Thinking Better, Marcus Du Sautoy
Thinking Better, Marcus Du Sautoy
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Thinking Better
The Art of the Shortcut in Math and Life

Author: Marcus Du Sautoy

Narrator: Mark Elstob

Unabridged: 11 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 10/19/2021

Synopsis

One of the world's great mathematicians shows why math is the ultimate timesaver—and how everyone can make their lives easier with a few simple shortcuts.

We are often told that hard work is the key to success. But success isn’t about hard work – it’s about shortcuts. Shortcuts allow us to solve one problem quickly so that we can tackle an even bigger one. They make us capable of doing great things. And according to Marcus du Sautoy, math is the very art of the shortcut.

Thinking Better is a celebration of how math lets us do more with less. Du Sautoy explores how diagramming revolutionized therapy, why calculus is the greatest shortcut ever invented, whether you must really practice for ten thousand hours to become a concert violinist, and why shortcuts give us an advantage over even the most powerful AI. Throughout, we meet artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs who use mathematical shortcuts to change the world.

Delightful, illuminating, and above all practical, Thinking Better is for anyone who has wondered why you should waste time climbing the mountain when you could go around it much faster.

About Marcus du Sautoy

Marcus du Sautoy is the Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford and the bestselling author of The Music of the Primes, Symmetry, and The Great Unknown. A trumpeter and member of an experimental theater group, he has written and presented over a dozen documentaries, including The Code and The Secret Rules of Modern Living: Algorithms. He also created the codes for Lauren Child’s Ruby Redfort mysteries. He has received the Berwick Prize, the Zeeman Medal, and the Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Prize, among other honors.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Colman on January 02, 2022

It seemed to me the title was forced by the publisher, and each chapter tried to bring somewhat loosely related concepts back to the theme of shortcuts. Framing this book more as a fun overview by an excited author on why we should be amazed that even the mathematics we learn before college can solv......more

Goodreads review by Diane on October 18, 2021

Thinking Better is a history of how shortcuts have opened our eyes to better, and faster, methodologies. It advocates for outside-the-box thinking. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t contain ways to create these shortcuts for your own problems in either life or math. I’m disappointed and feel misled by......more

Goodreads review by Gonzalo on March 15, 2022

First of all, just to be clear, two stars for me means "it was OK". I don't have a mathematical mind, so I like articles or books about math for the layman which convert mathematical concepts into more visual or simply more understandable terms; this book doesn't really do that. I found many of the s......more

Goodreads review by Mireille on May 15, 2023

Alles is wiskunde?/! Een boek over logisch en sneller denken met wiskunde als basis: ga in Beter denken van Marcus du Sautoy op reis door je geheugen, taalbegrip en natuurlijk de wiskunde. Het ‘beter’ uit de titel slaat op logischer wiskundiger denken. Welke shortcuts/afsnijroutes zijn er om sneller......more

Goodreads review by Michael on December 21, 2023

As someone interested in optimizing my thinking and becoming more self-aware with respect to my biases, I went to the Big Bad Wolf sale with cognitive psychology books in mind. I knew I wouldn't be able to read 15 books in a short span of time, and so tried to be judicious with my purchases. Because......more

Quotes

“Du Sautoy is a gifted and tireless mathematical communicator with considerable range… This is a ‘greatest hits’ of mathematical ideas presented with trademark clarity and energy.”—Tim Harford, The Financial TImes

“Du Sautoy masterfully guides readers through complex math… All the while, he’s encouraging about the importance of problem-solving: ‘Mathematics is a mindset for navigating a complex world and finding the pathway to the other side.’ Math-minded readers will find much to consider.”—Publishers Weekly

“In Thinking Better, Oxford mathematician Marcus Du Sautoy pulls back the curtain to show how mathematicians think. The result is an engaging, delightful adventure through a variety of situations where mathematical thinking – in particular, the search for clever shortcuts – illuminates deeper mathematical truths. And it turns out these short cuts are incredibly useful for the rest of us too!”—David Schwartz, author of The Last Man Who Knew Everything

“If mathematics has proved anything, it is that shortcuts can change the world. Marcus du Sautoy has created a smart, well-written and entertaining guide to the connecting tunnels, underpasses and other tricks we can use to traverse the trials of everyday life.” —Roger Highfield, journalist and author of The Dance of Life

“This is a book about shortcuts that takes no shortcut. It is chock-full of thought-provoking examples, ranging from the mathematical to the sociological.”—Melissa Franklin, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics, Harvard University

“Marcus du Sautoy compellingly answers the age-old plaint 'When am I going to use this?' with a wide-ranging tour of the real uses of mathematically-flavored thinking, in domains from the stock market to psychotherapy to modern sculpture."—Jordan Ellenberg, New York Times-bestselling author of Shape

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