The A to Z of Mathematics: A Basic Guide [Paperback]

Thomas H. Sidebotham (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471150452 | ISBN-13: 978-0471150459 | Publication Date: July 15, 2002 | Edition: 1

Forget the jargon. Forget the anxiety. Just remember the math.

In this age of cheap calculators and powerful spreadsheets, who needs to know math? The answer is: everyone. Math is all around us. We confront it shopping in the supermarket, paying our bills, checking the sports stats, and working at our jobs. It is also one of the most fascinating-and useful-subjects. Mastering math can make a difference in your career, your studies, and your daily life.

If you are among the millions of people who would love to understand math but are turned away by fear of its complexity, here is your salvation. The A to Z of Mathematics makes math simple without making it simplistic. Both easy to use and easy to read, the book covers all the topics in basic mathematics. You'll learn the definitions of such terms as "proportion"and "hexomino," and grasp the concepts behind algebra, statistics, and other processes. The book's alphabetical arrangement helps you quickly home in on any topic, and its text is rich with stimulating examples, diagrams, and other illustrations that make the discussion crystal clear to every reader. Everyone will find something of interest in this wide-ranging guide to mathematics.

The perfect antidote to math anxiety, this is an invaluable resource for parents and students, home schoolers, teachers, and anyone else who wants to improve his or her math skills and discover the amazing relevance of mathematics to the world around us.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is an excellent reference book for statisticians who try to comprehend the basic ideas of mathematical statistics or probability concepts." (Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation, February 2006)

"…careful attention to detail…" (The Mathematical Gazette, July 2004)

"...explanation…are easy to read and…are as thorough as possible...a solid and useful reference work..." (Journal of Recreation Mathematics, (currently posted on Amazon))

"...excellent reference...recommended..." (Choice, Vol. 40, No. 5 January 2003)

"...a useful reference..." (The American Statistician, Vol. 57, No. 3, August 2003)

From the Back Cover

Forget the jargon. Forget the anxiety. Just remember the math.

In this age of cheap calculators and powerful spreadsheets, who needs to know math? The answer is: everyone. Math is all around us. We confront it shopping in the supermarket, paying our bills, checking the sports stats, and working at our jobs. It is also one of the most fascinating–and useful–subjects. Mastering math can make a difference in your career, your studies, and your daily life.

If you are among the millions of people who would love to understand math but are turned away by fear of its complexity, here is your salvation. The A to Z of Mathematics makes math simple without making it simplistic. Both easy to use and easy to read, the book covers all the topics in basic mathematics. You’ll learn the definitions of such terms as "proportion"and "hexomino," and grasp the concepts behind algebra, statistics, and other processes. The book’s alphabetical arrangement helps you quickly home in on any topic, and its text is rich with stimulating examples, diagrams, and other illustrations that make the discussion crystal clear to every reader. Everyone will find something of interest in this wide-ranging guide to mathematics.

The perfect antidote to math anxiety, this is an invaluable resource for parents and students, home schoolers, teachers, and anyone else who wants to improve his or her math skills and discover the amazing relevance of mathematics to the world around us.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Interscience; 1 edition (July 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471150452
• ISBN-13: 978-0471150459
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,327,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid mathematical reference work, December 8, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: The A to Z of Mathematics: A Basic Guide (Paperback)

I am constantly telling my computer science students that it is impossible to remember everything, so your only choice is to remember a few key elements and where to look for the rest. The same applies to mathematics, where you are only as good as the quality of your references and your ability to take advantage of them. Of course the quality of the first has a great deal to do with your success in the latter.
This book is somewhere between a dictionary and an encyclopedia and is easy to use. Mathematical topics are listed in alphabetical order, with short explanations and examples of each topic. The length of the explanations is longer than that in a dictionary and shorter than that found in an encyclopedia. Additional related terms for reference are at the end of each segment. Some terms are not directly defined, the entry is simply a list of related terms to consult.
The explanations of the terms and phrases are easy to read and the explanations are as thorough as possible in a reference work of this type. There are few wasted words and no extraneous equations, which is also an excellent strategy. The purpose of the book is to provide primers or refreshers on the topics, and the author succeeds in doing a good job.
This is a solid and useful reference work and deserves a place in all academic libraries.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understand Mathematics and Enjoy the Process!, February 9, 2003

By 

Carole Wright - Head of Junior School, Cathed... (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The A to Z of Mathematics: A Basic Guide (Paperback)

Thomas Sidebotham's book is a valuable contribution to successful mathematical understanding and will appeal to a wide audience. It is perfect for any student requiring a firm grounding in mathematics; parents struggling to support a son or daughter; teachers who want to give their students clear definitions and simple, well structured examples or for those of us who are faced with mathematical tasks when our knowledge has become rather rusty.

The author's easy to follow format provides straightforward definitions combined with simple explanations of mathematical concepts and processes. The examples clearly demonstrate the steps for successful learning and ensure it is a memorable, enjoyable and sometimes an amusing experience.

This book is the perfect companion for anyone studying mathematics and will be a treasured resource at home or in school.

5.0 out of 5 stars Need a math reference book?, June 8, 2007

By 

Roger B. Vacca (usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The A to Z of Mathematics: A Basic Guide (Paperback)

Its reasonable,it is complete and it is easy to use and understand. it can be for a 4th grader or a college student in a math class. What an addition to a family library. Don't just shelve it, put it on the study table.