Formulas for Every Occasion. How Mathematics Helps to Get Out of Difficult Situations

Imagine you're in a falling airplane. No panic! You can make a parachute out of your neighbor's sari and stay alive; you just need to calculate the material's area correctly. This is just one example of how knowing the right formula can come in handy in the most unexpected situations. In the collection of British mathematician Chris Waring, there are many such examples, as he has a unique talent for explaining complex things simply and humorously. Waring wrote this book to share the charm and utility of equations through everyday and extraordinary events—from calculating the optimal scheme for protecting one of the Louvre's masterpieces to saving humanity during an energy crisis. Even if you didn't like math in school, read this book to fall in love with formulas and learn to apply them in life.