Beyond The To-do List

This week, I’m excited to welcome Ben Orlin to the show to discuss his new book, Math for English Majors: A Human Take on the Universal Language. Ben is a math educator, writer, and the creator of Math with Bad Drawings, a blog and book series that makes math more accessible, humorous, and relatable. His latest book approaches mathematics as a language—one that everyone can learn, even those who’ve struggled with it in the past. In this conversation, we cover: Math as a Language: Ben explains how understanding math as a form of communication can help break down barriers to learning and make it more intuitive. Where Students Get Stuck: Ben shares key moments where people tend to disconnect from math, such as fractions and algebra, and offers insights on how to reframe those challenges. The Concept of Stuckness: Drawing from his teaching experience, Ben discusses how learning to sit with and work through being “stuck” is crucial not just in math but in any problem-solving endeavor. Breaking the Math Sti