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.