Can you imagine a world without numbers?
I recently stumbled on an article about people living in what are called “anumeric” cultures. The concept of exact quantity doesn’t exist in their world. Their languages have generic words for “some” or “a few” but nothing more specific. It’s hard to imagine. But it’s true.
Numbers aren’t an innate part of the way humans think. We invented them and have passed them down through generations.
This idea – that numbers aren’t anyone’s native language – is at the core of my new favorite book called “Making Numbers Count” by Chip Heath and Karla Starr.
It’s a follow-up to the classic “Made To Stick” that dives deeper into how to use numbers to support an idea given the reality of how people’s brains understand and remember them.
This book is so powerful that I’ve decided to make it the next selection for my CX Frontiers book club. We’re reading and discussing Made to Stick now so it’s the perfect way to extend and deepen that conversation.
To find the book and sign up for the discussion, which is happening May 9th, visit: https://bookclubs.com/join-a-book-club/club/customer-experience-frontiers
#wordnerdwednesday #numbers #bookclub
