Think Like a Mathematician

Chalkdust

18 March 2026

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Junaid Mubeen is a mathematician and educator and the author of Think Like a Mathematician (Waterstones, Profile Books).

Style

After a short introduction, Think Like a Mathematician takes us on a journey through ten big ideas in maths. These ideas are largely on the more pure side of maths, although the contexts and analogies throughout the book will make them feel more applied than you might have expected.

Control

The book is an enjoyable read, and you’ll probably find yourself reading a lot more of it in one go than you planned to.

Damage

While quite a few of the areas covered in this book are well trodden by other pop maths books, Think Like a Mathematician contains some areas less well covered. In particular, it was great to see well written and accessible section on axioms and incompleteness.

Aggression

If you have a maths degree, you’ll have encountered almost all of the topics in this book before; but you will enjoy revisiting them in a more friendly and less abstract way than you will have encountered them in most university courses. If you’re considering getting a maths degree, this book will be an excellent read and will give you a taste of what you have to look forward to.

You can vote for your favourite book on the Book of the Year shortlist below. The winning book will be crowned the Chalkdust Readers’ Choice. Voting closes at midday (GMT) on Wednesday 18 March 2026.

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