Vaclav Smil is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. He has written nearly forty books on subjects ranging from energy to environmental and population change, food production and nutrition, technical innovation, risk assessment, and public policy. No other living scientist has had more books evaluated in Nature (on a wide range of topics). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and was named one of Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2010.

The book is An essential examination of the current science and technology that enable our existence in the twenty-first century—a scientist's research of what science truly does and does not accomplish.

We've never had so much knowledge at our fingertips, but most of us still don't understand how the world works. How the World Really Works reveals seven key realities that determine our survival and prosperity. From energy and food production to hazards, our environment, and our future, How the World Really Works provides a much-needed reality check—because understanding the facts is essential before we can confront problems effectively.

In this ambitious and thought-provoking book, you see, for example, that globalization isn't inevitable—the folly of allowing 70% of the world's rubber gloves to be made in just one factory became obvious in 2020—and that our societies' reliance on fossil fuels has steadily increased, such that any promises of decarbonization by 2050 are a fairy tale. For example, each greenhouse-grown supermarket-bought tomato contains the equivalent of five tablespoons of diesel, and there is no way to produce steel, cement, or polymers at required scales without massive carbon emissions.

Finally, Smil answers the most profound question of our time: are we doomed or is there hope for a better future? This fascinating, data-rich, and revisionist interdisciplinary handbook finds flaws in both extremes. Looking at the world via this quantitative lens exposes hidden realities that alter our perceptions of the past, present, and unknown future.

Author: Vaclav Smil

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/How-World-Really-Works-Science/dp/0593297067/

Ratings: 4.4 out of 5 stars (from 456 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #475 in Books

#1 in Probability & Statistics (Books)

#7 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)

#7 in Public Affairs & Policy Politics Books

Steven D. Levitt, an economics professor at the University of Chicago, received the John Bates Clark Medal, which is granted to the most important American economist under the age of forty. He is also the founder of The Greatest Good, a non-profit organization that brings Freakonomics-style thinking to business and philanthropy.

Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning journalist, radio and television personality, and author of three non-Freakonomics books. He is the host of the Freakonomics Radio show and the Tell Me Something I Don't Know podcast.

The iconic bestseller that changed millions of people's perspectives on the world comes in a new edition, complete with an exclusive discussion between the authors and bestselling professor of psychology Angela Duckworth. Freakonomics Revised and Expanded Edition is exactly among the best books on applied mathematics. The book is described by Entertainment Weekly as "the funkiest study of statistical mechanics ever by a world-renowned economist..."

Is a gun or a swimming pool more dangerous? Which is more terrifying: snakes or french fries? What makes sumo wrestlers cheat? Leading economist Steven Levitt—Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and recipient of the American Economic Association's John Bates Clark prize for the economist under 40 who has made the greatest contribution to the discipline—reveals in this revolutionary book that the solutions. With the help of famed author and podcast presenter Stephen J. Dubner, Levitt delivers a brilliant—and stunningly entertaining—explanation of how hidden incentives drive behavior in ways that throw conventional thinking on its head.

Author: Steven D. LevittStephen J. Dubner

Link to buy:

https://www.amazon.com/Freakonomics-Revised-Expanded-Economist-Everything/dp/0063032376/

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 3148 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #1,191 in Books

#1 in Theory of Economics

#3 in Probability & Statistics (Books)

#6 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences

Dan Allbaugh is an award-winning author, husband, and father of two energetic and playful sons, whose shared love of games inspires his writing.

Another Logic Workbook for Gritty Kids is the sequel to the international best-seller Logic Workbook for Gritty Kids. The general difficulty level has risen significantly, but the book's flow and personality remain distinctive while providing a vast array of new problems.

Through grit building challenges, visually appealing puzzles and games engage children in purposeful problem solving and STEM skill development. A wide range of learners will be captivated by the astonishing diversity of new and original content, which includes over 200 developmentally appropriate activities grouped by subject.

• Spatial Reasoning
• Math Puzzles
• Logic Problems
• Word Games
• Focus Activities
• Two-Player Games

Each segment has a modest floor but a high ceiling as the challenge of the puzzles increases, exciting children and motivating further engagement.

The Gritty Little Lamb, the 2021 Reader's Favorite gold medal winner for best children's picture book, delivers personality while also providing inspiration and encouragement in spirited rhyme as kids work through meaningful activities to build essential problem solving and critical thinking skills fundamental to all curriculum.

Answers are supplied in the back of the book, as well as a certificate of achievement that can be awarded upon completion. 13 two-player pencil and paper games promote immediate application of learnt skills and establish the groundwork for continuous fun and progress when the book is finished.

Another Logic Workbook for Gritty Kids is unrivaled in terms of activities to grow or entertain. The comprehensive content is best suited for children aged 8 to 12, although several puzzles and activities are enjoyable for parents and children of all ages, making this book a terrific family buy.

Author: Dan Allbaugh

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Another-Logic-Workbook-Gritty-Kids/dp/173577085X/

Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars (from 15 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #1,679 in Books

#1 in Linear Programming (Books)

#1 in Children's Engineering Books

#2 in Mathematical Logic

William J. Cook is a combinatorics and optimization professor at the University of Waterloo. He cowrote The Traveling Salesman Problem: A Computational Study (Princeton). In Pursuit of the Traveling Salesman by William J. Cook tells the story of one of mathematics' most difficult unresolved problems.

What is the quickest possible route for a traveling salesman who wants to visit each location on a list once and then return to his starting point? The traveling salesman problem appears easy enough, yet it is one of the most actively studied issues in practical mathematics, and it has eluded solution to this day. In this book, William Cook takes readers on a mathematical journey, beginning in the 1800s, when Irish mathematician W. R. Hamilton first defined the problem, and ending at the cutting edge of today's state-of-the-art attempts to solve it. He also investigates its several essential uses, which range from genome sequencing and computer chip design to music composition and planet searching.

In Pursuit of the Traveling Salesman takes you to the edge of your understanding of the nature of complexity and dares you to solve this enthralling mathematical puzzle. The technical specifics are given precisely, but the basic mathematical concepts are conveyed in an informal manner so that readers without a strong mathematical background can understand the story as well.... The book is filled with examples, real-world applications, and historical events, making it a joy to read.

Author: William J. Cook

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691163529

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 48 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #376,914 in Books

#49 in Graph Theory (Books)

#183 in Mathematical Analysis (Books)

#214 in Math Games

Ian Stewart is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick and an active researcher. He also visits the University of Houston, the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications in Minneapolis, and the Santa Fe Institute on a regular basis. His work has appeared in New Scientist, Discover, Scientific American, and other publications in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Most people are familiar with the famous equations of history, such as Newton's Law of Gravity or Einstein's Theory of Relativity. However, the impact of these mathematical advances on human progress is hardly recognized. In Pursuit of the Unknown, renowned mathematician Ian Stewart untangles the foundations of our most important mathematical claims, demonstrating that equations have long been a driving force behind practically every aspect of our existence.

Stewart shows how mathematical discoveries enabled many of the advances we now take for granted, including the Wave Equation, which allowed engineers to measure a building's response to earthquakes, saving countless lives, and the Black-Scholes model, which bankers use to track the price of financial derivatives over time.

In Pursuit of the Unknown is a perceptive exploration of how we have used equations to make sense of, and thus influence, our world. It is an approachable, lively, and informative guide to the mathematical building blocks of modern life.

Author: Ian Stewart

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465085989

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 455 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #170,974 in Books

#30 in Waves & Wave Mechanics (Books)

#66 in Computing Industry History

#84 in Calculus (Books)

Vaclav Smil is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. He has written nearly forty books, including How the World Really Works, on issues such as energy, environmental and population change, food production and nutrition, technical innovation, risk assessment, and public policy. He is a member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Numbers Don't Lie is a vital guide to understanding how statistics reflect the true state of our world, from the author of How the World Really Works, and covers a wide range of themes such as energy, the environment, technology, transportation, and food production.

The objective of Vaclav Smil is to make facts matter. He is Bill Gates' go-to guy for making sense of our world as an environmental scientist, policy analyst, and prolific author. Smil answers questions like, "Which is worse for the environment, your automobile or your phone?" in Numbers Don't Lie. How much do cows weigh around the world (and why does it matter)? And what causes people to be happy?

Vaclav Smil takes us on a fact-finding adventure in Numbers Don't Lie, using surprising statistics and illuminating graphs to challenge conventional thinking. From data about our societies and populations to measurements of the fuels and foods that energize them, to the impact of transportation and inventions in our modern world—and how all of this affects the planet itself. Numbers Don't Lie reveals how the United States is leading a rising global trend in chicken consumption, why immunization offers the best return on investment, and why electric cars aren't as amazing as we assume (yet). Among the best books on applied mathematics, Numbers Don't Lie inspires readers to question what they believe to be true by combining science, history, and wit in bite-sized chapters on a wide range of themes.

Author: Vaclav Smil

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Numbers-Dont-Lie-Stories-Understand/dp/0143136224/

Ratings: 4.3 out of 5 stars (from 1063 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #5,393 in Books

#7 in Probability & Statistics (Books)

#33 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)

#47 in Public Affairs & Policy Politics Books

Darrell Huff was an American writer best known as the author of the best-selling statistics book of the second half of the twentieth century, How to Lie with Statistics (1954).

In How to Lie with Statistics, Darrell Huff states, "There is terror in numbers". And nowhere is this anxiety more manifested as mindless acceptance of authority than in the perilous realm of averages, correlations, graphs, and trends. With this slim volume, first published in 1954, Huff hoped to break through "the daze that follows the collision of statistics with the human mind". How to Lie with Statistics is still pertinent as a wake-up call for people who aren't used to scrutinizing the never-ending flow of figures coming from Wall Street, Madison Avenue, and anywhere else someone has an axe to grind, a point to make, or a product to sell. "The secret language of statistics, so appealing in a fact-minded culture, is employed to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify," warns Huff.

Although many of the instances in the book are delightfully old, the warnings are timeless. Statistics are filled with potential for misapplication, from "gee-whiz graphs" that give nonexistent drama to trends, to "results" divorced from their technique and meaning, to statistics' ultimate stumbling block—faulty cause-and-effect thinking. Huff's tone is tolerant and amusing, but firm. He expects you to learn something helpful from the book and start applying it every day, much like a stern father. He begs himself not to be a sucker again!

Even if you can't discover a source of demonstrable bias, be skeptical of the results as long as there is a possibility of bias someplace. There is always something.

Read How to Lie with Statistics for more information. You'll remember its straightforward principles whether you meet statistics at work, school, or in advertising. Huff begs us not to be terrified by numbers. "The fact is that, despite its mathematical base, statistics is as much an art as it is a science."---Therese Littleton

Author: Darrell Huff

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0393310728/

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 2690 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #7,323 in Books

#2 in Business Statistics

#7 in Statistics (Books)

#8 in Probability & Statistics (Books)

Cathy O'Neil is a data scientist and blogger at mathbabe.org. She received her Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard and taught at Barnard College before moving to the private sector and working for the hedge fund D. E. Shaw. She later worked as a data scientist at several start-ups, developing models to anticipate people's purchases and clicks. O'Neil founded Columbia's Lede Program in Data Journalism and is the author of Doing Data Science.

We live in the algorithm era. Decisions that affect our lives—where we go to school, whether we can obtain a job or a loan, how much we pay for health insurance—are increasingly being decided by machines rather than humans. In theory, this should lead to more fairness because everyone is judged by the same set of norms.

However, as mathematician and data scientist Cathy O'Neil demonstrates, today's mathematical models are unregulated and uncontestable, even when they are incorrect. Worryingly, they encourage discrimination by rewarding the fortunate, punishing the oppressed, and undermining our democracy in the process. Hello and welcome to the dark side of Big Data presented in Weapons of Math Destruction.

Among the best books on applied mathematics, O'Neil's book provides a terrifying glimpse into how algorithms are increasingly regulating people... Her understanding of the strength and risks of mathematical models, combined with a flair for analogy, makes her one of the most valuable observers of big data's ongoing weaponization. She does an excellent job of demonstrating the pervasiveness and dangers of the algorithms that govern our life.

Author: Cathy O'Neil

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Weapons-Math-Destruction-Increases-Inequality/dp/0553418831/

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 2886 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #8,091 in Books

#3 in Privacy & Surveillance in Society

#5 in Business Statistics

#5 in Data Processing

Charles Wheelan is the best-selling author of Naked Statistics and Naked Economics and a former Economist correspondent. He is a Dartmouth College professor of public policy and economics.

Statistics, often seen to be monotonous, is swiftly transforming into a discipline that Hal Varian, Google's senior economist, has actually called "sexy." The real-world use of statistics continues to expand by leaps and bounds, from batting averages and political polls to game shows and medical studies. How do we identify schools that cheat on standardized tests? How does Netflix know which films you'll enjoy? What is causing the increase in autism cases? As best-selling author Charles Wheelan demonstrates in Naked Statistics, the correct data and a few well-chosen statistical methods can assist us in answering these and other issues.

Naked Statistics is a lifeline for people who slept through Stats 101. Wheelan cuts through the jargon and technical jargon to get to the basic intuition that drives statistical analysis. He explains fundamental concepts like inference, correlation, and regression analysis, highlights how biased or negligent parties can distort or misrepresent data, and demonstrates how clever and imaginative academics are using great data from natural experiments to answer difficult questions.

And there isn't a dull page in sight, in Wheelan's trademark style. You'll come across savvy Schlitz Beer marketers utilizing simple probability, an International Sausage Festival revealing the tenets of the central limit theorem, and a mind-boggling choice from the popular game show Let's Make a Deal, and you'll leave with insights each time. Wheelan overcomes the odds once more by bringing to life another crucial, previously unglamorous discipline with the wit, accessibility, and simple enjoyment that made Naked Economics a bestseller.

Author: Charles Wheelan

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Naked-Statistics-Stripping-Dread-Data/dp/039334777X/

Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 2153 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #9,127 in Books

#1 in Statistics (Books)

#6 in Business Statistics

Deborah J. Rumsey, PhD, is a statistics professor and statistics education specialist at The Ohio State University. Statistics Workbook For Dummies, Statistics II For Dummies, and Probability For Dummies are her books.

Statistics got you down? No fear? This user-friendly reference provides straightforward, practical explanations of statistical theories, procedures, formulas, and calculations, as well as numerous examples that demonstrate how these concepts apply in everyday life.

Statistics For Dummies teaches you how to understand and criticize graphs and charts, calculate the odds using probability, guess with confidence using confidence intervals, set up and run a hypothesis test, compute statistical formulas, and much more.

• Tracks that correspond to a typical first semester statistics course
• Updated examples are appealing to today's kids.
• Explanations are consistent with instructional methods and classroom practice.

Among the best books on applied mathematics, Statistics For Dummies is jam-packed with practical advice and real-world exercises that will teach you how to evaluate and understand data for better classroom or on-the-job success.

Inside:

• Plain-English definitions
• Understanding and critiquing polls
• Information on organizing data
• Explanations of random variables
• Facts about the Central Limit Theorem
• Data analysis tools

Author: Deborah J. Rumsey

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Statistics-Dummies-Math-Science/dp/1119293529/

Ratings: 4.3 out of 5 stars (from 1556 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #9,779 in Books

#2 in Statistics (Books)

#13 in Probability & Statistics (Books)