Your Personal Math Tutor: An Engineer Looks at Math |  | Author: Henry H Banville
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Category: Book
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $35.20
as of 3/10/2010 04:56 MST details
You Save: $4.75 (12%)
New (13) Used (7) from $16.06
Seller: the_book_depository_
Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 2198521
Media: Paperback
Pages: 272
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.7
ISBN: 1598008595
Dewey Decimal Number: 510
EAN: 9781598008593
ASIN: 1598008595
Publication Date: September 27, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| | |
| Customer Reviews:
Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review December 6, 2008
V. S. Grenier (Ivins, Utah USA)
REVIEWED BY: Wayne Walker
Most of the books that I review for Stories for Children are usually one of two kinds: children's picture books, or stories, both novels and biographies, for young people. Your Personal Math Tutor is obviously different. Researchers tell us that an area where American students are falling way behind those in other countries is mathematics. Perhaps one reason for this is the prevalence of "new math," the current version of which is often called "fuzzy" or "rain-forest" math because its purpose is geared more toward political correctness, social consciousness, and self-esteem than actually learning anything of value. I shall be honest. Math was neither my favorite nor my best subject in school. I attribute this to the fact that I had to suffer through the introduction of the original "new math" in the mid 1960s. Also, I was much more oriented toward language arts and social sciences. However, I still took algebra I, geometry, and algebra II in high school and graduated as a valedictorian, and I took set theory and modern college algebra in college and graduated magna cum laude. So even a person who does not care for math can still learn it and do well.
Everyone can easily see why accountants, engineers, computer programmers, and even doctors would need to learn math, but why should "normal" people be forced to study it? The fact is that we live in a world where everything we know is defined and described by numbers and their relationships. Furthermore, learning how to deal with different kinds of mathematical problems teaches us logical thinking and helps us to develop the skills that we need for solving various other sorts of problems. Your Personal Math Tutor is not a textbook nor a replacement for one but a supplement for math textbooks and a resource to help one have a better understanding generally of the branches of mathematics. Chapters on arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and pre-calculus explain what those areas of mathematics involve and give tips on how to study and learn them. There is an additional chapter on SAT math preparation, all written in an easy, user-friendly style designed so that parents can understand it if even if they have not done this type of work in twenty years. The author's goal is to make math interesting and fun using his "arithmetrix."
As a homeschooling father who has taught both of my sons their math, I can easily see the value of this book. However, even if your children are attending a traditional school, the book could serve as a useful tool for you to help them out and maybe refresh your own memory so that you can see some of the practical applications of mathematical principles (yes, even algebra and geometry) to everyday life. The author, a retired mechanical engineer and teacher, says, "This book is like potpourri--a little bit of this and a little bit of that. You can keep this for years and refer to it as you progress through school....This is a technical book, which can't be read like a novel. You must read it slowly to absorb the material, read it again, then practice, practice, practice!" The main index should be very helpful in reviewing specific subjects. If your children need some extra help in math, or if they just enjoy the subject, you may find this book beneficial.
|
|
|
