Is That a Big Number?

Impressive numbers are thrown at us by the news every day. They are meant to help us understand, to compare, to evaluate, but in practice they often befuddle rather than enlighten. This entertaining, practical book gives us the tools and tips to decipher the figures, and to enjoy the way numbers enable us to understand our world.

Zusatztext This book explores mathematics in a way I have never thought about before. Elliott offers explanations to mathematical ideas in new ways and made them much easier for me to understand. Informationen zum Autor Andrew Elliott grew up in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa, and studied statistics and actuarial science at the University of Cape Town. He emigrated to the United Kingdom in the late 1980s to use his actuarial skills in the world of financial systems. After a spell as a management consultant, Andrew launched a series of start-up companies in financial technology, and he continues to work in this field. Frustrated by how quantitative information is presented in the media and public discussion, in 2016 Andrew started "Is That A Big Number?, a project to promote numeracy and the development of intuitive number sense. Klappentext Impressive numbers are thrown at us by the news every day. They are meant to help us understand, to compare, to evaluate, but in practice they often befuddle rather than enlighten. This entertaining, practical book gives us the tools and tips to decipher the figures, and to enjoy the way numbers enable us to understand our world. Zusammenfassung Impressive numbers are thrown at us by the news every day. They are meant to help us understand, to compare, to evaluate, but in practice they often befuddle rather than enlighten. This entertaining, practical book gives us the tools and tips to decipher the figures, and to enjoy the way numbers enable us to understand our world. Inhaltsverzeichnis Counting Numbers What Counts?: How we get from 1, 2, 3 to "How many fish in the sea?" Numbers in the World: How numeracy connects to everyday life The Second Technique: Visualisation Paint a picture in your mind Measuring Up About the Size of it: Numbers to Quantify the Space we Live in The Third Technique: Divide and Conquer Take one bite at a time Ticking Away: How we measure the fourth dimension An Even Briefer History of Time Multidimensional Measures: Areas and Volumes The Fourth Technique: Rates and Ratios Knock 'em down to size Massive Numbers: Heavy-duty numbers for weighing up Getting up to speed: Putting a value on velocity Intermission Numbers in the Wild: Variability and Distribution The Fifth Technique: Log Scales Comparing the very small to the very big The Numbers of Science Heavens Above: Measuring the Universe A Bundle of Energy: Measuring the Spark Bits, Bytes and Words: Measurement for the Information Age Let Me Count the Ways: The Biggest Numbers in the Book Numbers in Public Life The Bluffer's Guide to National Finances Everybody Counts: Population Growth and Decline Measuring How We Live: Inequality and Quality of life Summing Up: Numbers Still Count ...

Auteur
Andrew Elliott grew up in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa, and studied statistics and actuarial science at the University of Cape Town. He emigrated to the United Kingdom in the late 1980s to use his actuarial skills in the world of financial systems. After a spell as a management consultant, Andrew launched a series of start-up companies in financial technology, and he continues to work in this field. Frustrated by how quantitative information is presented in the media and public discussion, in 2016 Andrew started "Is That A Big Number?, a project to promote numeracy and the development of intuitive number sense.

Contenu

• Counting Numbers

• What Counts?: How we get from 1, 2, 3 to "How many fish in the sea?"

• Numbers in the World: How numeracy connects to everyday life

• The Second Technique: Visualisation Paint a picture in your mind

• Measuring Up

• About the Size of it: Numbers to Quantify the Space we Live in

• The Third Technique: Divide and Conquer Take one bite at a time

• Ticking Away: How we measure the fourth dimension

• An Even Briefer History of Time

• Multidimensional Measures: Areas and Volumes

• The Fourth Technique: Rates and Ratios Knock 'em down to size

• Massive Numbers: Heavy-duty numbers for weighing up

• Getting up to speed: Putting a value on velocity

• Intermission

• Numbers in the Wild: Variability and Distribution

• The Fifth Technique: Log Scales Comparing the very small to the very big

• The Numbers of Science

• Heavens Above: Measuring the Universe

• A Bundle of Energy: Measuring the Spark

• Bits, Bytes and Words: Measurement for the Information Age

• Let Me Count the Ways: The Biggest Numbers in the Book

• Numbers in Public Life

• The Bluffer's Guide to National Finances

• Everybody Counts: Population Growth and Decline

• Measuring How We Live: Inequality and Quality of life

• Summing Up: Numbers Still Count