Math with Bad Drawings: Illuminating the Ideas that Shape our Reality by Yale grad Ben Orlin is a hilarious reeducation in mathematics – full of joy, jokes and stick figures – that sheds light on the countless practical and wonderful ways that math structures and shapes our world.
In this book, Orlin reveals what math actually is, its myriad uses, its strange symbols and the wild leaps of logic and faith that define the usually impenetrable work of the mathematician.
Truth and knowledge come in multiple forms: colorful drawings, encouraging jokes and the stories and insights of an empathetic teacher who believes that math should belong to everyone.
With 24 chapters covering topics from the electoral college to human genetics to the reasons not to trust statistics, Math with Bad Drawings is a life-changing book for the math-estranged and math-enamored alike.
I had a chance to do an email interview to learn more.
Why did you decide to create this book?
As a teacher, I know that math education isn't always a joyous experience. It can leave people feeling alienated, discouraged, anxious. My hope for this book is to give the math-estranged one warm, friendly experience of the subject - a chance, in some small way, to reconcile with math. And for those who are already enamored with math, I hope it serves as a celebration, full of "Ooh, I never knew that!" moments.
What are some ways that parents and teachers can encourage math literacy and interest in math?
One great starting place is Talking Math with Kids (both the verb phrase, and the web site!). If you look, you can see math everywhere: birthday candles, clapping games, bathroom tiles. Just chatting with kids about those things - pattern, shape, measurement - can help them develop vocabulary, curiosity, and a mathematical outlook.
Why is it so important for people to have a basic mathematical understanding of a variety of real-life concepts?
For one, there's financial literacy. To understand debt, investment, and budgeting, it helps to have not just good calculation skills, but a rich sense of quantity.
Second, there's statistical literacy. In a world of nearly 8 billion people, how can you conceptualize our challenges and our possibilities without diving into questions of scale and statistics?
Lastly, there's the richness of mathematical ideas in their own right. Math is part of our cultural heritage, like music or film or weird niche sports. Even when they're not directly "useful," mathematical conceptions of pattern and infinity are so cool, so mind-bending, that I think everyone can get a kick out of them.
Ben Orlin is the author of the blog Math with Bad Drawings. He also writes on topics related to math for The Atlantic, Slate, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune. He began his teaching career in Oakland, California, and later taught at King Edward’s School in Birmingham, England. He lives with his wife, a mathematician, in Northampton, Massachusetts.
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