MATHEMATICS IN YOUR WORLD
By
Not a mathematics text, but a thorough explanation of the role -- hidden and overt -- that mathematics plays in our everyday lives. Though the author avoids technical language, the concepts he describes call for a mathematically curious, if not skilled audience. The topics are unique -- and until the reader is deftly taught how they involve math, he may find them remote. ""Why the elephant is not a flea"" may sound like the title of a picture book legend --but in reality, it heads up a chapter on volume, size vs. mobility, influences of body beat. The mathematical elements involved in buying a car, entering a football pool, gardening, etc. will surprise the average layman. For the better informed reader -- one who can calculate with appropriate symbols- there is a paragraph in smaller print attached to each topic. Erudite without being dull, this should fill the bill for many students in high school and college who seek a better understanding of mathematical relationships.