Doing Simple Math in Your Head

Book cover: Doing Simple Math in Your Head
Author(s): 
W.J. Howard
Number of pages: 
130 pages
Copyright: 
1992
ISBN: 
9781556524233
Publisher: 
Chicago Review Press
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

What fun! Doing Simple Math in Your Head compiles all sorts of amazing mathematical tricks into one diaper-bag-sized book, ready for those odd moments spent in waiting rooms and restaurants. Have you ever needed to figure a tip quickly, without resorting to writing on the napkin? Have you ever wondered how others can convert fractions to decimals so quickly? Have you ever worried that your receipt was not computed correctly but didn't have a calculator available to check it quickly? After working through this book, you will have an arsenal of tricks available to do these things in your head, quickly and accurately.

According to Mr. Howard, "being able to do problems in your head is basically being able to simplify. When you can do that, the rest is easy." He leads us through three chapters, elegantly and simply teaching us how to look at things differently so that they become easier. The book begins with an Introduction that describes how these methods are different from what we learned from our schoolbooks. This is followed by three chapters titled "Making Things Easier", "Problems and Solutions", and "Background: Basic Arithmetic". The book closes with an Index and a Glossary of technical "math" words that are not necessarily used in the book but which should be understood. The book is organized with subtitles at the top of each page, allowing you to skim quickly to find the topic you need or to browse until you find an interesting topic to study. Spending a few hours practicing the techniques taught in this book will make practical, everyday math much easier!

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
7-11-05