Dimensions
145 x 224 x 23mm
The human imagination seems able to explore two very different worlds: the realm of mathematics, statistics and exact science, and the contrasting world of personal experience, our memories and emotions, the complex stories that make up a life. This delightful and original book explores the unexpected relationships that tie these two worlds together. What are the benefits and pitfalls of applying mathematical reasoning to stories and everyday life? How can we close the gap between meaning and information, narrative and logic? How can literary discussions of perspectives, scenarios and archetypes be combined with scientific talk of objectivity, definitive outcomes and universal truths? With anecdotes and witty observations about such phenomena as Bible codes, the statistics of stereotyping, and the probability of retrieving lost socks, John Allen Paulos examines these issues in his familiar engaging style. The result is a thought-provoking and surprising book from one of the world's great Omathematical storytellers.
