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0hannah0banana0's review against another edition
3.0
The book feels like a „light“ read for the topics at hand with easily understandable examples given by the author from their private life and/ or past events. A few of the models can be understood with a high school level of maths knowledge but to finish the book you would need to have at least a hand full of university courses and a general interest in maths.
I feel for the amount of models and issues explained, the book could have been shorter but I did enjoy the author’s approach to the examples!
I feel for the amount of models and issues explained, the book could have been shorter but I did enjoy the author’s approach to the examples!
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
3.0
Live By The Math, Die By The Math
This was a fairly good book on math in life.
I found it a bit dry and mediocre at times, but the concepts were pretty good all-in-all.
3.6/5
This was a fairly good book on math in life.
I found it a bit dry and mediocre at times, but the concepts were pretty good all-in-all.
3.6/5
thecheeseismoldy's review against another edition
5.0
I actually don't like math that much but I loved reading this book it actually made me interested in mathematics
ranahabib's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 9/10
As someone who is not naturally talented in Mathematics, I found this book really entertaining and unique. I loved Yates writing style; he explains everything so simply and vibrantly, using relevant examples to help keep the reader engaged (ex. the Amanda Knox trial, covid19, BLM movement).
Yates shows us how mathematics can be used for betterment or worse, depending on how it's used.
He touches on the use of mathematics in law, business, health/medicine, media, and technology. In each chapter, he gives 1-3 examples of mathematics gone wrong and what should've been done instead.
Yates does a phenomenal job at showcasing to the reader why we shouldn't naively trust numbers; he does this by exploring common errors in mathematics (asking & answering the wrong questions, inputting the wrong variables, illogical calculations, etc).
I'd argue that it's not a book ABOUT mathematics (that is to say, how it came about) but rather HOW mathematics is used in different subject fields. I think there are only a few equations used throughout the whole book. Otherwise, the design and flow of the content were incredibly smooth and easy to follow.
In each chapter, Yates covers the following:
1. Exponents, exponential growth
2. Odds, ratios, and binary testing
3. Probabilities, independent/dependent variables
4. Samples sizes, framing, biases
5. Number systems
6. Algorithms, optimization, P versus NP
7. Proportions, r-naught, exponential growth
One downfall: It's unclear exactly what the different mathematical principles are. After reading the book and going through each chapter, I can somewhat differentiate the principles. But a lot of what's taught is similar and overlaps each other.
The book was written so each chapter covered a different domain and a mathematical principle or two were applied within that domain. I think it should've been the opposite. Each chapter covers a different principle that's applied in 1-2 different domains.
As someone who is not naturally talented in Mathematics, I found this book really entertaining and unique. I loved Yates writing style; he explains everything so simply and vibrantly, using relevant examples to help keep the reader engaged (ex. the Amanda Knox trial, covid19, BLM movement).
Yates shows us how mathematics can be used for betterment or worse, depending on how it's used.
He touches on the use of mathematics in law, business, health/medicine, media, and technology. In each chapter, he gives 1-3 examples of mathematics gone wrong and what should've been done instead.
Yates does a phenomenal job at showcasing to the reader why we shouldn't naively trust numbers; he does this by exploring common errors in mathematics (asking & answering the wrong questions, inputting the wrong variables, illogical calculations, etc).
I'd argue that it's not a book ABOUT mathematics (that is to say, how it came about) but rather HOW mathematics is used in different subject fields. I think there are only a few equations used throughout the whole book. Otherwise, the design and flow of the content were incredibly smooth and easy to follow.
In each chapter, Yates covers the following:
1. Exponents, exponential growth
2. Odds, ratios, and binary testing
3. Probabilities, independent/dependent variables
4. Samples sizes, framing, biases
5. Number systems
6. Algorithms, optimization, P versus NP
7. Proportions, r-naught, exponential growth
One downfall: It's unclear exactly what the different mathematical principles are. After reading the book and going through each chapter, I can somewhat differentiate the principles. But a lot of what's taught is similar and overlaps each other.
The book was written so each chapter covered a different domain and a mathematical principle or two were applied within that domain. I think it should've been the opposite. Each chapter covers a different principle that's applied in 1-2 different domains.
emma5019's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I loved this book. It was a perfect collision of reading and maths, two of the things I love. I read it during exam season and it felt like the perfect motivation to keep going with revision because it reminded me of all the very real reasons maths is important and why I'm doing a maths A Level in the first place all while being a good read for my study breaks. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the way maths integral to life on Earth, whatever their maths ability, as all of the mathematical concepts were well explained, and you didn't have to understand any equations or anything.