Junaid Mubeen

An accessible and enjoyable way to develop the thinking tools and techniques to understand the math of modern life. When we learn about abstract mathematical concepts—from prime numbers and fractals to aspects of calculus—the most common question is often: when on earth will I need this? To many of us, so-called "pure" mathematics is downright baffling. Yet these concepts are what underpin the world we live in, from internet security to the transmission of radio waves. When you start to think like a mathematician, the secrets of technology and modern life suddenly make sense. Junaid Mubeen regards mathematics as a collection of thinking tools that can enrich the way we approach our everyday lives. In Think Like a Mathematician, he presents a catalogue of enlightening mathematical concepts. Some will be familiar from school, but the majority are ideas that readers will not have encountered before. And anyone—from mathematicians to self-proclaimed mathophobes—can learn from them. In Mubeen's clear prose, all of these ideas are easy to grasp, and may even reshape the way you see the world.

There's so much talk about the threat posed by intelligent machines that it sometimes seems as though we should surrender to our robot overlords. But Junaid Mubeen isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. As far as he is concerned, we have the creative edge over machines, because of a remarkable system of thought that humans have developed over the millennia. It's familiar to us all, but often badly taught in schools and misrepresented in popular discourse - maths. Computers are, of course, brilliant at totting up sums, pattern-seeking and performing mindless tasks of, well, computation. For all things calculation, machines reign supreme. But Junaid identifies seven areas of intelligence where humans can retain a crucial edge. And in exploring these areas, he opens up a fascinating world where we can develop our uniquely human mathematical superpowers.