The calculus diaries : a year discovering how maths can help you lose weight, win in Vegas, and survive a zombie apocalypse

Jennifer Ouellette never took maths in the sixth form, mostly because she like most of us assumed she wouldnt need it much in real life.

But then the English graduate, now an award-winning science-writer, had a change of heart and decided to revisit the equations and formulas that had haunted her youth.

The Calculus Diaries is the fun and fascinating account of a year spent confronting her numbers-phobia head on.

With wit and verve, Ouellette explains how she discovered that maths could apply to everything from petrol mileages to dieting, rollercoaster rides to winning in Las Vegas.