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Math is fun and everyone can do it, it just needs as much practice as any other thing that you want to be good at. These seem to be Lockhart's main messages and the book wraps them into more than 50 comprehensive sections. The sections combine explanations and plenty of illustrations with questions (or homework) for the reader, so the reader should expect some time away from the book thinking about the problems and maybe discover their own questions and answers.
There is a lot of fun and entertainment in these some 300 pages, but there are also (maybe naturally) many things that could have been improved. Lockhart is a mathematician and he repeatedly points out that this profession is completely unconnected from the physical world. To make this even clearer, all the sketches in the book are what looks like hand-copied versions of computer printouts - imperfect representations of the ideal object one has in mind.
Almost from the very first page, though, any units are removed from the discussion so we deal with numbers only. But instead of simply referring to meters , inches, degrees or whatever unit you want to use, in the following we are constantly reminded of arbitrary "units of length" and others. In the same way, the book moves from measurement to motion by introducing time - which is then again simply replaced by (or reduced to) an arbitrary dimension similar to length. All that would have been a little easier to swallow if the title of the book had been "geometry" instead of "measurement." Maybe the better approach is to not try to force the reader to decouple the sketches (i.e. the real world) from the objects in mind.
Also it is not quite clear who this book is aiming at.Read more ›
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Mr. Lockhart has previously written (A Mathematician's Lament) about the joyless methods that were used to teach most of us mathematics. Fortunately I was one who found the joy behind both the practical significance of arithmetic (yes the bank needs to know the exact balance of your account even if you don't care to figure it out) and the memorization of tables; now called math facts (yes, even musicians need to practice scales and train their fingers if they wish to make music, not just appreciate it).
If you already know how joyful and remarkable mathematics can be, Mr. Lockhart writes in a way that is easy to read and offers many examples of familiar problems and solves them in a way that emphasizes the elegance and beauty of both the problem and its solution.
If you wonder WHY some of us KNOW that mathematics is elegant and beautiful and wish to share that joy, give the book a whirl. You don't need to know more about mathematics than basic arithmetic. As long as you know that algebra and geometry exist; expertise is not required, you will do fine. However as easy as it is to read, be warned that sometimes the mathematics and logic will appear so clearly as if by magic and other times your brain will be challenged and you may struggle mentally as mightily as a women struggles physically (and mentally) to give birth. Whether the struggle is worth it is entirely up to you and fortunately for you, unlike the woman who cannot undo her pregnancy if she finds the struggle to give birth too difficult, you can just give up and read on to the next problem and hope it is easier. There are many, many problems to solve in the book.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
This is a great math book even for people who don't think they are good at math. When I watched the video of this guy talking about the subject I thought I would give it a try. The book is great because the author breaks down the subject into simple concepts that even I could understand. So far I have only read the first chapter. The book discusses the deep philosophical thoughts in math, for example what is a proof?. The first chapter discusses geometry. I recommend this book to any one who want to develop an love for the subject.
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I incorporated the section on the unit circle and trig ratios in my math classroom. It is also a good book for anyone seeking to learn more about math ideas. Well explained and easy to follow!
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Read this with a pencil and paper beside you so you can do the problems and draw diagrams for yourself. The book isnt easy. It gives a non-mathematican an insight into how the math guy thinks and its fascinating. How many degrees are there in a pentagon? I loved the book, I'm reading it for the second time.
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I have gone through only about a third of the book and have put it aside out of fatigue, though I expect to pick it back up in a month or so. The approach to mathematics is both interesting and unique, giving a new and clear perspective on concepts we have often taken for granted before. There is something here for everyone; new concepts for the less mathematically trained and new perspectives for those with strong mathematical background. That is why I will surely pick up the book later.
The problem I have is that the book attempts to explain the most basic areas of mathematics, and yet puts forth countless simple, interesting, but difficult-to-answer questions--with no answers or proofs provided--that I believe are beyond the capabilities of most readers without a mathematics degree. As a reader, the choice is to stop and try to answer the questions that follow each topic (if you can), or skip over them and wonder if you really absorbed what you just read.
This book needs an appendix or a companion guide to answer all the teasing questions posed and proofs requested of the reader.
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