Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and its Consequences is a 1989 book by mathematician John Allen Paulos about "innumeracy" (a portmanteau of numerical illiteracy) in society. It was a New York Times bestseller.

Paulos speaks mainly of the dangers of mathematical innumeracy, that is, the common misconceptions of laymen in regards to numbers, exploring the relationship between math and the human mind. Topics covered include probability and coincidence, innumeracy in pseudoscience, and statistics and trade-offs in society.

Chapters

1. Examples and Principles
2. Probability and Coincidence
3. Pseudoscience
4. Whence Innumeracy?
5. Statistics, Trade-Offs, and Society

1989 books