Calculator Puzzles, Tricks and Games (Dover Children's Science Books) [Paperback]

Norvin Pallas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1991 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Dover Children's Science Books

Perform amazing feats of mathematical magic, answer clever riddles, and much more with this book and a handy pocket calculator. Scores of brain-teasers, puzzles, mathematical oddities, games, and recreations to fill dozens of hours with fun and excitement. Answers to problems.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (March 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486266702
• ISBN-13: 978-0486266701
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Science & Technology > Mathematics
  • #70 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Science & Technology > General

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what the blurb describes. . ., January 15, 2007

By 

g c (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Calculator Puzzles, Tricks and Games (Dover Children's Science Books) (Paperback)

This book was described as fun for kids and there was nothing about its text or layout that was age-appropriate for the range indicated. Maybe it would be a fun gag gift for accountants, but the math and the "tricks and puzzles" inside were overly complicated in both description and instruction. Also, the layout of the book was cheap and not in the least appealing visually, and the paper was cheap stock. I intended to give this book to a child who is extremely advanced in math and it was not even appropriate for him. I ended up giving it as a gag gift to the controller at the office holiday party. Definitely would not recommend this book for young people.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice collection of problems for people that enjoy puzzles based on basic mathematics, May 30, 2009

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Calculator Puzzles, Tricks and Games (Dover Children's Science Books) (Paperback)

When pocket calculators first became available, it led to the development of an entirely new class of mathematical problems. Of the ten digits {0, ..., 9} represented in the digital display, seven look very similar to a letter when turned upside down. The new problem was to pose a riddle and present an arithmetic computation where the result, when turned upside down, would be the answer to the riddle. These problems are given the general name "calculator puzzles", hence the first category in the title. Calculator puzzles are extremely simple and can be solved by students in the upper grades of elementary school.
The remaining puzzles are fairly standard mathematical puzzles and those generally considered "mental magic"; the level of difficulty is that of middle school. One example is:

"In his last will and testament, Abe E. Sea left 25% of his wealth to charity. He left 50% of the remainder to his wife, and 12% of the remainder after that to each of his two sons. The balance of $11,400 went to his daughter. What was the total amount of his estate?"

This is a book of problems where one category is quite simple and the others are a bit more complex but easily handled with the use of algebra. It is a nice collection of problems that can be used to sharpen and amuse people with an interest in puzzles based on basic mathematics.