Andrew Grothendieck was a rare type of genius. He was a mathematician who held strong political beliefs, a well-known personality who hid from the public eye, a science-minded award-winner who eventually refused the honors that came his way. For all these reasons and more, he is the subject of Fun With Numbers, a blog that helps explore much more than the numbers of math.

Math, both simple and complex, plays an important role in most people’s daily lives. Without mass, even basic automobile insurance policies wouldn’t exist. Bank loans would be impossible, interest rates wouldn’t apply-it would even be impossible to boil a pot of water. Fun With Numbers attempts to make mathematics not only enjoyable, but understandable. Most people will never become well-known, highly-respected mathematicians like Andrew Grothendieck, but it is possible to gain knowledge that will make numbers much less mysterious and much easier to use.

Fun With Numbers presents Grothendieck’s world of math in a way that’s easy to read, friendly and straightforward. Many people will never learn to love mathematics, but anyone can gain a healthy understanding of how to use the science in their daily lives. A better understanding of math makes it easier to make financial decisions, locate good investments and negotiate rates. It’s always better to really understand the value of a dollar, rather than simply accepting the definition someone else provides.

The blog goes beyond the numbers of mathematics, however. Some posts delve into the mind and the accomplishments of Andrew Grothendieck, one of math’s biggest stars. Though he disappeared from the public eye in 1991, Grothendieck is still one of the rock stars of the world of mathematics. Eschewing fame, refusing monetary rewards because he had enough funds and turning away awards, Grothendieck was something of a maverick in the world of academics, and that makes him a unique figure in his field of scientific study.