Award-winning mathematician Eugenia Cheng offers a perspective-shifting exploration of how maths can change your mind

A NEW SCIENTIST BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Clear, clever and friendly...even at her most whimsical, she is rigorous and insightful' ALEX BELLOS 'Eugenia Cheng has humour, grace and a natural gift' DANIEL LEVITIN 'Playful and deeply serious ... shows how exploring equality in maths may help the real world' NEW SCIENTIST When we see an equals sign, we usually see something clear cut: problem on one side, solution on the other. We might need to shuffle some things around - balance the equation - to get there, but it's all pretty clear cut...isn't it? As it turns out, between those parallel lines lies something far more exciting than questions and answers. An equals sign is an invitation to a mathematical playground of choice and abstraction. By opening your mind to different mathematical choices and perspectives, you can unlock far greater insight than you could have dreamed. Eugenia Cheng explores the rich and rewarding interplay between sameness and difference, and offers us a new way to see the world based on the choices and interpretations we make. A glorious celebration of mathematics, Unequal will change the way you think - in maths, and in life.

"[This] is more than a regurgitation of the many formulas you may recall learning in school; Cheng argues that an equation - in its barest sense, a declaration that two things are equal - can be a profound statement on the choices we make about what is or is not the same." - New York Times

"You might think things are either equal orthey aren't, but for mathematician Eugenia Cheng, some things are more equal than others - in maths and in life. Her clever exploration of the meaning of "equals" helps us grasp its mathematical complexities - and the everyday dangers of assuming, for example, two people who score the same on an IQtQ test are equally intelligent ." - New Scientist Books of the Year

"Intriguing, thought-provoking, and occasionally dizzying, Unequal offers new ways of formulating solutions for all kinds of problems" - Booklist

"If you think maths is all about equations, then you probably think maths is all rigid and black-and-white," says Cheng. This book is a wonderful refutation of that misconception. Exploring the meaning of "equals" in mathematics gives us a better understanding not just of the nuance and richness of the field, but of how ideas of equality are used (and misused) in life. Her approach is both playful and deeply serious, leavening abstract concepts with entertaining tangents on everything from knitting Möbius strips [and] important political and rights-based questions around equality ... to making an iterated Battenberg cake - New Scientist

"Cheng attempts to impart crucial life lessons via the fundamentals of math ... [making] the case that using the ways of thinking required in math can enrich people's lives and provide a more nuanced viewpoint" - Publishers Weekly

"Praise for Is Maths Real?" - :

"An edible exploration of math" - New York Times

"Intriguing ... Celebrates the dizziness and disorientation engendered by childlike questions that hint at the deep mysteries beneath" - New Scientist

"Passionate, eye-opening and accessible ... a love letter to the curious spirit of the discipline" - Waterstones Best Books of 2023

"Discover what it feels like to be a real mathematician ... This is a human pursuit, depicted here from the inside" - Telegraph

"An entertaining foray into the more philosophical realms of mathematics ... for the budding mathematician in the house, to say nothing of lovers of puzzles and enigmas" - Kirkus

"Praise for x + y" - :

"'A way of seeing this exhausting debate from a completely new angle ... bold and optimistic" - Guardian

"A fascinating, disarmingly accessible read and a wonderful example of what academics should in general do much more of" - Irish Times

"Compelling ... x+y provides useful new tools for change, for those - like me - involved in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. For those who are not yet involved, she sets out reasons to become so. And I'm a new fan of pure mathematics. Dr Cheng, can we be friends?" - Nature

"This book changed my life in the most beautiful way. Eugenia Cheng doesn't just explain why the way our society conceptualizes gender is all wrong - she proposes a new way of thinking about - and beyond - gender. Through accessible graphs and brilliant metaphor, Cheng pushes her readers instead to think about a person's behavior ... Stunning" - NPR

"Reimagine[s] gender through her mathematical lens as one of few women in the field" - New York Times