It’s a Numberful World

Great book on the joy of numbers

I loved this book. I never really liked math in school but Author Eddie Woo showed me the joy of math. He writes with a great sense of humor and in plain language and a conversational tone. He explained most things well, but acknowledges that not everyone will get everything he wrote and that this was fine. You don’t have to understand something completely to be able to enjoy it. This is the third book on math I’ve read recently. “The Golden Ratio” by Gary Meisner was not nearly as good. I enjoyed “Understanding Numbers,” by Marianne Freiberger and Rachel Thomas, finding it very informative, but neither of these books was as fun to read as Eddie Woo’s. If you are looking for a book that discusses the role of math in various aspects of society, then “Understanding Numbers” is a good choice. If you want to read something fun about numbers, then “It’s a numberful world” is the book to read.

I am squarely in the target audience of this book!

I loved every single page of it, underlined pretty much half this book and have had several long conversations with my family as I was read it in. In fact, while we were driving to the beach, I read parts of it out loud to my kids. This book is the perfect combination of math, fun, learning, fascination, and joy!

This book is broken into chapters, most of which are not intercorrelated (with a few exceptions) where there's a new mathematical concept covered in each chapter. It mentions all things math like fractals, algebra, chaos theory, graph theory, encryption and more. I knew many of these concepts and yet it was still delightful to reread what I knew and fascinating to read what I didn't know.

If you're a fan of math or have someone in your life who might not appreciate how magical math is and how it's a part of every single aspect of our life, I think this would make an excellent gift. I hope they will love this book as much as I did.

A perfect choice for people who think they do not like math. The author presents math concepts in easy to understand ways that are intuitive and so much better than the rote methods many of us were exposed to in school.

Very well documented book about the natural sciences phenomenons though the mathematical theorems. The illustrations are wonderful and this book can be used to create workshop at school. Amazing!

#ItsAnumberfulWorld #NetGalley

Intriguing! After reading the first few chapters, I pre-ordered the book for my personal collection. The application of math to "real world" is fascinating and presented in a readable/ accessible manner. Looking forward to diving in!

Meet your favorite math teacher, despite the fact that you will probably never see him in person. Eddie Woo takes readers on an introductory tour through the astounding realm of mathematics and its connections to every area of life. From explanations of card tricks to appreciation for the precision of musical harmony, each chapter explores the ways in which math is intertwined throughout the cosmos. Whether a reader is interested in the study of chemistry, origami, lightning, or the circulatory system, Woo engagingly traces how various fields of mathematics play a part in understanding each of them. Terms like fractals, golden ratio, and Fibonacci sequence are easily comprehensible with the explanations and diagrams provided. The book can be enjoyed from cover to cover, or each chapter can be read as a stand-alone essay. There are also suggestions for further reading for those hungry for more. A perfect gift for the number-lover in your life.

I absolutely adored this book! I am a math teacher and once I downloaded and started this, I could not put it down. I love how Mr. Woo makes the text so relatable. As a math coach now I find myself trying to find ways to make math more meaningful for my middle school students also while emphasizing the growth mindset. Woo did an amazing job at tying math to relatable scenarios for all students and people to understand. The visuals, chapter breaks, graphs, charts, etc. were all fabulous. Highly recommend for all teachers, educational staff, parents, and those struggling to find their groove in math.

This is a fun book about Math, whether you are a Math teacher or a student. Eddie does an amazing job of not just showing where we see Math in our everyday lives but also takes us into the bigger question of why certain math facts are taken to be facts. Why do we use 360 degree? What is common between lightning and blood through our veins? Why do we draw stars a pointy things but they are actually big spheres? Is 1 really a prime number? What does it mean to draw x as the horizontal axis and y as the vertical axis? Why can't we divide by zero?

This is story-telling at its best about Math, Chemistry, Physics - our world. Filled with little experiments that the reader can do to supplement their thinking, It's a Numberful World is indeed a wonderful book, showing a side of Math that gets hidden away while teaching the curriculum.

I am grateful for the advanced reviewer copy from the publisher through NetGalley. It has been a pleasure diving into the real world of Math, with Eddie's humorous narrative.

YouTuber Eddie Woo tries, and succeeds, to make math interesting in It’s a Numberful World.

“If you go down deep enough into anything, you will find mathematics.”

Eddie proves his point by explaining why rainbows are round, blood vessels and lightning bolts look alike, and the zeros are in the middle of the Plinko board.

I’m pretty sure that It’s a Numberful World is for young folks. But I found the simple explanations of natural phenomena fascinating. Although I’ve taken college calculus, I learned a lot from the book. There are many things that most wouldn’t think of as math. The shape of a sunflower, Netflix’ movie suggestions, and the sound of a guitar come to mind.

If you want to revisit your childlike feelings of awe, just read about the golden triangle, pi, phi, and e. Even better, if you have a child having difficulties understanding why they should study math, this would be a perfect gift. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars! Or should I say spheres (read the book to find out why).

Thanks to The Experiment and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

It is very, very good at connecting abstract math concepts with the everyday. With pictures! Although it might be aimed for a younger audience, i want to buy it for my math-averse college students.

Note: I only read the first few chapters and skimmed through the rest. I do plan on reading the rest of it.