Basic Math and Pre-Algebra For Dummies

A delightful tour of the beauty and ubiquity of mathematics

The joy of x is indeed what the author claims it to be in its subtitle: a tour through the enchanting and often intriguing world of mathematics by a wise and selective guide intent on passing over his enthusiasm for the subject regardless of former mathematical training. I must say I have been a fan of Strogatz since I first read his (more technical) Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos. His lucidity in explaining advanced mathematical concepts made me wish he wrote a book on the more introductory realms of mathematics, and intended for a much broader audience. Soon enough, I heard about his series in the NY times, which clearly indicated his expertise in this arena. And now that it is has been expanded and put out as a hardcover, I made sure I ordered a copy right away! Strogatz focuses not on those who were math wiz-kids in high school. His pace and clarity particularly are meant to encourage those who were even scared of areas of mathematics to try and read this book. As to those who can digest more advanced math, the book still is charming; offering a "snack", to quote Strogatz himself, in any chapter of his work. And this is not a complete book in any-sub area of math, but merely an attempt at revising and rediscovering elementary concepts of the subject. The book is divided into six parts, constructed more or less in a sequence that resembles the way we are (or at least, should be) introduced to elementary mathematics. The first two build up on what numbers mean, their properties, the need for larger number sets, their relationships, and a whirlwind primer to algebra. Strogatz constantly focuses on insight, often digressing into alternative methods to understand concepts, and with a generous supply of figures to support that. He then moves on to Geometry, followed up by a short but extremely illustrative companion to introductory calculus. His examples are interesting and often ingeniously pulled out of daily life. Particularly worth mentioning is the fact that pro...