The Maths Behind by Colin Beveridge (Discover the mathematics of everyday events) – Published by Octopusbooks 2017

I admit I was excited to receive this book from the publisher. But even if you aren’t, like me, a bit of a ‘Maths-nerd’, who could resist reading something that promises to uncover the facts behind DNA testing, the relative risks of skydiving and marathon running, and the Monopoly Square you’re most likely to land on?

The author apparently wrote this book in order to answer the question “when would you ever use Maths in real life?” 

Does he provide the answer? Oh yes! And much, much more. With clever, practical explanations and examples, this book should be compulsory reading for all would-be and current Maths teachers who don’t yet understand that Maths can be fun or who can’t communicate that message#. The author even provides a useful guide to purchase: “Siri, I want to buy every book Colin Beveridge has ever written”. 

A book to enjoy, with facts to amaze your friends (and help you win pub quizzes). Not just fun, but practical too, things to make you smile and conversation starters for most situations. And it’s always useful to be able to calculate the probability of being bitten by a certain professional footballer. 

I’m still at the stage of dipping into this book, largely because I keep stopping to share “interesting facts” with whichever friends are nearby. 

As to the chances of some/any/many of your Facebook friends sharing the same birthday, read the book and you’ll find out! There’s even a guidance on how to spot  ‘Fake data’ and a section on Elon Musk and Tesla; how topical is that?

Terrific!

# also suitable for children, their parents and anyone with a sense of curiosity. 

Reviewers note: I’m still a bit hazy on Inter-universal Teichmüller theory, but, thanks to this book, I know I’m not alone.