This is an important and highly readable book. To me, the most interesting idea is how all good intentions have unintended consequences. Why not take for example the book itself. It has been written by a professional mathematician, published by a world-famous publishing house and two well-known math professors have said few words of praise. In spite of that, the only formula in the book – the one explaining the much criticized Body Mass Index (page 176 of the Penguin edition) is wrong. What an illustration of the concept of unintended consequences.