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Math with Bad Drawings: Illuminating the Ideas That Shape Our Reality

by Ben Orlin

Mathematics through everyday questions and playful examples

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Mathematics through everyday questions and playful examples

Ben Orlin connects mathematical ideas to subjects including elections, economics, genetics, and statistics. Across 24 chapters, the book uses examples such as dice, a new version of tic-tac-toe, and the challenge of designing a spherical Death Star to show how mathematical reasoning can illuminate practical questions. Stick-figure illustrations, jokes, and explanations are part of its approach to making concepts more accessible. The range of topics gives the collection an essay-like structure, with mathematics presented not only as symbols and formal logic but also as a way of examining patterns and claims in the world around us.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Adults curious about how mathematics relates to everyday and public-life topics
  • Readers who appreciate illustrated explanations and humor alongside nonfiction
  • People interested in essays spanning statistics, economics, elections, and genetics

Themes

Mathematical reasoningEveryday applications of mathematicsStatistics and interpretationMathematics educationIllustrated nonfiction

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

A hilarious reeducation in mathematics-full of joy, jokes, and stick figures-that sheds light on the countless practical and wonderful ways that math structures and shapes our world.

In Math With Bad Drawings, Ben Orlin reveals to us what math actually is; its myriad uses, its strange symbols, and the wild leaps of logic and faith that define the usually impenetrable work of the mathematician.

Truth and knowledge come in multiple forms: colorful drawings, encouraging jokes, and the stories and insights of an empathetic teacher who believes that math should belong to everyone. Orlin shows us how to think like a mathematician by teaching us a brand-new game of tic-tac-toe, how to understand an economic crises by rolling a pair of dice, and the mathematical headache that ensues when attempting to build a spherical Death Star.

Every discussion in the book is illustrated with Orlin's trademark "bad drawings," which convey his message and insights with perfect pitch and clarity. With 24 chapters covering topics from the electoral college to human genetics to the reasons not to trust statistics, Math with Bad Drawings is a life-changing book for the math-estranged and math-enamored alike.
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