a coin—game theory soon came to be applied to human interactions: essentially, what was the best strategy to win whatever you were doing?

Fooled by Randomness is the word-of-mouth sensation that will change the way you think about business and the world. Nassim Nicholas Taleb - veteran trader, renowned risk expert, polymathic scholar, erudite raconteur has penned a modern classic that turns on its head what we believe about luck and skill. Set against the backdrop of the most conspicuous forum in which luck is mistaken for skill - the world of trading - Fooled by Randomness provides captivating insight into one of the least understood factors in all our lives.

Max Tegmark leads us on an astonishing journey through past, present and future, and through the physics, astronomy, and mathematics that are the foundation of his work, most particularly his hypothesis that our physical reality is a mathematical structure and his theory of the ultimate multiverse. In a dazzling combination of both popular and groundbreaking science, he not only helps us grasp his often mind-boggling theories, but he also shares with us some of the often surprising triumphs and disappointments that have shaped his life as a scientist.

From birthdays to birth rates to how we perceive the passing of time, mathematical patterns shape our lives. But for those of us who left math behind in high school, the numbers and figures hurled at us as we go about our days can sometimes leave us scratching our heads, feeling as if we're fumbling through a mathematical minefield.

We are often told that hard work is the key to success. But success isn’t about hard work - it’s about shortcuts. Shortcuts allow us to solve one problem quickly so that we can tackle an even bigger one. They make us capable of doing great things. And according to Marcus du Sautoy, math is the very art of the shortcut. Thinking Better is a celebration of how math lets us do more with less.

In this must-have for anyone who wants to better understand their love life, a mathematician pulls back the curtain and reveals the hidden patterns—from dating sites to divorce, sex to marriage—behind the rituals of love. The roller coaster of romance is hard to quantify; defining how lovers might feel from a set of simple equations is impossible. But that doesn’t mean that mathematics isn’t a crucial tool for understanding love. Love, like most things in life, is full of patterns. And mathematics is ultimately the study of patterns—from predicting the weather to the fluctuations of the stock market, the movement of planets or the growth of cities. These patterns twist and turn and warp and evolve just as the rituals of love do.

Thinking Like a Mathematician: Unlocking Logic, Probability, and Problem Solving for Everyday Life is your guide to mastering the art of mathematical thinking—not just for solving equations, but for navigating the complexities of life with clarity and confidence. Whether you're making decisions under uncertainty, analyzing patterns in data, or simply trying to approach challenges with a sharper mind, this book reveals how the principles of mathematics can transform the way you think.

Almost all of us have sat in a math class, wondering when we'd ever need to know how to find the roots of a polynomial or graph imaginary numbers. And in one sense, we were right: If we needed to, we'd use a computer. But as Ian Stewart argues in What's the Use?, math isn't just about boring computations. Rather, it offers us new and profound insights into our world, allowing us to accomplish feats as significant as space exploration and organ donation.

Shakespeare's era was abuzz with mathematical progress, from the new concept of "zero" to Galileo's redraft of the heavens. Now, Rob Eastaway uncovers the many surprising ways math shaped Shakespeare's plays—and his world—touring astronomy, code-breaking, color theory, navigation, music, sports, and more.

August, 1755. Newcastle, on the north bank of the Tyne. In the fields, men and women are getting the harvest in. Sunlight or rain. Scudding clouds and backbreaking labour. Three hundred feet underground, young Charles Hutton is at the coalface. Cramped, dust choked, wielding a five-pound pick by candlelight. Eighteen years old, he’s been down the pits on and off for more than a decade, and now it looks like a life sentence. No unusual story, although Charles is a clever lad - gifted at maths and languages - and for a time he hoped for a different life. Many hoped.

Daphne is not your ordinary dragon. She doesn't breathe fire—she breathes life into numbers, turning them into pictures that unravel mysteries, forge friendships, and save the day! From the imaginative mind of bestselling author Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic comes a story that will captivate kids and parents alike. Follow Daphne’s journey to distant lands, where numbers are heroes in disguise and her adventures teach the basics of graphs in a way that’s fun, interactive, and empowering.

How many hours of sleep did you get last week? How many steps did you walk today? How many friends do you have? It seems everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by numbers. You depend on them, so you think they’re dependable, neutral, exact. But the truth? Numbers lie. They mislead. They’re tricky, little manipulative devils. And they’re in the process of really messing things up for you. You just don’t know it yet.

What Are the Odds? is your intro to understanding the hidden mathematics of everyday life. From coin flips to casinos, lightning strikes to love stories, this book walks the line between probability and poetry—bringing clarity to the chaos and calm to the randomness. Through twelve sharp chapters (plus a bonus finale), JJ cracks open real-life situations with statistical insight, humor, and heart. You'll learn why the coin isn't fair, why streaks are a lie, and how even your tiniest decisions might ripple through the universe in ways you’ll never see coming. No math degree required. No charts.