The author also tries to understand why it is almost considered acceptable for a person to admit that one is "bad with numbers", while it not being ok to be "bad with words". The realm of psychology is not his forte, but the ideas he points to are interesting.
Overall, this is an easy to read book, much easier even to one literate with numbers. I was done with it in 3 hours, and was left wanting more, so much so that I am now buying some more of his works. If they are half as good as Innumeracy, then they will be good enough.
So, in short, the book ignite my interest again in mathematics...., it is a great book well written and enjoyable to read. It is about all the things we see in life that connect to mathematics. It teach us to use mathematics into our thinking. It is very interesting and alive. It is amazing how a good writer can turn a dry material into such an "entertainment".
I bought several copies and giveaway to several friends. Yeach, it is that good.
In the first few chapters of the book, Paulos describes various issues that the innumerate (that is, those who don't understand numbers and math) often have issues understanding. He describes the issue to a reasonable level of detail, then derives answers for them. Don't let the use of the word 'derive' scare you off: the answers are readable and readily understandable to a general audience. In some cases, if you're really rusty, you might need to read them a second time to grasp the solution.
Later chapters, however, are not written for the innumerate. They are attempts to convince the reader that mathematical education needs to be improved. I think that everyone agrees that education should be improved, but he offers suggestions that are impractical or nonsensical.
Ultimately, the problem of this book is a lack of focus. Paulos could have written either a book that tackles basic mathematical issues that the general public doesn't understand, or he could have written a book that describes the consequences of innumeracy. He tried to do both, and stuffed both topics into a single slim volume. In doing so, he shortchanges both audiences. The result is a book that is good, but does not fully address the needs of anyone.
If you find yourself uncomfortable with mathematics, pick up a copy of this book and read up to chapter five. If you are comfortable with mathematics and are looking for fodder to prove the point that improving mathematical knowledge at any level is productive, this book will not serve your purpose.
Some notes to be fair. 1) There are many, many interesting examples (a là Paulos: (more than 20 per chapter) * (5 chapters) = (more than 100 examples overall)). 2) Many of these numerous examples are Paulos' own (including the stock newsletter scam above, I believe). 3) At the time of initial print (1988) the examples evidently were not as well publicized as now (2003).
If you haven't heard any of the examples above and never read any Paulos publications, then the book will be of value to you, especially given Paulos' clean exposition and wit. On the other hand if you've either read some other book by Paulos or heard of any such examples then you might be better off reading his monthly column on ABCNews at http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/whoscounting_index/whoscounting_index.html.
