Happy Monday. I'm Michael Kovnet, host of the Next Big Idea Spinoff, The Next Big Idea Daily.

Every weekday, I invite leading nonfiction authors to share the big ideas from their books

about psychology, business, relationships, and just about everything else. It's a mini masterclass

you can listen to in the time it takes to walk your dog. You're about to hear

the episode we published this morning. To get the rest of this week's episodes, follow the

next big idea daily wherever you get your podcasts. Good morning. I'm your host, Michael

Kovnet, and this is the next big idea daily, where we bring

you key ideas from the best new nonfiction. Now, if the phrase math book makes your eyes glaze over,

stick with me, because this one's different. In the new book, Robin Hood Mathematics Professor

Noah John Sarkusa shows how understanding a little math

can help you push back against a world that keeps reducing you to a number. Credit scores,

social media feeds, hiring algorithms. They're all powered by formulas most of us never learned,

but that shaped nearly every aspect of our lives.

Think of this book as a user's manual for living in the age of algorithms.

And don't worry, there won't be a quiz.

Here's Noah to share his big ideas.

Hi, I'm Noah John Sarkusa, a math professor and author trying to help people understand the algorithmic world we inhabit today. I'm happy to share with you five key insights from my book.

The world sees you as a number. From likes and loves to friends and followers, social media is a numbers game.

Everything you do is boil down to a handful of digits that measure your success and broadcast

it to the world.

You probably know this already, and accept that fate when you sign up.

What you might not know is that similar numbers games now reach into nearly all aspects of your life.

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