How Math Can Save Your Life: (and Make You Rich, Help You Find The One, and Avert Catastrophes)

Forget algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. Even if you've never been a whiz at math, you can save lots of money and make your life better in all kinds of ways simply by using the basic arithmetic you learned when you were in grade school. How Math Can Save Your Life shows you how. Would refinancing your house actually save you money? Which car insurance policy is the best deal? Is Internet dating worth it? This practical, thought-provoking book does the math to help you answer these and a whole host of other everyday, real-world questions. It also lets you see how to apply math to tackle all kinds of vexing issues, from the quirky (Why are women thought of as fickle while men are regarded as steadfast? What are the chances that extraterrestrials will attack the Earth?) to the philosophical (How much is a human life worth in dollars? When will the world end?).Along the way, you will learn the crucial concept of expected value, the single most useful idea in mathematics, and one that can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to you over your lifetime. You'll be able to spot common mistakes people make when using percentages or constructing a logical argument. You'll also get a fresh take on the purpose and process of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division that will give you a new respect for these math workhorses and give you a head start if you ever need to teach them to kids.So, should you spend the money to buy this book? If you let the numbers guide you, you'll do a simple risk/reward calculation and find that the answer is to head straight over to checkout. It will be worth it. You can count on it.