"Simple, clear explanations of twenty ways in which mathematics helps us to understand practical issues of everyday life. Suitable for teenagers and adults, and beautifully produced. Highly recommended!" - Professor Ian Stewart, bestselling author of The Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities Mathematics is an indispensable tool for life. From the systems that underpin our newsfeeds, through to the data analysis that informs our health and financial decisions, to the algorithms that power how we search online – mathematics is at the heart of how our modern world functions. In 20 dip-in lessons, Understanding Numbers explains how and why mathematics fuels your world and arms you with the knowledge to make wiser choices in all areas of your life. • Make sense of health statistics • Understand the mathematics behind political voting systems • Get to grips with how online search tools work • Discover how mathematics can create the perfect city

Greetings Cadet! Congratulations on being accepted into the prestigious Astro Academy for math! Now strap on your space boots, secure you helmet and let’s get ready for a mathematical journey like no other! Hop on board the spaceship School of Numbers and head off on an intergalactic mathematical journey that will introduce young readers to key concepts including arithmetic, shapes, fractions, percentages, and sequences. Six eccentric professors will teach budding space mathematic Cadets all there is to know about the world of numbers! Meet Captain Archimedes Brown who keeps everyone in order; Lois Carmen Denominator who’s got a passion for fractions; Di Ameter who’s a stickler for geometry; Al Jabra who loves algebra; Ava Ridge who’s looney for statistics; and last but certainly not least, Adam Up who just can’t get enough of arithmetic! Float into this gravity-free classroom, prepare yourself for antics aplenty and get ready to see math in action like never before.

Engineering professor Barbara Oakley knows firsthand how it feels to struggle with math. In her book, she offers you the tools needed to get a better grasp of that intimidating but inescapable field.