Maths on the Back of an Envelope

Clever ways to (roughly) calculate anything

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Maths on the Back of an Envelope

By: Rob Eastaway

Narrated by: Rob Eastaway

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About this listen

‘Another terrific book by Rob Eastaway’ SIMON SINGH

‘A delightfully accessible guide to how to play with numbers’ HANNAH FRY

How many cats are there in the world?

What's the chance of winning the lottery twice?

And just how long does it take to count to a million?

Learn how to tackle tricky maths problems with nothing but the back of an envelope, a pencil and some good old-fashioned brain power.

Join Rob Eastaway as he takes an entertaining look at how to figure without a calculator. Packed with amusing anecdotes, quizzes, and handy calculation tips for every situation, Maths on the Back of an Envelope is an invaluable introduction to the art of estimation, and a welcome reminder that sometimes our own brain is the best tool we have to deal with numbers.

Mathematics

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Critic reviews

‘Put aside those calculators and computers, and find a pen and piece of paper! In a collection of riveting tips and examples, Eastaway shows us amazing short-cuts to get rough answers to important questions. I still find it remarkable that 16% of 25 is exactly the same as 25% of 16!’ – Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, author of The Art of Statistics

‘Packed with fun examples and fresh ideas. I thought I was on top of this subject, but I learned a lot’ – Tim Harford

‘A joyful primer about the lost art of calculating without a calculator’ – Guardian

Most relevant

Excellent introduction and overview of the powers and limits for estimation. As a maths teacher I will be recommending this to a number of my classes. You will also leave with a strong foundation to develop your own 'back of envelope calculation' skills!

Must Read for Lovers of Mathematics!