Math, Better Explained: Learn to Unlock Your Math Intuition 1st Edition

by Kalid Azad (Author)

164 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-1479186723

ISBN-10: 1479186724

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"Math, Better Explained" is a clear, intuitive guide to math topics essential for high school, college and beyond. Whether you're a student, parent, or teacher, this book is your key to unlocking the aha! moments that make math truly click -- and make learning enjoyable.

The book intentionally avoids mindless definitions and focuses on building a deep, natural intuition so you can integrate the ideas into your everyday thinking. Its explanations on the natural logarithm, imaginary numbers, exponents and the Pythagorean Theorem are among the most-visited in the world.

The topics in Math, Better Explained include:

1. Developing Math Intuition
2. The Pythagorean Theorem
3. Pythagorean Distance
4. Radians and Degrees
5. Imaginary Numbers
6. Complex Arithmetic
7. Exponential Functions & e
8. The Natural Logarithm (ln)
9. Interest Rates
10. Understanding Exponents
11. Euler’s Formula
12. Introduction To Calculus

The book is written as the author wishes math was taught: with a friendly attitude, vivid illustrations and a focus on true understanding. Learn right, not rote!

Selected testimonials:

"I have several books on calculus (Calculus for Dummys, Math for the Millions, etc. etc. - never was able to read them) but your explanation is what I have needed all these years." - D. Hogg, Former Principal

"This is a great explanation! I am 49 years old and have never known what e is all about. It is thanks to your article that I get it and now can explain it to my son who is 13 years old..." - C. Dhaveji

"I've been following you for nearly two years...I find the intuitive approach to the subject and lucid writing unparalleled." - D. Ezell

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kalid Azad graduated from Princeton University and has been writing professionally for over a decade, from chapters in the best-selling "How to Program" textbooks (from Deitel, Inc.) to technical whitepapers for Microsoft, Corp. Kalid has tutored math since high school (99% percentile for SAT/GRE/GMAT) and is enamored with finding the clearest, most intuitive insights on seemingly-complicated topics. He is the founder of BetterExplained, a teaching website whose explanations are read millions of times every year, including dozens of high school and college courses.

Product details

Publisher : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (May 3, 2013)
Language : English
Paperback : 98 pages
ISBN-10 : 1479186724
ISBN-13 : 978-1479186723
Item Weight : 8.8 ounces
Dimensions : 7 x 0.24 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #216,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,942 in Mathematics (Books)

Customer Reviews:
164 ratings

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Ran Mc

I might have been a mathematician.

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2018

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If I had been given the insights provided by this intuitive approach to math as a child it might have changed the direction of my life. Providing a framework which someone can hook the concepts of math and then fill in the details seems, at least for me, the way to to make math “stick” and see the value of learning it.

The one caveat I would add is that it would help if you have had the experience of trying to learn the concepts the traditional (confusing) way first. I never had the pleasure (insert ironic humor) of trying to learn calculus, so I needed to wrap my head are why anyone would need to learn it in the first place, intuitively or not.

That being said, if you are interested in demystifying all those formulas you’ve long since forgotten, I would highly recommend this book.

5 people found this helpful

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Neo Aeonian

But I'll never use this once I leave school

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2013

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Have you ever heard someone say, 'I never used math after I left school.'

Of course they didn't use it. They didn't understand it the first time.

But if they'd been taught the way Kalid's explains math, not only would they understand it so well they could use it all the time, but they'd have fun doing it.

Which Pizza will do a better job of feeding my family, the small and medium, or the large? Pathagorean's theorem to the rescue.

Pathagoras? The triangle thing?

Sure enough. But not by memorizing it, by the insight that comparing circles works by the same rules that comparing triangles do.

Ever thought anyone would give you an intuitive sense of calculus? As Kalid says, "We don't need to be writers to appreciate Shakespeare," and we don't need to be math geniuses to appreciate calculus.

There are lots of great courses that will teach you how to do many things, and they are good for what they do. Yet with most of them I got the sense that each lesson only applied to one very specific situation, usually a situation I would never be in. And there were hundreds of these little rules, each applying only to their own very specific situation.

But Math, Better Explained, is totally different. Kalid only talks about a dozen things. One of them is not a rule at all, just a way of looking at things Another one he spent 2 chapters on because the way I was taught it missed how useful it is. Chapter after chapter he demystifies concepts that most of us had given up on. He makes them so clear that now I can apply them in hundreds of situations, situations I'm in, if not every day, at least several times a month, where I want answers, sometimes exact and sometimes just close enough.

If you ever wanted to master math, I haven't found a faster, nor an easier way.

Wilfredo Pareto is famous for a principle called the 80/20 rule. 80% of the value comes from just 20% of your efforts. And the secret to life is figuring out where those 20% efforts are at.

Kalid has done this one better.

If you want 90% of the value of a complete math education for 1% of the effort (but 200% of the fun), this is the book you want to buy.

If you want to clear the fog around key math concepts, and show your family, your children, your friends, how to understand math, this is the book you want to show them.

And if you are just tired of saying, "Oh, I'm not good with math," and instead want to be good at it, this is the book that you want to have fun reading while mastering all those math concepts.

51 people found this helpful

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Venkatesh Prasad Ranganath

Ideal for math enthusiasts and for math/science-oriented middle/high schoolers

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2019

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A good and fun book to learn about the intuition behind common math concepts such as logarithm, Euler's number / Napier's constant, Euler's formula, imaginary numbers, and growth rates. If this book is the first serving of these topics, then the reader should be ready to work out calculations on pen and paper to grok the intuition behind the topics. If not, then paying attention should suffice to grok the intuition behind the topics. All of the covered topics are accessible as promised with the exception of Euler's formula being a bit hurried and the language used in growth rates being a bit complex.

One person found this helpful

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David Ivey

This truly is an excellent book

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2013

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I don't have much more to add that hasn't already been said, but I did want add my rating just to give it another 5 star review. Hopefully, the more 5 star reviews the more the book sells and more people will really understand how all this math stuff actually works.

I hate the rigorous approach to mathematics. My learning style requires an intuitive understanding first and then I can learn the rigorous details that help reinforce and sometimes modify my intuitive understanding. There aren't many books that teach math this way, so Kalid's book should be required reading for any author who wants to teach math using an intuitive approach.

The rigorous approach sucks all the enjoyment out of math. It reminds me of when I was in the Army and drill sergeants could somehow suck the fun out of shooting automatic weapons (well, not ALL the fun).

9 people found this helpful

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Juan C. Patino

Math without the Mumbo Jumbo

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2014

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Math is always a scary subject for a lot of people but with this book you will be able to see the forest for the trees. The author takes you straight to the point without jargon or strange words for explaining complicated subjects. He breaks down the subject using lay terms and providing examples that you can visualize easily from the book and on your mind. You will not need any special or genius skills to understand the math concepts explained here. His explanations are clear and right on. This book is highly recommended for high school and college math students as well. As soon as you start reading it you will realize this book is a keeper. I consider myself a math freak and still I am learning something new from this book. From this point on you will feel that you dominate Mathematics and not the other way around. Enjoy!

2 people found this helpful

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John

Same content as the website, good if you like tactile reading

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2016

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Kalid Azad is a national treasure, and should be given a grant to focus on improving math education nationally. His online content is great, which is exactly what this book puts in print. I thought the book would have some different content.

10 people found this helpful

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Dave Murray

An enjoyable math book

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2016

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I enjoyed reading this and recommend reading it twice (it's short). Once without getting carried away with detail to see where it all goes. Then allowing it down to truly understand each example.

I wish this book had been available when I was a young scholar but it's never too late to get an intuitive grasp of math.

3 people found this helpful

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Yisroel S. Lazerson

This book is absolutely amazing - I finally am appreciating the depth of math

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2018

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This book is absolutely amazing - I finally am appreciating the depth of math!

I highly recommend this book!

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

G. H. Broadfoot

It does the job for which I bought it. I like the way Kalid thinks.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2018

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I purchased this not for my own edification, but to give me ideas on helping grandchildren with their maths. I was looking for new ways to better explain abstract concepts like complex numbers, the base of natural logs etc. Kalid explains a number of things in a way very different to the old fashioned way I learned them 50 years ago. This book served my purpose very well. His treatment of "growth" provides a nice basis understanding for integration and differentiation when calculus appears on the horizon. If you want a new way of explaining maths to young people, I think this does the job. If you are looking for new insights into things you learned by route and never really "felt", you won't be disappointed. If you are looking for a learned maths text, this is probably not what you seek.

I'm happy with it for the purposes for which I purchased it. I'm going to try his book on calculus next, before the grandchildren reach that point. With maths, understanding is everything. It simply cannot be learned beyond a certain level by route. I think this book helps on the understanding.

T. Kirby-Green

Lots to think about, beautifully presented

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2017

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Couldn't imagine I'd ever read a mathematics book that had me smiling and finishing a chapter wishing I could read it again for the first time. Seriously. The writing is terrific, the pace gentle and the accompanying graphics clear with excellent and subtle use of colour. Aside from the authors Calculus, I wish there was a second volume to this. Two books are categorically not enough. More please sir.

Bodo

Enlightening, clear and fun

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2014

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I am curious about math concepts. At school I number crunched and rearranged formulae satisfactorily enough to pass exams but never really understood the ideas behind them - such things as 'e' and calculus and why is a circle complete but 'Pi' never ends?
This book is terrific. It does give a real world angle on math concepts and I feel that at least I now have a grasp of the basic ideas- lots of AHAA! moments. It is clearly lifted from a blog,the style is light and conversational. There are a few ' see you next week' type of comments and the content jumps around a bit rather than building logically ( I suppose then it would have to be massive eg Principia). I hope the author will continue with this project - his expositions are great.

shahid

This is how maths should be taught

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2020

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Makes some key concepts really accessible. Examples are very clear and explained with great patience. Highly recommended if you want re connect with maths that you were taught In High school and didn’t take it forward because you hit a conceptual “wall”

Justin

Great book for a different angle.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2013

Verified Purchase

I've been following Kalid's blog for a while and I find it to be a very good source for an alternative look at Maths subjects. I find that when studying a subject (especially a specific sub-part) it's so much more useful to have more than one textbook for a hopefully different stance, well this book gives (normally) quite a unique intuitive view. And usually it's a very useful one, with essential illustration.

To me, it's a distillation of one guy's "A-ha!" moments into a single book, those moments when mathematics seems to beautifully mesh. Not everyone's moments are the same and we may not all agree, but to me at the very least I love to see how other people think about things too.

Also in his blog he replies to comments which is extremely useful too.

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