The Only Math Book You'll Ever Need: Practical, Step-By-Step Solutions to Everyday Math Problems

by Stanley Kogelman and Barbara R. Heller

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816027676
• ISBN13: 9780816027675
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Checkmark Books
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

It adds up...

As a student in college and graduate school, I had far more math than this small book covers, so in fact it is not the be-all and end-all of all mathematics texts. Alas, there is not a quadratic equation or a Fibonacci number listed in the index, nor will one find here the secrets to factoring polynomial equations. However, as my students in Algebra have often observed, one very rarely has to do those sorts of things in 'real life' (with the less than delicately phrased question, 'When am I ever going to need this...?'). For most everyday purposes, however, this is an entertaining and generally non-threatening overview of mathematics principles. There are three main sections: The Mathematics of Personal Finance (money matters!); Outdoor Math; and Indoor Math. In the first section on personal finance, the authors Kogelman and Heller look at the primary uses of math in most people's lives - how to figure out raises and taxes; how to understand bank addition and subtraction, particularly as it relates to balancing the checkbook; how to figure out returns on investments; and how to calculate interest on loans, from mortgages and automobiles to credit cards. This book will in many instances save the reader more than its purchase price. The information adds up! The second section, Outdoor Math, includes issues as diverse as sport and travel to restaurant dining and gambling. How do you calculate a tip? If the menu says that a 15% or 18% gratuity is added, how can you be sure it was done correctly? If you travel, how do you make sure your exchange rate for money is a fair one? In the games and gambling section, the authors do not give you a perfect plan for counting cards at blackjack or beating the house at Atlantic City, but they do give you some insight into probabilities and risks. Odds are that this section will help. For the final section, Indoor Math, the authors again return to some crucial, everyday applications. How does one figure out if bills are done correctly? Are you really using that much gas and electricity? Do you save anything by closing a room or shutting off the hot water heater part of the day? Also, practical matters like figuring the square foot measurements for carpeting, comparison shopping for better values involving math, and understanding news reports and media (just what is the difference between 'average income' and 'median income', anyway?). Kogelman and Heller write in an interesting and accessible way, without jargon and without abstraction -- everything is grounded in real-world applications and is meaningful to the reader. Math can be your friend! This is a good companion.