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

(Hardback)

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Description

In MATH WITH BAD DRAWINGS, Ben Orlin answers math's three big questions: Why do I need to learn this When am I ever going to use it Why is it so hard The answers come in various forms-cartoons, drawings, jokes, and the stories and insights of an empathetic teacher who believes that math should belong to everyone.

Eschewing the tired old curriculum that begins in the wading pool of addition and subtraction and progresses to the shark infested waters of calculus (AKA the Great Weed Out Course), Orlin instead shows us how to think like a mathematician by teaching us a new game of Tic-Tac-Toe, how to understand an economic crisis by rolling a pair of dice, and the mathematical reason why you should never buy a second lottery ticket.

Every example in the book is illustrated with his trademark "bad drawings," which convey both his humor and his message with perfect pitch and clarity. Organized by unconventional but compelling topics such as "Statistics: The Fine Art of Honest Lying," "Design: The Geometry of Stuff That Works," and "Probability: The Mathematics of Maybe," MATH WITH BAD DRAWINGS is a perfect read for fans of illustrated popular science.

Reviews

"Ben Orlin has hit the seemingly unattainable sweet spot. He has written a book that is funny and serious, that is entertaining and informative, and that would interest a reader with or without a background in mathematics. Math with Bad Drawings would be a wonderful book for people who love math, used to love math, want to love math, want to know what math is good for, or just want to know what math really is."--Math Horizons
"Ben Orlin is terribly bad at drawing. Luckily he's also fantastically clever and charming. His talents have added up to the most glorious, warm, and witty illustrated guide to the irresistible appeal of mathematics."--Hannah Fry, mathematician, University College London and BBC presenter
"Brilliant, wide ranging, and irreverent, Math with Bad Drawings adds ha ha to aha. It'll make you smile - plus it might just make you smarter and wiser."--Steven Strogatz, Professor of Mathematics, Cornell University, author of The Joy of x
"Illuminating, inspiring, and hilarious, Math with Bad Drawings is everything you wanted to learn in class but never thought to ask. A joyful romp through mathematics and all its wisdom."--Bianca Bosker, author of the New York Times-bestselling Cork Dork
"MATH WITH BAD DRAWINGS is a gloriously goofy word-number-and-cartoon fest that drags math out of the classroom and into the sunlight where it belongs. Great for your friend who thinks they hate math - actually, great for everyone!"--Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not To Be Wrong
"Orlin's ability to masterfully convey interesting and complex mathematical ideas through the whimsy of drawings (that, contrary to the suggestion of the title, are actually not that bad) is unparalleled. This is a great work showing the beauty of mathematics as it relates to our world. This is a must read for anyone who ever thought math isn't fun, or doesn't apply to the world we live in!"--John Urschel, mathematician named to Forbes(R) "30 Under 30" list of outstanding young scientists and former NFL player
"The book is a more polished, extensive discussion of the concepts that pepper Orlin's blog, featuring his trademark caustic wit, a refreshingly breezy conversational tone, and of course, lots and lots of bad drawings. It's a great, entertaining read for neophytes and math fans alike because Orlin excels at finding novel ways to connect the math to real-world problems-or in the case of the Death Star, to problems in fictional worlds."--Ars Technica

Author Bio

Ben Orlin is the author of the blog Math With Bad Drawings. He also writes on a variety of topics related to math for The Atlantic, Slate, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and Business Insider. He began his teaching career in Oakland, California in a charter high school populated by students from low-income, immigrant families, where test scores ranked as high as #4 among all high schools in the state of California. He taught at King Edward's School in Birmingham, England, and now lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

@benorlin