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The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
Kiss My Math meets A Tour of the Calculus Jennifer Ouellette never took math in college, mostly because she-like most people-assumed that she wouldn't need it in real life. But then the English-major-turned-award-winning-science-writer had a change of heart and decided to revisit the equations and formulas that had haunted her for years. The Calculus Diaries is the fun and fascinating account of her year spent confronting her math phobia head on. With wit and verve, Ouellette shows how she learned to apply calculus to everything from gas mileage to dieting, from the rides at Disneyland to shooting craps in Vegas-proving that even the mathematically challenged can learn the fundamentals of the universal language.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2010
99 people are currently reading
1087 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Ouellette
8 books66 followersJennifer Ouellette is the author of The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse, due out August 31, 2010. She is also the author of The Physics of the Buffyverse (2007) and Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics (2006), both published by Penguin. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Discover, New Scientist, Salon, Symmetry, Nature, and Physics Today, among other venues. She blogs at Discovery News, and maintains the group science blog Cocktail Party Physics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
January 21, 2015
This book is well written and many of her stories are enjoyable, but on the whole it was a disappointment.
I loved math as a teenager. I would stay after school with a couple friends to do impromptu math competitions. When I got to college, I initially planned to major in math. But after my third semester of calculus, when I received a grade of “satisfactory” rather than what I was used to, I changed my major to French. I had loved algebra – I just “got it”. And geometry, though it wasn't quite as much fun, made sense to me. But calculus just didn't make sense. I could memorize the formulas and rules and solve most of the problems, but I didn't get it in my gut. I've always regretted that failure.
So I jumped at this book, hoping it might give me a chance to redeem myself. Ms. Ouellette did not explain calculus in a way that made me understand it well. I did not have that “mimetic” moment I was so hoping for.
To be fair, that was not the author's objective. Rather, she sought to demonstrate how calculus could be used in ordinary life situations. The CBS TV series “Numb3rs” tried to do the same thing (if you can call FBI investigations ordinary life). Neither one of them achieved that objective, although at least the TV show made advanced math and science seem a little bit sexy. After all, no one is going to pause their surfing fun to calculate the wave's rate of change, or delay getting on the roller coaster to first determine it's velocity. Maybe Charlie Epps would use calculus to fight a traffic ticket, but I hardly think that's realistic, much less common. As for the “zombie apocalypse”, well, I enjoyed the lesson in epidemiology, but … come on!
Okay, maybe her objective was simply to use real life situations, that we math dummies could understand, to explain how calculus worked. Even that I think was less than successful. I suspect that calculus is something you have to keep working at, in situations where you really do need to use it (e.g. science or statistics), until it either makes sense or becomes so habitual that it doesn't matter.
I don't regret reading this book, or even buying it, but I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone who didn't already understand calculus and might enjoy the offbeat approach to math.
[Review August 3, 2011]
I loved math as a teenager. I would stay after school with a couple friends to do impromptu math competitions. When I got to college, I initially planned to major in math. But after my third semester of calculus, when I received a grade of “satisfactory” rather than what I was used to, I changed my major to French. I had loved algebra – I just “got it”. And geometry, though it wasn't quite as much fun, made sense to me. But calculus just didn't make sense. I could memorize the formulas and rules and solve most of the problems, but I didn't get it in my gut. I've always regretted that failure.
So I jumped at this book, hoping it might give me a chance to redeem myself. Ms. Ouellette did not explain calculus in a way that made me understand it well. I did not have that “mimetic” moment I was so hoping for.
To be fair, that was not the author's objective. Rather, she sought to demonstrate how calculus could be used in ordinary life situations. The CBS TV series “Numb3rs” tried to do the same thing (if you can call FBI investigations ordinary life). Neither one of them achieved that objective, although at least the TV show made advanced math and science seem a little bit sexy. After all, no one is going to pause their surfing fun to calculate the wave's rate of change, or delay getting on the roller coaster to first determine it's velocity. Maybe Charlie Epps would use calculus to fight a traffic ticket, but I hardly think that's realistic, much less common. As for the “zombie apocalypse”, well, I enjoyed the lesson in epidemiology, but … come on!
Okay, maybe her objective was simply to use real life situations, that we math dummies could understand, to explain how calculus worked. Even that I think was less than successful. I suspect that calculus is something you have to keep working at, in situations where you really do need to use it (e.g. science or statistics), until it either makes sense or becomes so habitual that it doesn't matter.
I don't regret reading this book, or even buying it, but I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone who didn't already understand calculus and might enjoy the offbeat approach to math.
[Review August 3, 2011]
September 11, 2010
So OK I'm not the intended audience for this book and that's the major reason I'm stopping reading it. I also found the first chapters pretty awesome and then it kind of degraded. I read over 1/2 of it and I started feeling like it was padded a bit with just lists of things that have nothing to do with calculus or really math at all.
The killer item was just a basic "fact" that was tossed it, again for no reason, that was no fact at all and the skeptic in me was really let down and I have to stop now. Just for the record a vomitorium is not a place where Romans go to yak. It's a type of hallway in large venue designed to help clear the venue. A very simple web search was all that was required to get this right.
The killer item was just a basic "fact" that was tossed it, again for no reason, that was no fact at all and the skeptic in me was really let down and I have to stop now. Just for the record a vomitorium is not a place where Romans go to yak. It's a type of hallway in large venue designed to help clear the venue. A very simple web search was all that was required to get this right.
July 15, 2011
What this book is not:
1) A diary of the author's attempt to overcome her fear and loathing of calculus (save for the introduction and the epilogue).
2) An introduction to calculus.
What this book is:
1) A list of applications for calculus not unlike Week One of a calculus syllabus or the introduction to a calculus textbook.
2) A collection of anecdotes and facts about major figures (and some often overlooked figures and a couple of contemporary interviewees) throughout the history of calculus and physics, plus illustrative events to which calculus could have/should have/had been applied (like the tulip bubble market).
I think I was not the audience for the book, despite the catchy title, the charm of the author's writing style and our shared love of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. (I do think I'd like Ouellette's science articles and may end up checking out her other books.) I've already taken calculus and am aware of the variety of practical applications; I just really, really didn't grasp the concepts. So a book that gives only a quick and basic explanation of what a derivative is and then spends nearly 300 pages showing all the things a derivative could be used to find... was more frustrating than illuminating. Especially when the author in the introduction admits that The Complete Idiot's Guide to Calculus was too difficult for her initially and then unironically recommends it in the Appendix for anyone who wants to actually learn any math. This discovery resulted in some flailing around on my part, which led to putting down the book for a couple months before I decided to just power through it anyway, even if I didn't really get the calculus itself.
Also, the sine and cosine illustrations? Don't match up correctly. Not helpful, no matter how cute the little sine surfer dude is! (I mainly noticed because waves are the part of physics I'm most comfortable with -- I spent a whole semester on The Physics of Sound in college.) Bad illustrator, no biscuit.
1) A diary of the author's attempt to overcome her fear and loathing of calculus (save for the introduction and the epilogue).
2) An introduction to calculus.
What this book is:
1) A list of applications for calculus not unlike Week One of a calculus syllabus or the introduction to a calculus textbook.
2) A collection of anecdotes and facts about major figures (and some often overlooked figures and a couple of contemporary interviewees) throughout the history of calculus and physics, plus illustrative events to which calculus could have/should have/had been applied (like the tulip bubble market).
I think I was not the audience for the book, despite the catchy title, the charm of the author's writing style and our shared love of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. (I do think I'd like Ouellette's science articles and may end up checking out her other books.) I've already taken calculus and am aware of the variety of practical applications; I just really, really didn't grasp the concepts. So a book that gives only a quick and basic explanation of what a derivative is and then spends nearly 300 pages showing all the things a derivative could be used to find... was more frustrating than illuminating. Especially when the author in the introduction admits that The Complete Idiot's Guide to Calculus was too difficult for her initially and then unironically recommends it in the Appendix for anyone who wants to actually learn any math. This discovery resulted in some flailing around on my part, which led to putting down the book for a couple months before I decided to just power through it anyway, even if I didn't really get the calculus itself.
Also, the sine and cosine illustrations? Don't match up correctly. Not helpful, no matter how cute the little sine surfer dude is! (I mainly noticed because waves are the part of physics I'm most comfortable with -- I spent a whole semester on The Physics of Sound in college.) Bad illustrator, no biscuit.
January 15, 2024
هذا الكتاب من أروع الكتب الذي قرأته في مجال الرياضيات للعموم (أي مستهدف للذين لا يعرفون الكثير عن الرياضيات). الكاتبة "جينفر اوليت" ليست نفسها عالمة رياضيات، و لكنها صحفية تكتب عن مجالات علمية، و خاصة عن الفيزياء. في هذا الكتاب، "جينفر" تقوم بشرح أفكار في مجال التحليل الرياضي (حساب التفاضل و التكامل) باستخدام أمثلة من الواقع. ما يجعل هذا الكتاب رائعاً بالنسبة لي هو أن الكاتبة لديها أسلوب في الكتابة يسهل على القارئ فهم الأفكار و يجد فيه نوع من المتعة. فعلاً الكتاب ليس مجرد معلومات، بل فيه روح الدعابة و التسلية. يستحق قرأته مرات أخرة
May 18, 2011
"We all use Math everyday"
The Good: This book is great in that in answers the question, "When are you ever going to use this?" Ouellette presents numerous examples of how Calculus impacts all of our lives. Everything from amusement parks, to rates of (zombie) infections, surfing and driving falls within the realm of calculus. She does a great job in this regard. The epilogue truly explains what her purpose was in writing this book. The point of the book is not to teach you how to do calculus, but rather, to help make connections to real-life phenomena that involve math.
The Bad: Chapter 7: Body Heat. To me, this was the weakness chapter in the book. This chapter is ostensibly about the calculus of losing weight and exercise. However, Ouellette does very little actual math. She spends the bulk of the chapter talking about the connection between exercise and generating power (i.e. using treadmills to create electricity). While this is interesting, she fails to bring it back to math.
Overall: This book is not intended to teach you math, but to make you interested in learning math. The Calculus Diaries is a primer for people who were intimated by math because they did not realize how it plays into their lives.
4/5 Stars
The Good: This book is great in that in answers the question, "When are you ever going to use this?" Ouellette presents numerous examples of how Calculus impacts all of our lives. Everything from amusement parks, to rates of (zombie) infections, surfing and driving falls within the realm of calculus. She does a great job in this regard. The epilogue truly explains what her purpose was in writing this book. The point of the book is not to teach you how to do calculus, but rather, to help make connections to real-life phenomena that involve math.
The Bad: Chapter 7: Body Heat. To me, this was the weakness chapter in the book. This chapter is ostensibly about the calculus of losing weight and exercise. However, Ouellette does very little actual math. She spends the bulk of the chapter talking about the connection between exercise and generating power (i.e. using treadmills to create electricity). While this is interesting, she fails to bring it back to math.
Overall: This book is not intended to teach you math, but to make you interested in learning math. The Calculus Diaries is a primer for people who were intimated by math because they did not realize how it plays into their lives.
4/5 Stars
July 28, 2011
I like and agree with Danica McKeller's comment on this book: "This is a great primer for anyone who needs to get over their heebie-jeebies about an upcoming calculus class, or for anyone who's ever wondered how calculus fits into everyday life and wants to be entertained, too!"
This isn't a math treatise, it's a not a textbook, so it's not going to satisfy the mathie in you (if one exists in you). At first I thought, "This would make more sense with some symbols and written as a proof," but I eventually got used to the light mathematical discussions and found all the details (some may feel tangents) she explores to be really interesting. If you want to learn some historical context surrounding calculus, get a glimpse at the myriad of interesting subjects that use calculus (whether through mathematical calculations or natural occurences of rates of change), and have a very small introduction to the mathematics of calculus (or if you're my friend and you just want to learn a little more about why I love calculus) - this is a fun and recommended read.
This isn't a math treatise, it's a not a textbook, so it's not going to satisfy the mathie in you (if one exists in you). At first I thought, "This would make more sense with some symbols and written as a proof," but I eventually got used to the light mathematical discussions and found all the details (some may feel tangents) she explores to be really interesting. If you want to learn some historical context surrounding calculus, get a glimpse at the myriad of interesting subjects that use calculus (whether through mathematical calculations or natural occurences of rates of change), and have a very small introduction to the mathematics of calculus (or if you're my friend and you just want to learn a little more about why I love calculus) - this is a fun and recommended read.
January 24, 2011
This book was geared more toward someone without a lot of calculus background, as a sort of preparatory primer. It answers the inevitable question of "When will I ever use this?" asked by so many students who aren't spellbound by the math for its own sake.
The trouble is, I *am* spellbound by the math for its own sake, and so I wound up very disappointed that there was hardly any actual calculus in the book at all. What little there is, is stuffed into the Appendices, and is only the absolute basics.
I did enjoy reading about some of the various real-world (if you can count 'zombie apocalypse' as real-world) applications of calculus, and the historical background of some of the major players was also very interesting. I definitely am glad that I read it, but I still couldn't help wishing that there had been more actual math included throughout rather than as an afterthought.
The trouble is, I *am* spellbound by the math for its own sake, and so I wound up very disappointed that there was hardly any actual calculus in the book at all. What little there is, is stuffed into the Appendices, and is only the absolute basics.
I did enjoy reading about some of the various real-world (if you can count 'zombie apocalypse' as real-world) applications of calculus, and the historical background of some of the major players was also very interesting. I definitely am glad that I read it, but I still couldn't help wishing that there had been more actual math included throughout rather than as an afterthought.
July 29, 2011
Not much math in this book. Actually less than in "Numb3rs" TV Series, which "demonstrates the relevance of mathematics better than any pedagogical method that [the author has] yet encountered." ?!?
Mostly (pleasantly written) stories and anecdotes fine for a newspaper or a blog but that don't justify making a book out of them.
There is however a good simplified introduction on Fourier transform.
Mostly (pleasantly written) stories and anecdotes fine for a newspaper or a blog but that don't justify making a book out of them.
There is however a good simplified introduction on Fourier transform.
March 28, 2017
Surprising in a bad way. The start was interesting, the way calculus was applied to the road-trip delightful to read. However the initial interest and explanations faded to a dull listing of other applications, without the same intriguing aspects. Although I finished the book, the end was a strain. In addition, mistakes made me question the effort put into the production of this book.
Examples:
page 179, Body Heat, 270 "food calories" (or kcal) should definitely be 270,000 calories, NOT as the book writes 27,000.
page 251, The Mimetics of Math, the url (lerhaus.org) has been improperly formatted as text, resulting in being split, hyphenated and the result not being a useful url.
This list is not exhaustive (as I found out reading other reviews here) but it was enough to unsettle me, question author, editor and publisher. It may be enough to read the start and decide for yourself, what you feel about it.
Examples:
page 179, Body Heat, 270 "food calories" (or kcal) should definitely be 270,000 calories, NOT as the book writes 27,000.
page 251, The Mimetics of Math, the url (lerhaus.org) has been improperly formatted as text, resulting in being split, hyphenated and the result not being a useful url.
This list is not exhaustive (as I found out reading other reviews here) but it was enough to unsettle me, question author, editor and publisher. It may be enough to read the start and decide for yourself, what you feel about it.
January 7, 2023
3.5 stars. This was a reread for me. I didn't enjoy it as much this time. Last time it was 4 stars. I also read right before bed and it often put me to sleep right away. Which is the true purpose of nonfiction books, at night. The author takes a unique approach to explaining calculus. She finds calculus in everyday things (or contrived things) and then shows how calculus applies to the situation and how you can use it to understand the underlying principles. This style of calculus explanation actually doesn't work as well for me as just the old school here is how calculus works. I think now that I am teaching calculus the traditional approach rings more true. I hadn't done calculus in decades the last time I read the book and that probably influenced how much I enjoyed it. I recently read Infinite Powers another book about Calculus and I definitely enjoyed it more than the Calculus Diares.
September 27, 2011
Popular maths is a pig to write - much harder than the rest of popular science. Unless you are dealing with one of the glamorous aspects like infinity or Fermat's last theorem, there are two big problems in grabbing a reader's attention. One is that the maths itself can be more than a little impenetrable, and the other is that the applications (if there are any) can seem more like mental doodling than telling us something mind blowing about reality, as is the case with something like physics.
Jennifer Ouellette sets out to address both these problems in a very personal take on calculus and its importance to us. She is a self-admitted fearer of calculus, an English graduate for whom it was once all a mystery - but with help from her physicist husband, she sets out to tame this powerful mathematical tool.
It's a recipe for a really enjoyable book, and it kind of works. Ouellette takes us on a very personal journey, so there's a lot about her and her husband and their adventures that, if I'm honest I wasn't really particularly interested in. This may be a personal failing - I'm interested in mathematicians and their lives, but I don't really want to know about Ouellette and partner's attempts in a casino or how they pass on little messages to each other at home on a whiteboard. Still, it's certainly true that the approach takes away some of the impersonal scariness of mathematics.
When it comes down to the calculus itself, I was in a bit of a quandary. It is a hugely important tool that scientists and engineers resort to all the time - but the actual doing of it is, frankly, a bit tedious and I found the practical working of the maths side of the book both a little dull and also surprisingly opaque - I think I understand calculus, but some of the explanations of its use I found difficult to follow.
It's interesting that the bit of the book I enjoyed most, dealing with the application of maths to gambling, really didn't have much to do with calculus at all - it was more about probability. This was good fun and instructive for those who feel they might like a flutter in a casino. In fact there were several chapters where calculus really only got a passing mention, and some were among the better parts of the contents.
Overall there's plenty going on here. You'll visit a green gym, find out about calculating the stresses on arches in buildings, explore the maths of personal finance and of surfing. Oh yes, and you'll find out about the way zombies (and other plagues) can spread. Altogether too much about zombies, in fact. Yet it just didn't quite work for me. I wanted to love it, but failed in the attempt.
Originally published on www.popularscience.co.uk (reproduced with permission)
Jennifer Ouellette sets out to address both these problems in a very personal take on calculus and its importance to us. She is a self-admitted fearer of calculus, an English graduate for whom it was once all a mystery - but with help from her physicist husband, she sets out to tame this powerful mathematical tool.
It's a recipe for a really enjoyable book, and it kind of works. Ouellette takes us on a very personal journey, so there's a lot about her and her husband and their adventures that, if I'm honest I wasn't really particularly interested in. This may be a personal failing - I'm interested in mathematicians and their lives, but I don't really want to know about Ouellette and partner's attempts in a casino or how they pass on little messages to each other at home on a whiteboard. Still, it's certainly true that the approach takes away some of the impersonal scariness of mathematics.
When it comes down to the calculus itself, I was in a bit of a quandary. It is a hugely important tool that scientists and engineers resort to all the time - but the actual doing of it is, frankly, a bit tedious and I found the practical working of the maths side of the book both a little dull and also surprisingly opaque - I think I understand calculus, but some of the explanations of its use I found difficult to follow.
It's interesting that the bit of the book I enjoyed most, dealing with the application of maths to gambling, really didn't have much to do with calculus at all - it was more about probability. This was good fun and instructive for those who feel they might like a flutter in a casino. In fact there were several chapters where calculus really only got a passing mention, and some were among the better parts of the contents.
Overall there's plenty going on here. You'll visit a green gym, find out about calculating the stresses on arches in buildings, explore the maths of personal finance and of surfing. Oh yes, and you'll find out about the way zombies (and other plagues) can spread. Altogether too much about zombies, in fact. Yet it just didn't quite work for me. I wanted to love it, but failed in the attempt.
Originally published on www.popularscience.co.uk (reproduced with permission)
June 14, 2018
Well, for a math book it was pretty good! I read it for extra credit in my Survey of Mathematics class. (Yeah, I needed the extra points! LOL)
Ouellette uses a humorous approach, relate-able stories, and history to tell about the practical uses of calculus. Did you know that the process of "balancing" in Algebra was invented more than 1000 years before the equal sign? I was fascinated to learn about Cartesian coordinates, vectors and then how the Mad Tea Party ride works. (It's dueling vectors that make it really fun!) I was also interested by the modeling for infectious disease. Based on the black plague and "Dawn of the Dead", rate of change and derivative calculus, I know we either have to defeat the Zombies right at the start, or hide out at the mall if we hope to survive!
Now, if you are a mathy (read-serious math)person. This is probably not the book for you. But, if you've ever wondered how all that dumb math they made you learn is ever going to apply to anything, then you might enjoy this read. I'm also a fan of history, so learning the origin of these ideas was interesting too.
Ouellette uses a humorous approach, relate-able stories, and history to tell about the practical uses of calculus. Did you know that the process of "balancing" in Algebra was invented more than 1000 years before the equal sign? I was fascinated to learn about Cartesian coordinates, vectors and then how the Mad Tea Party ride works. (It's dueling vectors that make it really fun!) I was also interested by the modeling for infectious disease. Based on the black plague and "Dawn of the Dead", rate of change and derivative calculus, I know we either have to defeat the Zombies right at the start, or hide out at the mall if we hope to survive!
Now, if you are a mathy (read-serious math)person. This is probably not the book for you. But, if you've ever wondered how all that dumb math they made you learn is ever going to apply to anything, then you might enjoy this read. I'm also a fan of history, so learning the origin of these ideas was interesting too.
May 30, 2014
This book is a must-read for mathematicians and non-mathematicians alike!
For mathematicians, the book gives a recap of your calculus classes in college (calculus 1 and 2, multivariable calculus, and differential equations). You also get to see calculus from a different viewpoint, that of a non-mathematician. For me, the book gave me insight on how to answer the question so often asked by my non-mathy friends: "What do you actually DO with calculus?"
For non-mathematicians, the book gives insight on the practical applications of calculus and how it permeates through our lives. The majority of the book focuses on what the math does, without delving too seriously into the processes themselves.
For mathematicians, the book gives a recap of your calculus classes in college (calculus 1 and 2, multivariable calculus, and differential equations). You also get to see calculus from a different viewpoint, that of a non-mathematician. For me, the book gave me insight on how to answer the question so often asked by my non-mathy friends: "What do you actually DO with calculus?"
For non-mathematicians, the book gives insight on the practical applications of calculus and how it permeates through our lives. The majority of the book focuses on what the math does, without delving too seriously into the processes themselves.
April 17, 2021
If you'd like to be entertained with a few interesting vignettes and a casual connection to some of the ideas of calculus, this is an enjoyable enough book. But these vignettes won't teach you how to apply calculus to: loose weight, win in Vegas, nor survive a zombie apocalypse. Apart from the stories from theme park rides and the trip to take the author to the park, which superficially examine the mechanics of the rides and the plotting of the trip, there is very little calculus applied.
If you'd like more calculus, really, you ought to start with the back of the book. I think the appendices are its most valuable part. The whole main body of the book is really just a marketing job to convince you to check out the appendix! Will it be enough to enable you to then do what the book's subtitle promised? No. But, you should come away with a better ability to recognize when calculus might be involved in the analysis and solution of various problems you may encounter as you walk through life. This is enough to give some of the readers motivation and an answer to the perennial bored/frustrated high-school math student's question: Why do we have to know this stuff, where would we ever use it?! With that insight, readers may try to wring out the most of the appendix, which I think would serve them before grappling with textbooks.
Really, the book is aimed at anyone who would feel it quite natural to asking the question: why know this? What good is this? The answer is: you don't know what you're missing. Calculus is a tool with specific application that can give you invaluable insights into the problems you're trying to solve. Not knowing calculus might be like the mathematical equivalent of being able to hear and speak with others, but being unable to read. You're functional, but you're missing out tremendously!
While I don't rate it highly in terms of "stars", this is from an adult's perspective living after his time in a formal educational setting. For high school students, I'd almost regard it as required reading. The bulk of young math students need a little inspiration to engage in the study. This book can give it!
(Written by a calculus and differential equations washout in college who, despite failing, understood full well the value of the subject, and kept all the textbooks as prized objects to keep studying.)
If you'd like more calculus, really, you ought to start with the back of the book. I think the appendices are its most valuable part. The whole main body of the book is really just a marketing job to convince you to check out the appendix! Will it be enough to enable you to then do what the book's subtitle promised? No. But, you should come away with a better ability to recognize when calculus might be involved in the analysis and solution of various problems you may encounter as you walk through life. This is enough to give some of the readers motivation and an answer to the perennial bored/frustrated high-school math student's question: Why do we have to know this stuff, where would we ever use it?! With that insight, readers may try to wring out the most of the appendix, which I think would serve them before grappling with textbooks.
Really, the book is aimed at anyone who would feel it quite natural to asking the question: why know this? What good is this? The answer is: you don't know what you're missing. Calculus is a tool with specific application that can give you invaluable insights into the problems you're trying to solve. Not knowing calculus might be like the mathematical equivalent of being able to hear and speak with others, but being unable to read. You're functional, but you're missing out tremendously!
While I don't rate it highly in terms of "stars", this is from an adult's perspective living after his time in a formal educational setting. For high school students, I'd almost regard it as required reading. The bulk of young math students need a little inspiration to engage in the study. This book can give it!
(Written by a calculus and differential equations washout in college who, despite failing, understood full well the value of the subject, and kept all the textbooks as prized objects to keep studying.)
February 4, 2021
I enjoyed this book- it is largely an exploration of several real-world examples that illustrate how calculus is useful for solving problems and questions about curves, areas, and rates of change or growth. There is also some history of mathematics and of the characters involved in that history included.
The purpose of the book is to give context and a story-problem view of why calculus is relevant, and honestly I have to say despite having taken several terms of calculus in high school and college, it has never been explained this way to me except as a kind of footnote. Here, Ouellette makes the technical math part the footnote.
I did well in the past learning the grammar and rules for solving calculus math problems, and scored good grades in my classes, but I do not use this type of math in my life post-college, so I have lost most of my grasp of the concepts and equations I learned. Despite being a good student, I have to admit that I never felt that my understanding of the mathematical concepts was every strongly internalized, so my interest and imagination for using calculus as a tool of discovery and scientific exploration never was truly sparked. A book like this as a companion to learning the mechanics of the equations might have made a difference for me.
The purpose of the book is to give context and a story-problem view of why calculus is relevant, and honestly I have to say despite having taken several terms of calculus in high school and college, it has never been explained this way to me except as a kind of footnote. Here, Ouellette makes the technical math part the footnote.
I did well in the past learning the grammar and rules for solving calculus math problems, and scored good grades in my classes, but I do not use this type of math in my life post-college, so I have lost most of my grasp of the concepts and equations I learned. Despite being a good student, I have to admit that I never felt that my understanding of the mathematical concepts was every strongly internalized, so my interest and imagination for using calculus as a tool of discovery and scientific exploration never was truly sparked. A book like this as a companion to learning the mechanics of the equations might have made a difference for me.
March 16, 2018
I'm not sure if the issue is that I'm the wrong audience for it, but I ended up skimming most of it. It is also fairly obvious what the depth of knowledge is for the author - basically the most advanced the calculus, the larger the context to math ratio, until I find myself skimming past pages and pages of history and personal anecdotes for that 1 line of "oh by the way, here's a math term and this scenario, too, can have calculus applied to it". This meant that the earlier chapters of the book were excellent, though the author did not take full advantage of the visuals possible (math is very visual, the math sections needed more images to illustrate each concept), but the latter sections fell into more or less "this also has to do with calculus, repeat" category. The claim on the cover that calculus will help you win at casino mostly boils down to, according to math, the only way you can win is if you don't play. The other claims more or less fell into the same level of helpfulness.
On the whole it's a valiant attempt by the author, it is competently written, but I can't help but suspect that her book on physics is much better.
On the whole it's a valiant attempt by the author, it is competently written, but I can't help but suspect that her book on physics is much better.
November 24, 2018
Jennifer Ouellette is a science writer who was always intimidated by higher math, so she resolved to teach herself calculus, and wrote this series of inter-related essays on applied calculus along the way. She doesn't stick to dusty textbook examples but uses calculating the rate of zombie infection and the odds of winning different games at Vegas and how Gaudi built his whimsical architecture. She keeps the tough math to a minimum in the main text and instead explores the big picture. If you want equations and step-by-step solution, she has some in two appendixes. I'd recommend this to anyone who has a math phobia and who wants to get over it or anyone who enjoys the history of science & math.
August 3, 2021
I've always considered myself "bad at math" and to be honest, reading this book was the first time I have touched this subject as an adult. In a way I've always feared the subject, or at least lacked confidence in anything more complex than arithmetic, so this way a safe way to tip my toe in the pool of math once again. While I'm not chomping at the bit to go do equations, for the first time in a long time my mind is reopened to exploring the language of mathematics. I really liked how Jen gave interesting examples to tie calculus to. Though it wasn't my favorite read, I enjoyed the majority of this book.
October 21, 2021
I am amazed by how a writer with no scientific background (and only a BA in English) has writed such a remarkable book on such an advanced field of mathematics, whilst still ensuring it appeals to the masses, and not just the intellectuals.
Very fun and fascinating read, good for anyone regardless of mathematical ability (although those without any mathematical ability may find some parts of the appendices incomprehensible) and suitable for both those with no mathematical background, and those who are already heavily well read into the field.
Also - I entered all the cool graphs she discusses onto Desmos, check them out... https://www.desmos.com/calculator/1lm...
Very fun and fascinating read, good for anyone regardless of mathematical ability (although those without any mathematical ability may find some parts of the appendices incomprehensible) and suitable for both those with no mathematical background, and those who are already heavily well read into the field.
Also - I entered all the cool graphs she discusses onto Desmos, check them out... https://www.desmos.com/calculator/1lm...
September 7, 2020
Not bad, but not great either. The early pages about Archimedes coming tantalizingly close to inventing calculus almost two millennia before Newton and Leibniz were quite interesting, as were a few other sections here and there, but all in all I would have preferred more calculus and less diaries. The book ended on a strong note, though, with an engaging epilogue about math education and two appendices in which things finally did get "mathier."
2.5 stars (it was okay/liked it).
2.5 stars (it was okay/liked it).
March 3, 2019
A well written introduction, but the subsequent chapters of popular interests (zombie apocalypse, losing weight) really have little to do with calculus beyond the one simple principle. Most of the math is algebra (and trigonometry).
It honestly won't make you like or appreciate calculus if you're not a fan, but there are nice anecdotes.
It honestly won't make you like or appreciate calculus if you're not a fan, but there are nice anecdotes.
September 29, 2020
The author talks about Disneyland and velocity, ants and x and y axis of graphs, diminishing marginal returns and playing craps in Las Vegas.
The chapter introduce an idea and then links it with aspects of calculus in a way the average reader understands.
Although difficult to first get into, I found that as i kept reading i could not put it down.
The chapter introduce an idea and then links it with aspects of calculus in a way the average reader understands.
Although difficult to first get into, I found that as i kept reading i could not put it down.
December 20, 2020
I didn't finish this. It was not the book I was looking for as a primer in The Calculus. That's not the authors fault but I don't much see the point of the book anyway. It's a breezy overview of the many uses for calculus with some personal anecdotes and some historical commentary and the auther writes well enoigh. Much of the interesting stuff would be available on Wikipedia. 2 stars.
February 10, 2025
I am certainly not the main audience for this book. I do not need to be convinced that math is the driving force behind most everyday operations. But I still found this an enjoyable experience, and while I do agree that some chapters pale in quality and getting the point across compared to others, I think this is great for someone who enjoys reading and doesn't enjoy math - just to build at least a little bit of appreciation for it.
August 24, 2021
I like the way Jennifer Ouellette comes across as humble, approachable and engaging with the reader. I'm glad more people are writing on a subject (calculus) that strikes fear in people.
Some of it I found hard to wrap my head around but overall a fantastic read.
Some of it I found hard to wrap my head around but overall a fantastic read.
October 1, 2011
I had high hopes for this book. I picked it up at an airport while traveling -- I saw the title and just couldn't resist! I like calculus, and while I knew about its applications to the roller coaster on the cover I was very curious about its applications to losing weight, winning in Vegas and winning a zombie apocalypse. Also, I was hoping that this would be the sort of book I could give to my mother, who isn't exactly great at math but does enjoy learning the very basic concepts and applications.
Unfortunately, this is not the book for my mother. The actual calculus in this book is very minimal. The author introduces derivatives (rate of change) and integrals (adding things up) very briefly, and from then on, they are only mentioned in sentences like and now that I've told you all about this, you can see we added some things up so the integral would be useful here. The appendix has the actual math, but I think it's gone over too quickly for someone who doesn't actually have any calculus knowledge already.
And also, I felt like the author was beating us over the head with her views about saving the environment, what with her super amazing Prius and her green gym that generates electricity by members using the bikes or treadmills. Now, that's NOT to say that I am against "green" measures... I recycle, I turn off lights and unplug things when they are not in use, and while I don't have a Prius I -do- drive a tiny car with great gas mileage. But I have to say, I don't think anyone who drives a gas guzzler and throws their plastic bottles in the trash is going to change their habits after reading this book, you know?
BUT -- that's not to say the book is total waste. There -were- a few interesting math-related (but not calculus-related) things, like her graph about gas mileage, and some things about calories. And the zombie chapters are quite funny, too. AND there are some really interesting historical tidbits, throughout the book -- in fact, I'd say there is FAR more math-related history (and really well-written and interesting history, at that) than there is math.
It's weird -- as I was reading it, I had a very negative impression of the book, and still feel a fairly negative impression. I was disappointed in the lack of calculus and that it wouldn't work for my mom. And yet, when I go back and read the little status updates I wrote after each chapter, they are mostly POSITIVE. So what gives?!
If the book had been touted as a math history book, I totally would have given it four stars. But it gets a low rating because it just didn't fulfill my expectations based on its description and title.
Unfortunately, this is not the book for my mother. The actual calculus in this book is very minimal. The author introduces derivatives (rate of change) and integrals (adding things up) very briefly, and from then on, they are only mentioned in sentences like and now that I've told you all about this, you can see we added some things up so the integral would be useful here. The appendix has the actual math, but I think it's gone over too quickly for someone who doesn't actually have any calculus knowledge already.
And also, I felt like the author was beating us over the head with her views about saving the environment, what with her super amazing Prius and her green gym that generates electricity by members using the bikes or treadmills. Now, that's NOT to say that I am against "green" measures... I recycle, I turn off lights and unplug things when they are not in use, and while I don't have a Prius I -do- drive a tiny car with great gas mileage. But I have to say, I don't think anyone who drives a gas guzzler and throws their plastic bottles in the trash is going to change their habits after reading this book, you know?
BUT -- that's not to say the book is total waste. There -were- a few interesting math-related (but not calculus-related) things, like her graph about gas mileage, and some things about calories. And the zombie chapters are quite funny, too. AND there are some really interesting historical tidbits, throughout the book -- in fact, I'd say there is FAR more math-related history (and really well-written and interesting history, at that) than there is math.
It's weird -- as I was reading it, I had a very negative impression of the book, and still feel a fairly negative impression. I was disappointed in the lack of calculus and that it wouldn't work for my mom. And yet, when I go back and read the little status updates I wrote after each chapter, they are mostly POSITIVE. So what gives?!
If the book had been touted as a math history book, I totally would have given it four stars. But it gets a low rating because it just didn't fulfill my expectations based on its description and title.
August 17, 2015
I am not a math fan. I did not take calculus in high school. I didn't even take pre-cal. I took Algebra II and was like, "Peace, bitches! I'm out!" I never thought I'd read a book about math for fun.
However, I enjoyed another book by Jennifer Ouellette earlier this year, and what with The Calculus Diaries' promise that calculus might help me win in Vegas and survive a zombie apocalypse, I figured I had to give it a go. Ultimately, I liked it well enough, although I can't say I understood all of it and it didn't really instill any desire to delve deeper into the world of mathematics. I do appreciate the idea that math, when actually understood and not instinctually feared/loathed, is another way of looking at the world, that it opens your eyes up to new angles and interpretations. However, I also disagree pretty heavily with the book when it describes scientists' frustration that it's socially acceptable to be utterly ignorant of math, while it's considered shameful to be illiterate, mostly because when they say "utterly ignorant of math," I'm pretty sure they don't mean basic arithmetic. If you couldn't add or subtract at all, I doubt it would be socially acceptable -- you NEED basic arithmetic for everyday function, just like you need basic literacy. It is, of course, more socially acceptable to not like or understand higher forms of math (algebra, geometry, calculus), but that's not on par with being able to read at all; that should be on par with more advanced reading skills, full comprehension and analysis. And since, outside certain circles, people aren't genuinely considered shameful and ignorant if they don't get Moby Dick or The Odyssey, I don't think it's a great argument. (Or, I think there's a lot of shame to go around. I've felt like people have looked down on me before because I suck at math, and I'm sure others have felt looked down upon because they aren't Readers. I did really like how the epilogue spoke about gender prejudices in mathematics.)
Anyway. My favorite chapters here were definitely the ones about Vegas, Disneyland, and the plague. I enjoyed a lot of the history here. (The moral of the story really seems to be, if you're the first to discover some crazy mathematical proof, for Christ's sake, PUBLISH IT before someone else gets the credit.) Ouellette's writing is enjoyable, despite tricky subject material, and I'd read more of her stuff -- but even though this is targeted for beginners, some of it is a bit advanced for my understanding. Still, hey, I challenged myself! Yay!
And now I can reward myself with Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2. Thank God.
However, I enjoyed another book by Jennifer Ouellette earlier this year, and what with The Calculus Diaries' promise that calculus might help me win in Vegas and survive a zombie apocalypse, I figured I had to give it a go. Ultimately, I liked it well enough, although I can't say I understood all of it and it didn't really instill any desire to delve deeper into the world of mathematics. I do appreciate the idea that math, when actually understood and not instinctually feared/loathed, is another way of looking at the world, that it opens your eyes up to new angles and interpretations. However, I also disagree pretty heavily with the book when it describes scientists' frustration that it's socially acceptable to be utterly ignorant of math, while it's considered shameful to be illiterate, mostly because when they say "utterly ignorant of math," I'm pretty sure they don't mean basic arithmetic. If you couldn't add or subtract at all, I doubt it would be socially acceptable -- you NEED basic arithmetic for everyday function, just like you need basic literacy. It is, of course, more socially acceptable to not like or understand higher forms of math (algebra, geometry, calculus), but that's not on par with being able to read at all; that should be on par with more advanced reading skills, full comprehension and analysis. And since, outside certain circles, people aren't genuinely considered shameful and ignorant if they don't get Moby Dick or The Odyssey, I don't think it's a great argument. (Or, I think there's a lot of shame to go around. I've felt like people have looked down on me before because I suck at math, and I'm sure others have felt looked down upon because they aren't Readers. I did really like how the epilogue spoke about gender prejudices in mathematics.)
Anyway. My favorite chapters here were definitely the ones about Vegas, Disneyland, and the plague. I enjoyed a lot of the history here. (The moral of the story really seems to be, if you're the first to discover some crazy mathematical proof, for Christ's sake, PUBLISH IT before someone else gets the credit.) Ouellette's writing is enjoyable, despite tricky subject material, and I'd read more of her stuff -- but even though this is targeted for beginners, some of it is a bit advanced for my understanding. Still, hey, I challenged myself! Yay!
And now I can reward myself with Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2. Thank God.
August 22, 2011
The Calculus Diaries by Jennifer Ouellette was recommended to me some months ago during a lunch with a couple of friends. The conversation had turned toward math and physics (a favored topic amongst the two physic grads at the table)at which point my eyes started to glaze over as they often do when these topics come up. It's not that I don't enjoy them, it's that I have very little experience with them and felt I had nothing to contribute to the conversation no matter how interesting the discussion sounded. At some point though this book came up, perhaps because my eyes had glazed over or it as a way to get me to join in the conversation. I looked it up on Amazon that very day and purchased it for my Kindle.
I will freely admit that I fear math in most forms. It is as the author says, "A different language." My capacity to learn this language was hampered(like many girls from my generation)by misconceptions and fallacies. According to Jennifer, she wrote the Calculus Diaries as a way to understand her physicist husband. Right from the start I liked that. It was something we had in common...Physic geeks.
To start off, this book does not teach calculus and it never claims to be able to. It merely guides the reader through the thick and very rich history of how calculus was conceived and then refined over time. (There were some interesting characters and feuds going on...)Jennifer gives real world examples from her own life that explain how we use math without really thinking about it and breaks it down in such a way that's easy to understand. There were many moments where I paused in my reading and engaged my husband in a conversation about some point being made in the book. (Which made him smile...a lot.)
Don't think that this is a fluff piece about math though. It's quite dense and it took me some time to get through it and likely will be revisited again. The last 25% is an appendix filled with longer explanations and equations for those that want to delve deeper into the topic as well as other resources.
It's clear that the author cares about science education (math & sciences) as she talks a great deal at the beginning of the book and again at the end about it and the many misconceptions regarding gender and the ability to learn said subjects.
What I took away from this book : Math is simply another language...like all languages, it takes time to learn. There is no reason to be afraid of it.
I will freely admit that I fear math in most forms. It is as the author says, "A different language." My capacity to learn this language was hampered(like many girls from my generation)by misconceptions and fallacies. According to Jennifer, she wrote the Calculus Diaries as a way to understand her physicist husband. Right from the start I liked that. It was something we had in common...Physic geeks.
To start off, this book does not teach calculus and it never claims to be able to. It merely guides the reader through the thick and very rich history of how calculus was conceived and then refined over time. (There were some interesting characters and feuds going on...)Jennifer gives real world examples from her own life that explain how we use math without really thinking about it and breaks it down in such a way that's easy to understand. There were many moments where I paused in my reading and engaged my husband in a conversation about some point being made in the book. (Which made him smile...a lot.)
Don't think that this is a fluff piece about math though. It's quite dense and it took me some time to get through it and likely will be revisited again. The last 25% is an appendix filled with longer explanations and equations for those that want to delve deeper into the topic as well as other resources.
It's clear that the author cares about science education (math & sciences) as she talks a great deal at the beginning of the book and again at the end about it and the many misconceptions regarding gender and the ability to learn said subjects.
What I took away from this book : Math is simply another language...like all languages, it takes time to learn. There is no reason to be afraid of it.
January 26, 2018
The author is earnest and well intentioned. That gets a necessary caveat out of the way and lessens the slight sense of guilt I feel about panning this book. The author seems like a very decent person...
But the book she's written, alas, definitively answers the age-old question: how little math can one feature in a pop math manuscript and still win a publishing contract? Here's what you learn about calculus in this book: it's widely applicable. Check. It deals with rates of change among related variables. Check. There are, of course, volumes (many many potentially fascinating volumes) lurking behind these assertions. The book in review is not one of them.
Oullette does the most facile job possible of explicating calculus and its connection to the world, and the examples she selects to highlight these connections -- though legitimate ones -- sound, for the most part, completely forced in her telling.
Which brings up perhaps the worst fault of this book: it is as padded as the Michellin man or the interior of a rubber room. At least 2/3 of the book is entirely superfluous (I know a lot more about the author's exercise routine and what her local gym looks like than I have the least interest to know and that has the least relevance to the topic at hand.)
With due respect to the author, lastly: I’m delighted she and her husband are happily wedded, and I wish them all happiness. Even so, the repeated references to husband Sean throughout this book which served little purpose other than to humanize the author and her enterprise, on the one hand, and to serve, unnecessarily, as the ‘expert’ foil to contrast with/bulk up her own dilettante bona fides, on the other, grew annoying in the extreme.
In closing: certain brief stretches of this book were both interesting and thoughtful, and showcased the author’s talents and potential. But overlong stretches read like they were plucked from Wikipedia and dressed up a bit, and — a worse offense — like they had no obvious reason to show up in a book titled The Calculus Diaries.
Beware the endorsement blurbs on the jacket: “If you ever thought that math was useless, read this book” (Seife). “I haven’t had this much fun learning math since... (Jacobs). “It’s a great primer...” (McKellar). Did we read the same book?
But the book she's written, alas, definitively answers the age-old question: how little math can one feature in a pop math manuscript and still win a publishing contract? Here's what you learn about calculus in this book: it's widely applicable. Check. It deals with rates of change among related variables. Check. There are, of course, volumes (many many potentially fascinating volumes) lurking behind these assertions. The book in review is not one of them.
Oullette does the most facile job possible of explicating calculus and its connection to the world, and the examples she selects to highlight these connections -- though legitimate ones -- sound, for the most part, completely forced in her telling.
Which brings up perhaps the worst fault of this book: it is as padded as the Michellin man or the interior of a rubber room. At least 2/3 of the book is entirely superfluous (I know a lot more about the author's exercise routine and what her local gym looks like than I have the least interest to know and that has the least relevance to the topic at hand.)
With due respect to the author, lastly: I’m delighted she and her husband are happily wedded, and I wish them all happiness. Even so, the repeated references to husband Sean throughout this book which served little purpose other than to humanize the author and her enterprise, on the one hand, and to serve, unnecessarily, as the ‘expert’ foil to contrast with/bulk up her own dilettante bona fides, on the other, grew annoying in the extreme.
In closing: certain brief stretches of this book were both interesting and thoughtful, and showcased the author’s talents and potential. But overlong stretches read like they were plucked from Wikipedia and dressed up a bit, and — a worse offense — like they had no obvious reason to show up in a book titled The Calculus Diaries.
Beware the endorsement blurbs on the jacket: “If you ever thought that math was useless, read this book” (Seife). “I haven’t had this much fun learning math since... (Jacobs). “It’s a great primer...” (McKellar). Did we read the same book?
December 31, 2020
Four and a half stars, rounded down. When I took calculus in college, it was taught by mathematics grad students strictly cookbook style -- everything was about how you did calculus, and nothing about what calculus was, why you should use it or when use it (never mind anything about its history). And while I used it my physics and theory of statistics classes, and in grad school in spatial statistics, I was always told how to apply it to specific problems, with again no discussion of what, why or really even when (outside of specific problems in class). And at the time that seemed enough.
Years later, I found myself wondering for some reason exactly what calculus was, what was it represented, and how it related to physical reality. So picked up and started to read A Tour of the Calculus, which scratched this itch some, but my copy vanished about halfway through my reading of it, and I never got back to it.
Then recently, I found The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse in a book store, and my interest was rekindled. And at long last, my questions were answered (if not in detail). This is a light, breezy books with relatively little math in it given the subject (unless you count the optional appendixes) that indeed explains what calculus is, why it is used, and gives an overview of its history. It doesn't go into much detail, but it is a fun read, and I'm glad I read it.
Years later, I found myself wondering for some reason exactly what calculus was, what was it represented, and how it related to physical reality. So picked up and started to read A Tour of the Calculus, which scratched this itch some, but my copy vanished about halfway through my reading of it, and I never got back to it.
Then recently, I found The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse in a book store, and my interest was rekindled. And at long last, my questions were answered (if not in detail). This is a light, breezy books with relatively little math in it given the subject (unless you count the optional appendixes) that indeed explains what calculus is, why it is used, and gives an overview of its history. It doesn't go into much detail, but it is a fun read, and I'm glad I read it.
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