A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra) [J0321]

2014 PB in nice clean condition. Engineering professor Barbara Oakley knows firsthand how it feels to struggle with math. In her book, she offers you the tools needed to get a better grasp of that intimidating but inescapable field. In A Mind for Numbers, Dr. Oakley lets us in on the secrets to effectively learn math and science-secrets that even dedicated and successful students wish they'd known earlier. Contrary to popular belief, math requires creative, as well as analytical, thinking. Most people think that there's only one way to do a problem, when in actuality, there are often a number of different solutions-you just need the creativity to see them. For example, there are more than three hundred different known proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem. In short, studying a problem in a laser-focused way until you reach a solution is not an effective way to learn math. Rather, it involves taking the time to step away from a problem and allow the more relaxed and creative part of the brain to take over. A Mind for Numbers shows us that we all have what it takes to excel in math, and learning it is not as painful as some might think!

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Great advice and peer-reviewed techniques for learning any subject, not just math & science. I would recommend this book to any student or educator."; "I wish I'd had this book in college. It would have saved me."; "Oakley's exceptional engagement and masterful scientific translation use vivid metaphors to keep readers fully engaged without triggering cognitive fatigue. The text serves as a powerful catalyst for personal identity transformation and self-efficacy, beautifully bridging the gap between neuroscience and the emotional self-regulation required to navigate complex systems, programming logic, or future academic trails without burning out."