451 books
—
671 voters
“I would be happier if we called them “phone digits” instead of “phone numbers,” because, I repeat, I don’t think they are numbers. If you’re ever not sure if something is a number or not, my test is to imagine asking someone for half of it. If you asked for half the height of someone 180 centimeters tall, they would say 90 centimeters. Height is a number. Ask for half of someone’s phone number, and they will give you the first half of the digits. If the response is not to divide it but rather to split it, it’s not a number.”
― Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World
― Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World
“the invention of the wheel is up there as the second greatest of all human inventions (slightly behind fire and just ahead of sliced bread).”
― Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension
― Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension
“Allowing for the two types of year (leap and normal), and the seven possible days a year can start on, there are only fourteen calendars to choose from. When I was shopping for a 2019 calendar (non–leap year, starting on a Tuesday), I knew it would be the same as the one for 2013, so I could pick up a secondhand one at a discount price. Actually, for some retro charm, I hunted down one from 1985.”
― Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors
― Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors
“Mathematicians aren’t people who find math easy; they’re people who enjoy how hard it is.”
― Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World
― Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World
“If a new system is implemented, humans can be very resourceful when finding new ways to make mistakes.”
― Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors
― Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors
Mac’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Mac’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Mac
Lists liked by Mac
























