Brush Up Your Grownup Math Skills Review

 

Math is something that we use almost every day of our lives, lots of times we do it without realizing it but have you found times that you wished you remembered how to calculate a particular thing. I know I have come across this several times and I have to admit I actually liked math growing up--but it is that "use it or lose it"  theory in action. Thankfully, there is a great solution to our remembering functional math dilemma!

Laura Laing (who happens to have her BS in Mathematics and is a Math Educator) has put together a book just for us called, Math for Grownups: Relearn the Arithmetic You Forgot from School So You Can: Calculate how much that raise will really amount to (after taxes), Figure out if that new fridge will actually fit, Help a third-grader with his fraction homework, Convert calories into cardio time (Adams Media, July 18, 2011)--is that a long enough title for you, we'll just call it Math For Grownups for the rest of this post!

Here is the synopsis of Math For Grownups from the back cover of the book:

Math + Adulthood=Solutions to everyday problems

Ever wish you'd paid more attention in math class? From third grade to senior year of high school, it went in one ear and out the other, didn't it?

But now you're staring at the new washer and dryer, trying to figure out the percentage of sales tax on the purchase price. You multiply something by something, right? Or you're scratching your head, wondering how to compute the odds that your football team will take next Sunday's game. You're pretty sure that involves ratios. The problem is, you can't quite remember.

Here you get an adult refresher and real-life context--with examples ranging from how to figure out how many shingles it takes to re-roof the garage to the formula for resizing Mom's tomato sauce recipe for your entire family.

Forget higher calculus--you just need an open mind. And with this practical guide, math can stop being scary and start being useful.

I was given a copy of Math For Grownups to review. I love this book. It is well written in a practical yet entertaining fashion. It is divided into 10 chapters that will help us refer back to the specific math issue that we need at that moment. The chapters include:

1. At the Store: Deal or No Deal?
2. At the Dealership: Leasing vs Buying, New vs Used--You do the Math
3. On the Market: Buying a House by the Numbers
4. At Home: Will Your New Fridge Fit?
5. In the Kitchen: Making More, Making Less--Recipe Math to the Rescue!
6. In the Yard: If a Train Leaves Omaha at 8am, How much Lawn Edging Do you Need?
7. In the Craft Room: Measure Twice, Cut Once
8. At the Bank: Income Minus Expenses Equals Happiness (or Misery)
9. In the Gym: How Many Miles on the Treadmill to Burn Off On Doughnut?
10. On the Road: When Will You Get There and How Much Will You Spend?

I like that she has compiled all the formulas into an appendix in the back of the book for fast easy reference. I know I will be referring to the book frequently to manage math problems that arise in my life. I love that she breaks everything down to make it very easy to understand and gives examples so you can see the math in action. 

Math for Grownups really is full of useful tips and humorous stories. It was far from a dry, boring math book! Whether you like math or not, you will find this book helpful in may aspects of your life! It is one of the best books,I have found thus far for helping me make informed decisions in my life!

 Thank you to Math for Grownups for my sample used in this review, opinions are honest, review by Michelle.

Don't miss the freebies, coupons, and deals, Subscribe Now!