The Mathematics of Everyday Life

""A delightfully entertaining, instructive, and useful book—one that reminds us that mathematics can be both stimulating and extremely handy. From understanding designs in the natural world to the reason manhole covers are round; from probability in poker to the perplexing Monty Hall Problem; and from the geometry of the Spirograph to the geometrical aesthetics of Raphael, Da Vinci, and Albrecht Dürer, The Mathematics of Everyday Life unveils seeming mysteries while teaching us shortcuts to problem solving and how to see things from a new perspective—in sum, how to think logically and mathematically.”—Scott Krawczyk, PhD, dean, Richard L. Conolly College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, LIU Brooklyn“Spectacular! Once again, Alfred S. Posamentier and Christian Spreitzer have reached into their rich reservoir of numerical knowledge to explain the beauty and eloquence of mathematics. They take us on a vigorous voyage, helping us to understand how math can help us solve problems of everyday life. Even those of us who are ‘not good at math' will appreciate how important the basic principles they describe so well are to our daily experiences.”—Allen I. Hyman, MD, FCCM, Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology, Columbia University in the City of New York“This book is fun! Even for those of us whose study of mathematics was some time ago, the examples and puzzles are easy to understand. We are offered really useful ways of using math in shopping (what is a genuine discount?), converting miles to kilometers (useful when traveling abroad), and completing a host of other everyday tasks. I particularly liked the authors' insistence that using our own ‘built-in computer'—our brain—is more fun than using our phone or other devices for everyday calculations. I hope many people read the book and agree with that advice.”—Baroness Pauline Perry, formerly Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education“Almost everything is math! That's what Posamentier and Spreitzer would like to reveal to us. Wherever you look—in paintings, sports, nature, shopping, or gambling—all of it works with math.Surprising, astonishing, entertaining...This new book tells you all about your unknown life with math. Whether or not you like math, you will like this book.” —Gerhard Ackermann, PhD, professor and retired president, Beuth University of Applied Sciences, Berlin