Biologists need tools to do their work, and they need to understand their tools. This catch-up text is designed for a 100-level introductory course that ensures students of biology have an adequate mathematical grounding to continue in their tertiary education. That such a text is required speaks volumes about the state of high school mathematics teaching and the numeracy required of new undergraduates in the sciences, especially because the authors’ home institution (University of Cambridge) is amongst the most selective in the world. Be that as it may, the book itself is fit for purpose, whether or not you agree that having the purpose in the first place is such a good thing.
The book is laid out clearly with plentiful biologically relevant examples, test questions and colour images, and it gently eases the reader through the chapters in a friendly tone; from introducing the SI units, through solving simple algebraic equations, calculus, statistical assumptions and probability. Matrices have been omitted, which is a shame because they are used extensively in biomechanics and morphometrics. This book will be a valuable learning aid for those that need it, but those that don’t will wonder why they are spending time and money on education that should have already been delivered.