A Mind for Numbers

A Mind for Numbers proves that mastering technical subjects is not about having a “math brain.” It’s about learning how to learn. By alternating between focused and diffuse thinking, forming mental chunks, practicing deliberately, and managing procrastination, anyone can develop deep understanding. Oakley teaches that rest, exercise, and even struggle itself are part of learning. The book’s ultimate message is empowering: intelligence is not fixed—it’s built through effort, patience, and smart strategies.

Barbara Oakley, Ph.D., is a professor of engineering at Oakland University and a leading authority on cognitive science and learning. Once terrified of math, she failed it repeatedly in high school before joining the U.S. Army, where she worked as a Russian translator in Antarctica. Determined to overcome her “math phobia,” she relearned mathematics as an adult, eventually earning advanced degrees in electrical engineering and systems engineering.

Oakley co-created the world-famous online course “Learning How to Learn,” taken by over four million students worldwide. Her other books include Mindshift, Learning How to Learn for Kids, and Uncommon Sense Teaching. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and a passionate advocate for democratizing learning through neuroscience. Her journey from failure to expertise embodies the very lessons she teaches: with persistence, curiosity, and the right mental approach, anyone can rewire their brain for success.