Calculus diaries

Jennifer Ouellette never took maths in the sixth form, mostly because she - like most people - assumed that she wouldn't need it in real life. But then the English-graduate-turned-award-winning-science-writer had a change of heart and decided to revisit those equations and formulas that had haunted her for years. The Calculus Diaries is the fun and fascinating account of her year spent confronting her number-phobia head on. With real wit and verve, Ouellette shows how she learned to apply calculus to everything from petrol mileages to dieting, from rollercoaster rides to shooting cards in Las Vegas - proving that anyone can learn the fundamentals of maths' universal language, and make the world a whole lot more comprehensible.