Maths on the Back of an Envelope: Clever ways to (roughly) calculate anything. An entertaining introduction to mental maths and problem solving

Does that statistic make sense?
How much will this round of drinks come to?
And what are the chances of winning the lottery? Twice?
Learn how to do complex maths with nothing but the back of an envelope, a pencil and some good old-fashioned brain power.
Doing mathematics without a calculator seems like an unnecessary feat in the twenty-first century. These clever little electronic devices have helped to take away the drudgery of arithmetic, and given all of us the power to perform in a few seconds what might previously have taken hours to work out.
But much of the time, we don’t need the exact answer with its endless decimal points – we just need to know whether something is in the right ballpark.
Rob Eastaway’s clever mathematical techniques do exactly that, as he takes an entertaining look at how to figure without a calculator.
From spotting misleading statistics in the news and bad deals, to estimating how long you’ll be standing in that slowly crawling queue, this book is packed with amusing anecdotes and handy back-of-the-envelope calculations for every situation.
Most importantly, this book is a timely and welcome reminder that sometimes our own brain is the best tool we have to deal with numbers.

Maths on the Back of an Envelope: Clever ways to (roughly) calculate anything

Eastaway, Rob

Computers & Technology

Harpercollins

Maths on the Back of an Envelope : Clever ways to (roughly) calculate anything

‘Another terrific book by Rob Eastaway’ SIMON SINGH 
‘A delightfully accessible guide to how to play with numbers’ HANNAH FRY 
How many cats are there in the world? 
What's the chance of winning the lottery twice? 
And just how long does it take to count to a million? 
Learn how to tackle tricky maths problems with nothing but the back of an envelope, a pencil and some good old-fashioned brain power. 
Join Rob Eastaway as he takes an entertaining look at how to figure without a calculator. Packed with amusing anecdotes, quizzes, and handy calculation tips for every situation, Maths on the Back of an Envelope is an invaluable introduction to the art of estimation, and a welcome reminder that sometimes our own brain is the best tool we have to deal with numbers.

Humor & Entertainment

Puzzles & Games

Many parents are not confident helping their children with math homework, partly because math is taught differently today. This reassuring book covers the dilemmas and problems parents are likely to be confronted with up to the end of primary school.

Maths for Mums and Dads

Reference

Square Peg

Need some help with addition? Play a game of Salute Having trouble with times tables? Try Times Table Donk Floundering with fractions? Get creative cutting up the toast with your kids at breakfast 
Busy mums or dads are crying out for quick and easy ways to help their children with primary school maths and beyond. Here are 101 simple tips, games and activities to make practising maths as engaging and enjoyable as possible, for you and your child. All can be incorporated into the everyday routine – at home and on the go – with minimal fuss and no expensive kit – helping children have fun with numbers. Indeed, most of the time they won’t even realise that maths is involved. Sneaky! Areas covered include, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions, ratio and proportion, telling the time, estimation, measurement, geometry and shapes, with an emphasis on problem solving throughout.

Maths on the Go: 101 Fun Ways to Play with Maths

Children's Books

Askew, Mike

Education & Reference

Why Do Buses Come in Threes: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life

Why is it better to buy a lottery ticket on a Friday? Is bad luck just chance, or can it be explained? Is it possible to win every time without cheating? And can math greatly increase your odds of getting a date and even falling in love? If you've had the sneaking suspicion ever since the third grade that math is conspiring against you—you're right. Math and the laws of probability are constantly at work in our lives, affecting everything we do from getting a date to catching a bus.
Why Do Buses Come in Threes? is a delightfully entertaining ride for anyone wanting to remind themselves—or discover for the first time—that math is relevant to almost everything we do. Buses that bunch, identical potato chips, and slicing a cake evenly for an odd number of guests all have their links to intriguing mathematical problems. With great humor and a genuine love for the subject, the authors present the solutions to such conundrums as how fast one should run in the rain to keep dry and who was the greatest sportsman statistically.
Discover the mathematical explanations for the strange coincidence of two Presidents dying on July 4, the uncanny "accuracy" of horoscopes, the number of petals on a flower and seeds in an apple, and other not-so-coincidental coincidences. Eastaway and Wyndham also reveal how television ratings work, which numbers are more likely to be big winners in the lottery, and why bad things, just like buses, always seem to happen in threes. It's a fascinating journey through the logic of life where Newton's laws explain bar fights, exploding rabbit populations, and why showers always run either too hot or too cold. For the kids, the authors have devoted an entire chapter to tricks that entertain, teach, and baffle children with the magical properties of numbers. So climb aboard, take a ride, and discover the hidden mathematical code to some of life's greatest (and most irritating) questions.
You may know 2+2, but do you know . . .
Which part of a moving train is always stationary, and which part is always traveling in the reverse direction to the train itself? How understanding Pascal's triangle can keep you from being overcharged in a New York taxicab? What popular lunch food has its own theorem? Why lights are always red when you're in a hurry? Why math, not the idiot in front of you, is to blame for your being stuck in long lines at the supermarket?
 Math: It isn't all in your head . . .

Wyndham, Jeremy

wiley

Can you help me with my math homework?” If, like most parents, this question fills you with a sense of dread (or even panic), then this is the book for you.
So much for the good old days” when elementary students simply memorized their times tables and struggled through long division. Today, students are expected not just to find the right answer, but also to choose the best method for doing soand to explain why it works.
On top of that, students are learning new strategieseven for basic arithmeticthat look foreign to many parents: What are open number lines, decomposing and nets, and how do you multiply on a grid?
If your attempts to help your child are met with That’s not how the teacher does it,” then it’s time to take the stress out of math homework. Old Dogs, New Math is your guide to:
<ul>
<li>Number lines, place value and negative numbers</li>
<li>Long multiplication and division</li>
<li>Fractions, percentages and decimals</li>
<li>Shapes, symmetry and angles</li>
<li>Data analysis, probability and chance</li>
</ul>
Complete with sample questions, examples of children’s errors, and over 25 games and activities, Old Dogs, New Math will not only demystify math, but also help you and your child discover math all around youand have fun doing it!

Old Dogs, New Math: Homework Help for Puzzled Parents

The Experiment

Headscratchers: The New Scientist Puzzle Book

Hobbs, Brian

ATLANTIC BOOKS *

Can you remember the names of every player on your favourite football team, yet still manage to forget what day it is? This book reveals how your memory works, explaining cool tricks and skills that can help to train your memory to remember everything - ever!

How to Remember (Almost) Everything, Ever!

Icon Books Ltd.

Break free from the patterns of habitual thinkingand enter a new world of out-of-the-box ideas, imaginative solutions, and creative satisfaction. These 101 techniques will help you find original styles of thinking, open yourself up to new possibilities, and turn your best schemes into practical reality. Start by recognizing the boundaries we set for ourselvesrestrictions we may not even realize we’ve imposed. Choose from a wide repertoire of mind-expanding, problem-solving strategies for home, work, and leisure. Discover the value of following your intuition and thinking laterally, and see how to avoid the mid-project blues. And for some fun, there are puzzles to show you how it feels to be trapped inside that boxand make getting out even more delightful.

Out of the Box: 101 Ideas for Thinking Creatively

Duncan Baird

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