Customer Reviews

Mathematics, a Human Endeavor: A Textbook for Those Who Think They Don't Like the Subject

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Bar none, this is one of the greatest textbooks ever written about mathematics. This is THE book for those who have an inquiring mind. It explores and explains logic, and the theory behind mathematical development. In addition, it is peppered with innumerable facts that apply to daily life.

Personally, I always needed to know why something was a rule. However, most of my math instructors were stodgy, unapproachable, prune faced individuals with superiority complexes. Math was a "secret" whose deciphering was saved for the select few who had a natural aptitude. Thank God this is no longer the case...

I use knowledge from this textbook daily in my math classes. It is written for high school level students, but I find my advanced fifth grade and sixth grade truly enjoy the mind bending logic problems. Weekly, we work on some of these challenging problems in small groups. It provides an incredible forum for peer contribution combined with teacher guidance.

This book helps my students build a foundation in logic and inference. The format is smooth, nearly conversational, "friendly," and nothing any of my former math instructors would consider. It actually makes math fun. Yes, math and fun are in the same sentence.

Usually when a student/person hates math, it stems from a lack of understanding combined with the teacher's inability to answer the pressing question of WHY? (Enabling the stodginess...) There are many rules in math, but some students need to know why. This book helps explain and illustrate.

The chapters on deductive reasoning/inference skills are excellent. However, the entire book is a delight. A great choice for the mathophobe who wants to improve their skills and understanding. Even though you will never publicly admit it, you'll find yourself reading this book for entertainment and pursuing the problems for sport. Don't worry, you can read it behind closed doors at night when no one's watching... ;-)

As usual, Harold Jacobs has written a book about the spirit of Mathematics. He invites the student into the world of discovery with tools like cartoons, experimental activities of small understandable pieces. The result is a student who begins to "like" math for the first time. I wish every student could study Basic Math, Geometry, and Algebra out of Jacobs' books.