How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking by Jordan Ellenberg

How Not to Be Wrong

Subtitle: The Power of Mathematical Thinking

Author: Jordan Ellenberg

Genre: Nonfiction, Math

Format: Kindle Purchase

Publish Date: May 2014

Read: August 2024

Favorite Quote: Mathematics is not just a sequence of computations to be carried out by rote until your patience or stamina runs out—although it might seem that way from what you’ve been taught in courses called mathematics.

Synopsis: In this book, Ellenberg dives into some high-level algebra and statistics to illustrate the adage, “Statistics don’t lie, but statisticians do.” Ellenberg uses examples from our every day life: statistically, how early should you get to the airport? Can you game the lottery? What exactly is the court of public opinion?

These questions are even more important today than when the book was published in 2014. In a world of social media and people spinning statistics for their own agenda, How Not to Be Wrong helps readers understand and apply mathematical principles to life to asses the degrees of truth we encounter each day.

Why does this book beguile? Yeah…. so it’s not every day that I voluntarily read a mathematics book. However, after a buddy recommended this to me, I decided to give it a shot.

It’s surprisingly approachable! While some of the math illustrated in the book took time to get through, the application of the math and how it relates to life was incredibly helpful. It took me a while to read, but I loved the insights and applied knowledge I learned.

Rating: 4/5

Link*: How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking by Jordan Ellenberg

If you’re interested in this, read*: Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife