This was a very quick read, which is what I was looking for, on a topic that more people should read. In fact, that's the whole point of the book. Paulos provides his case for why the 'innumerate,' that is people who are not mathematically literate in basic principles of probability, statistics, large numbers, etc., should work to become more comfortable with math. He makes a great case for how being innumerate is a detriment in everyday life, and provides easy to understand examples as lessons.

Despite being a huge fan of the concepts and arguments, I knocked this book a bit down for not completing its mission enough for my liking. I've read a few other resources-- the best one that comes to mind is "The Improbability Principle" by David Hand-- that are much more thorough and even more entertaining. The more in depth math discussions of Hand might turn off people who are easily scared by numbers, but I'd love to hear some slightly more complex analysis from Paulos. Additionally, 'Innumeracy' read more like a personal essay in that there weren't any footnotes really, and Paulos also sometimes came off as preachy with disdain for those he is trying to educate (which I say while I consider myself on the higher end of 'numerate' with a math and science background, and agreeing with his point that the world would be a better place if more people had such understandings).

In the end, though, because it was such a quick read and it didn't dive too deep into the nitty gritty of the math-- this book can be safely recommended for those self-motivated to learn a bit more about the math that they can use everyday.