The Hidden Maths of Everyday Life - How Not to Be Wrong

Reading this book was thoroughly pleasurable. We live in a world where we are battered unceasingly by information and interpretation. Ellenberg presents some basic concepts as tools for separating wheat from chaff. Among others, he discusses the limits of probability, the use and misuse of linear regressions, regression to the mean, and correlation is not cause. His writing style is conversational, laced with humor. His discussion of "there's no such thing as public opinion" is classic. It's something I think most people feel is so, but can't quite put a finger on why. As far as the math goes, my background is that I squeaked through (i.e. passed) one semester of calculus in college. That was 1964 and all I remember is that is had something to do with the area under a curve. The book doesn't go beyond high school algebra. And I skipped lots of the equations because I was more interested in Ellenberg's discussion of what they meant. That does not detract from the enjoyment of what should be required reading for every adult.

Prof. Ellenberg does a good job in helping his readers to interpret statistical data correctly. His pragmatic approach with real life examples makes his text easy to understand and may help people to be wary of the statistics presented to them from unscrupulous people. And I feel certain that this text will be of great help to students who are beginning to study statistics.

Bought this for my mathematically inclined son. He says it's really interesting. Has some easy to understand parts and some parts that require more thinking and rereading to figure out, but just up his alley.

Brilliant language of fiction writer in narrow channel of mathematically accurate thinking. Examples are alive and breathing. It seems like I've got more understanding of math from this book than from five years of studying it in university.

An interesting read in which the author connects various economic and socialistic philosophies with basic mathematics and statistical principles. While familiarity with mathematics and statistics is not required it does help in getting the full meaning of the book.

The book outlines why I've always been attracted to Math and Mathematical thinking. It's not full of equations; rather, it explains how the logic of math can be used to understand everyday problems, and to form the correct opinions (or not for an incorrect opinion).

Its a nice book but very complicated especially if you are not native English speaker..! It's a good book if you like thinking..! Critical thinking has been most part of its emphasis.

I would recommend this reading to all critical thinkers especially mathematicians

Good exploration of several statistical concepts. Popular (few equations) exposition of ideas that can help people evaluate the validity of the "everybody knows" type of beliefs that are embedded in much of our pop culture.

It is well-written, mathematically precise without being ponderous, informative, and funny in places. Every chapter is thought-provoking, and views the world in mathematically accurate but unforeseen ways. For example, it explains why the results of 1 statistically significant medical trial in 20 is likely inaccurate. Also contains informative bits of trivia, like Subaru (the car company) is the Japanese name for the Pleiades constellation - that's why the Subaru logo is six stars. I recommend it most highly.

If only Jordan Ellenberg was my highschool maths teacher - may be my career may have turned out differently. Rarely do I enjoy a literal history trip filled with stories of great mathematicians. I've gained great insights to the works of Galton, Condorcet, Bolyai, Shannon & Hamming and Wald. The closing paragraphs really struck home with me: "To do mathematics is to be at once, touched by fire and bound by reason. This is no contradiction. Logic forms a narrow channel through which intuition flows with vastly augmented force." I recommend this book to all book lovers, aspirants to careers in mathematics and mostly to those, who like myself, never appreciated Mathematics for the wonderful field of study and a way of life that it is.

A friend recommended this to me since I am interested in pursuing math and computer science in college. Changed how I think about statistics. Also dispelled fears I had around not being a "genius" at math while wanting to pursue a math-oriented career. Highly recommend.

I appreciated the down-to-earth explanations of complex concepts. The ability to convey these topics in relevant and lucid examples is not to be taken lightly. Sometimes it's a simple pencil sketch, other times it's a news-worthy note, others it's a historical figure brought to life in mathematical detail.

Jordan Ellenberg's book reads like a retake on Davis & Hersh's "Mathematical Experience", but widens the experience for readers into applications of mathematics into today's life, experiences and contexts.

Some really good and fun chapters but unfortunately quite inconsistent.
In general the author tries to explain some interesting mathematical applications in day to day life but not as well as others have done.
Towards the end, the author starts waxing philosophical but it does the book no good (very basic).

This book is a fantastic tour of complex math and statistics, made simple, and made to be applied to everyday situations.

An excellent outlook of politics, lotteries, and how number theory is behind the scenes ever day in our lives.

I only wish this book had been available 50 years ago when I could have used it more effectively. Students, such as myself, were mystified by all the mechanics of math, without realizing there were legitimate, practical reasons for mastering the fundamentals. Jordan Ellenberg uses real world examples to demonstrate the underlying thought processes that mathematicians use to solve problems in the real world, such as polling for election outcomes or where to put armor in fighter aircraft. In the lottery of life, I think you might want to be armed with the thinking that this book offers. I could be wrong, but the odds are in my favor. Read and enjoy this book!