So, when you think of mathematics, do you come up with images of a dry subject that you were forced to study in school, but no longer remember much of the content? Or do you think of mathematics as the elegant description of everything? Maybe you are somewhere in between these polar opposites. But no matter where you fall on this sliding scale, Ben Orlin wants you to think of math as more than a game of "meaningless marks on paper" (David Hilbert).

Ben Orlin lays out his premise in the introduction and then dives the reader into it. He discusses the syntax of Algebra, looking at numbers and treating numbers as nouns in that syntax. After he has gone through symbols, equations, graphs, errors, and rules, he takes a break and provides a phrase book - A Local's Guide to Mathematical Vocabulary. Orlin then drags the reader into the actions of mathematics - what he calls the Verbs. Verbs for Orlin include the standards - addition, subtraction, multiplication, division plus squaring/cubing, exponents, logic and proofs, infinity and a host of others. Orlin finishes off the book with famous names and mathematical folklore followed by citations and where a reader could learn more.

If the reader is looking at a different approach to mathematics, Ben Orlin's Math for English Majors will aid in that quest.He accompanies the text with bad drawings (he has written another book called Math with Bad Drawings) to illustrate his points. Give it a try and maybe you will retain more math knowledge then when you started!

I was a history major (and English minor) and my math skills never progressed past basic algebra. I wish I had this book when I was in school to make the concepts more friendly to my humanities-inclined brain. Orlin breaks down mathematical concepts and expresses them in linguistic terms -- numbers are nouns, calculations are verbs -- and everything is accompanied by his endearingly bad cartoons. The writing is just as charming and funny and helps the reader see how math functions in the real world (I especially like how a conversation on fractions leads him to more proof math professors are space aliens). This book will appeal to anyone who has ever looked at a math worksheet only to see chicken scratch, and the art will appeal to fans of minimalist comics like Randall Munroe's XKCD.

I actually like Maths, but I'm always interested in different takes on it. With a refreshingly accessible and conversational tone, Orlin dispels the notion that math is solely the domain of scientists and engineers, and instead demonstrates how it can enrich our understanding of literature, art, and the human experience. Orlin is genuinely enthusiastic about making complex ideas approachable, so this is worth a read.

Thank you to Running Press and NetGalley for the eGalley to review!

I can't describe how much I love this book. It's succinct, in-depth, and hilarious to read. It's helpful not just for students, but for teachers too! Not only does it describe everything mathematical, it also mentions why certain things are not used widely or why they should probably be retired due to newer things (such as pi with tau). There are helpful and hilarious illustrations to help correlate ideas.

It's an excellent resource! I'd definitely want this on both a classroom and public library shelf.

What a great resource! As a future teacher who doesn't love math, this will be a book that I will keep on hand. Math can make sense if it's explained in a way that makes it easier to understand.

As someone with dyscalculia, math can be a real struggle. The author uses humor and illustrations to help break down math from the viewpoint of an English major. Although it doesn't completely help make math easier for me, I do love seeing a take on math from the viewpoint of an English major since English does come easier to me. It's put math into a different perspective for me.

Spoiler alert: it's really about math and there is math on practically every page.

My brother and I were both English majors. We also both had Miss Fox for math (he had her in 8th grade, I had her in 6th). My year with Miss Fox coincided and interfered with her wedding planning. So, she taught my class counted cross-stitch (math-related, I guess) and spent the rest of the year perusing wedding magazines. And so, I eventually flunked trig and I blame the 6th grade.

If anyone had ever taken the time to break concepts down for me like Orlin does here, I might have hated math less. Maybe. Anything is possible.

This book is appropriate for anyone (most ages) who needs/wants to understand math in practical terms. Orlin makes it seem useful and far less mysterious.

Maths isn't really my cup of tea, so anything that would make it more palatable is worth a go. Ben Orlin has managed to make maths understandable and fun. His way of explaining the concepts does not put me off, rather it makes me excited to be able to understand at last.

A great resource for those of us who want to learn maths in an accessible way.

I freely admit that I'm biased. I don't find math intuitive and I like it when someone can explain even simple things I already know. Books like this make math MAKE SENSE.
And I love the pictures. Hilariously, it was easy to see when the stick figures were annoyed or whatever the situation called for.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I have received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was delightful. I can't recall ever having called a book of mathematics "charming" before, but this certainly qualifies. Clear prose, helpful illustrations, and entertaining discussions on the mechanics, vocabulary, symbolism and philosophy of math. I had to pause in the middle of a paragraph and go find a pen and paper to work that multiplication problem myself. I was thrilled to come out right!

I would very much recommend this book to anyone struggling with math, and I'm so glad I had the math education I did growing up!