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Loading... Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences (original 1988; edition 2001)by John Allen Paulos
Work InformationInnumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences by John Allen Paulos (1988)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. NF The author writes of his concern for the innumerate society in which we live. People that can't balance a checkbook and don't find a problem with that are rather scary, since they have to make decisions that sometimes require mathematical proficiency. All the while he cites numerous examples and ideas in probability and other things that people believe for stupid misinformed reasons. Mostly astrology and numerology and other things that make no sense. All in all this book is shorter than I thought it would be. It is also very 80s, but the concerns apply even more now then they did 30 years ago. So many things we do require a passing knowledge of math, but sadly, many people are lacking in this department.
Mr. Paulos is the sort of person who, when he hears that something or other is selling at a fraction of its normal cost, is likely to remark ''that the fraction is probably 4/3.'' He writes that this is often greeted by ''a blank stare.'' He takes it to be one of incomprehension, but a reader of ''Innumeracy'' may suspect behind the look an impulse to throttle Mr. Paulos. Still, there is so much of value in his book that one can easily restrain such an urge. He takes us a couple of steps closer to numeracy, and it is all in all an enlightening place to be. AwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
Examines the nation's burgeoning inability to deal rationally with very large numbers, assesses the impact on government policymaking and everyday life, and shows what can be done about this. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)510Natural sciences and mathematics Mathematics General MathematicsLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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