Friday, June 5, 2020

Review of What's the Point of Math? by DK


You may not realize it, but math controls just about everything in our world.

From cracking codes to winning game shows, from predicting comets to solving crimes, this unique book reveals where our most important math ideas came from (you'll be surprised!). It might change your mind about math forever!

What's the Point of Math? explains really simply how essential math ideas work and identifies the extraordinary things you can do with them. It's full of crazy facts, magic tricks, and mathematical brainteasers, along with beautiful illustrations that bring math to life. It will amuse and entertain even the most reluctant of math students.

From measuring a pyramid to becoming a trillionaire, this book is perfect for those who need some inspiration when it comes to numbers - in the classroom and in the real world. You'll find out why an hour has 60 rather than 100 minutes, what it takes to catch a cheat, and how math keeps our secrets safe.

Hands-on "Try it out" examples show readers how to solve everyday math challenges, while colorful and uncluttered illustrations throughout make mathematical explanations easy to grasp in seconds.


Book Links
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**My thoughts**
Kids often want to know why they have to learn math, because they think they won't have to use it when they are older, or that they can just use a calculator as an easy shortcut. This book takes a look at the history of the various aspects of math, from counting to probability to shapes and more. And then it tries to apply it to how we use it today in a way that kids should be able to understand. For example, one part discussing proportion and percentages shows how you can apply that knowledge to getting a bargain at the store. Quite practical, right? And the patterning section gets into code breaking, which is going to also appeal to some kids. There are even some fun activities to try out to explore the different concepts.

I love history and I love math, so this book is a perfect combination for someone like me. It has an overwhelming amount of information in it. It is not going to appeal to all kids, though. They will likely have to already have somewhat of an interest in history and/or math to actually pick this up and start paging through it. But they can learn a lot if they do. 

Thank you to the publisher for fulfilling my review request via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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