About the book
#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
AN ADAM SAVAGE BOOK CLUB PICK
The book-length answer to anyone who ever put their hand up in math class and asked, “When am I ever going to use this in the real world?”
“Fun, informative, and relentlessly entertaining, Humble Pi is a charming and very readable guide to some of humanity's all-time greatest miscalculations—that also gives you permission to feel a little better about some of your own mistakes.” —Ryan North, author of How to Invent Everything
Our whole world is built on math, from the code running a website to the equations enabling the design of skyscrapers and bridges. Most of the time this math works quietly behind the scenes . . . until it doesn’t. All sorts of seemingly innocuous mathematical mistakes can have significant consequences.
Math is easy to ignore until a misplaced decimal point upends the stock market, a unit conversion error causes a plane to crash, or someone divides by zero and stalls a battleship in the middle of the ocean.
Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near misses, and mathematical mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman Empire, and an Olympic team, Matt Parker uncovers the bizarre ways math trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Getting it wrong has never been more fun.
Editions of Humble Pi
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780593084687
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780593084694
- EBook
- ISBN 9780593084700
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780593166864
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780593166871
Read an Excerpt
#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
AN ADAM SAVAGE BOOK CLUB PICK
The book-length answer to anyone who ever put their hand up in math class and asked, “When am I ever going to use this in the real world?”
“Fun, informative, and relentlessly entertaining, Humble Pi is a charming and very readable guide to some of humanity's all-time greatest miscalculations—that also gives you permission to feel a little better about some of your own mistakes.” —Ryan North, author of How to Invent Everything
Our whole world is built on math, from the code running a website to the equations enabling the design of skyscrapers and bridges. Most of the time this math works quietly behind the scenes . . . until it doesn’t. All sorts of seemingly innocuous mathematical mistakes can have significant consequences.
Math is easy to ignore until a misplaced decimal point upends the stock market, a unit conversion error causes a plane to crash, or someone divides by zero and stalls a battleship in the middle of the ocean.
Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near misses, and mathematical mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman Empire, and an Olympic team, Matt Parker uncovers the bizarre ways math trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Getting it wrong has never been more fun.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Humble Pi about?
#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
AN ADAM SAVAGE BOOK CLUB PICK
The book-length answer to anyone who ever put their hand up in math class and asked, “When am I ever going to use this in the real world?”
“Fun, informative, and relentlessly entertaining, Humble Pi is a charming and very readable guide to some of humanity's all-time greatest miscalculations—that also gives you permission to feel a little better about some of your own mistakes.” —Ryan North, author of How to Invent Everything
Our whole world is built on math, from the code running a website to the equations enabling the design of skyscrapers and bridges. Most of the time this math works quietly behind the scenes . . . until it doesn’t. All sorts of seemingly innocuous mathematical mistakes can have significant consequences.
Math is easy to ignore until a misplaced decimal point upends the stock market, a unit conversion error causes a plane to crash, or someone divides by zero and stalls a battleship in the middle of the ocean.
Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near misses, and mathematical mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman Empire, and an Olympic team, Matt Parker uncovers the bizarre ways math trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Getting it wrong has never been more fun.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Humble Pi?
Mathematics and Science > Mathematics > Applied mathematics
Where can I read a sample of Humble Pi?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780593084687
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Humble Pi?
Matt Parker
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Humble Pi is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780593084687) and paperback(ISBN 9780593084694) and ebook(ISBN 9780593084700) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780593166864) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780593166871)
Where can I buy Humble Pi online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Humble Pi from below
Where can I buy Humble Pi?