How not to be wrong the power of mathematical thinking
"In How Not to Be Wrong, Jordan Ellenberg shows us that math isn't confined to abstract incidents that never occur in real life, but rather touches everything we do--the whole world is shot through with it. Math allows us to see the hidden structures underneath the messy and chaotic surface of our w...
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| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
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New York, New York :
The Penguin Press,
2014.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Go to Downloadable eBook Here. |
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| Summary: | "In How Not to Be Wrong, Jordan Ellenberg shows us that math isn't confined to abstract incidents that never occur in real life, but rather touches everything we do--the whole world is shot through with it. Math allows us to see the hidden structures underneath the messy and chaotic surface of our world. It's a science of not being wrong, hammered out by centuries of hard work and argument. Armed with the tools of mathematics, we can see through to the true meaning of information we take for granted: How early should you get to the airport? What does "public opinion" really represent? Why do tall parents have shorter children? Who really won Florida in 2000? And how likely are you, really, to develop cancer? How Not to Be Wrong presents the surprising revelations behind all of these questions and many more, using the mathematician's method of analyzing life and exposing the hard-won insights of the academic community to the layman--minus the jargon. Ellenberg pulls from history as well as from the latest theoretical developments to provide those not trained in math with the knowledge they need"--Provided by publisher. |
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| Physical Description: | 468 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781594205224 (hardback) 1594205221 (hardback) |
| Author Notes: | After receiving his undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1993, Ellenberg obtained a master's degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University. He then returned to Harvard to complete his Ph.D. in math. Ellenberg has written both fiction and non-fiction. His novel, The Grasshopper King, was a finalist for the New York Library Young Lions Fiction Award in 2004. He has been writing about math for a general audience for a number of years, and his work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Wired, the Washington Post and the Boston Globe. He also occasionally writes a column entitled "Do the Math" for the on-line magazine Slate. His book, How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking was named to multiple bestseller lists. (Bowker Author Biography) |
