Monday, May 17, 2010

Easy as Pi, The Countless Ways We Use Numbers Every Day by Jamie Buchan

Amazon.com link for Easy As Pi
We are a people of numbers. We have phone numbers, house numbers, Social Security numbers, medical records numbers, lot numbers, and serial numbers. Even our computers and electronic devices function with numbers – you get the idea. Easy as Pi gives the read a glimpse into the world of numbers and how society uses them.
A brief summary of the divisions in Easy as Pi:
Numbers in our language – phrases using numbers explained
Numbers in Fiction – Movies, books and TV shows with numbers in the title
Numbers in Culture – gambling, Social Security, scams, etc.
Numbers in Mythology and Religion – numerology and significance of numbers in the Bible
Numbers in Math and Science – types of numbers, statistics, and oddities

This is not a mathematics instruction book. In Easy as Pi, I learned of the Piraha tribe, a small tribe in Brazil with a numbering system consisting of one, two and many – that’s all. I also learned about life without “0”, and all about Pi. Why did Ray Bradbury name his book Fahrenheit 451? Little snippets of information that help you gain insight into how important numbers are in our lives.  Books like these are a fun interaction for families.  Parents can quiz children or children can quiz their parents. 

This is another wonderful book in the Reader's Digest Series.  I have also reviewed:
I used to Know That by Caroline Taggart
A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi by Chloe Rhodes

3 comments:

  1. Sounds like a wonderful read. I own I Used to Know That and will probably read it soon!

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  2. This sounds like an interesting book. I think my husband might like it too.

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  3. Sounds fascinating. When I saw this in the bokstore I didn't think much of it but your review has me interested in it. I found your blog from the book blogger hop and have a subscription.

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