National discussions of crucial importance to ordinary citizens—such as funding for scientific and medical research, bailouts of financial institutions, and revised tax laws—inevitably involve dollar figures in the millions, billions, and trillions. Unfortunately, math anxiety is widespread even among intelligent, educated people, and it can hamper how we think about these figures.

Complicating the issue further, citizens emotionally undeterred by billions and trillions are nonetheless likely to be ill-equipped for meaningful analysis because most people don’t correctly intuit large numbers.

Happily, anyone who can understand tens, hundreds, and thousands can develop habits and skills to accurately navigate millions, billions, and trillions. Stay with me, especially if you’re math-averse: I’ll show you how to use school arithmetic, common knowledge, and a little imagination to train your emotional sense for the large numbers shaping our daily lives.

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