Quantitative Reasoning: Tools for Today's Informed Citizen (Paperback)

by Alicia Sevilla (Author), Kay Somers (Author)
Key Phrases: bivariate data, multiple variable functions, analyzing studies, Excel Activities, Use Excel, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This text is unique in that it takes an activity-based approach and fully integrates the use of technology. The authors make technology an essential component of the course using the argument that significant and more realistic problems can be investigated using technology, and with technology, students can concentrate on ideas rather than computational details.

Product Details

• Paperback: 626 pages
• Publisher: Key College; 1 edition (March 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931914907
• ISBN-13: 978-1931914901
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #580,767 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent choice for a text in basic quantitative reasoning, August 19, 2008

By	Charles Ashbacher "([e-mail])" (Marion, Iowa United States([e-mail])) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

The ability to reason has been an essential survival skill since humans became discernable as a species. In the most recent times, one specific area of this ability is the need to be able to understand, process and interpret quantitative information. In response to this need, mathematics courses in quantitative reasoning have been developed. This book is an excellent choice for such courses.
The general topics are:

*) How to organize data into compressed pictorial forms.
*) How to use functions to represent data, reach conclusions and make modeling predictions.
*) The definitions of financial concepts such as the Consumer Price Index and personal financial issues.
*) The definitions of and how to apply inductive and deductive reasoning.
*) How to describe data in summary form using statistical concepts such as mean and standard deviation.
*) The mathematical utility of the normal distribution curve.
*) The fundamentals of probability.
*) How to use probability to make decisions.

While it might make sense to argue over something lacking, no sensible person could dispute the inclusion of any of these topics.
The level and quality of the exposition is superb, the authors use examples that are worked in minute detail to make their points. These examples are understandable and at the appropriate level. A CD containing data is included and Microsoft Excel is the only point of technology used in the book. A set of exercises to be solved using Excel are also included in an appendix.