Joy and power in math? Of course! As well as practicality, versatility, simplicity … and fun. Strength in Numbers offers a highly entertaining exploration of the math we use in our daily lives – from calculating mortgage payments, to choosing credit card rates, to deciphering statistics. As award-winning teacher and author Sherman Stein reveals, math is much more than a collection of procedures to calculate numbers . It is an essential tool with which to understand the world around us. And while the relevance of math to everyday life is emphasized, the author’s lively survey of such intriguing concepts as hot and cool numbers, as well as brain-teasers like the puzzle of the Egyptian rope, make Strength in Numbers rich reading. With his engaging style, Stein offers a new appreciation for the amazing properties of mathematics, from the beauty of its logic ( as inevitable and memorable as a Mozart symphony ) to its power and pervasiveness in our lives. Requiring no math knowledge beyond basic arithmetic and high school geometry, Strength in Numbers is an enlightening introduction to all the math we need.