Sunday, December 01, 2013

The I Hate Mathematics! Book

I came across this little gem back in the early days of my private teaching career nearly 30 years ago (I still have my original copy), and it remains one of my very favorite books for students young or old who struggle with math phobia or maintain an abiding hatred for the subject.

Combining author Marilyn Burns's witty writing with engaging illustrations, jokes, activities, and explanations, this wonderful book celebrates the "other" side of mathematics – the creative, beautiful, quirky, fun side hidden from a great many unfortunate students.

This is not an instructional text, at all. Rather, it's a funny, fascinating exploration aimed to crack the fearful shells of the math phobic and blow the minds of math haters everywhere.

The I Hate Mathematics! Book should be required reading for all young students and others who wish math would just "go away." After any serious reading of this short work, it's difficult to believe that math is hopelessly beyond one's grasp, or to retain a complete lack of interest in the subject (much less an thorough contempt for it). Parents should buy this book, read it themselves, and then read and discuss it with their youngsters who display any signs of serious aversion to mathematics.

The only improvement I could suggest would be to strike through the word "Hate" in the title and replace it with the word "Love," as I did with my original copy – such is the unexpectedly powerful, positive effect this book can have on its readers.

Recommended for ages 9-12.

Find it on amazon here, and archived here.

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Copyright © 2006-present: Christopher R. Borland. All rights reserved.

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