by Rhonda Huettenmueller
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Product Description
* Explains how to understand algebra without having a mathematical background
* Uses practical examples and real data
* Includes an entire section devoted to word problems and fractions
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Great for review, but not an introduction., 2008-10-12
If you're preparing for a standardized test (SAT, GMAT, etc.) and need a refresher course on algebra, then this book is PERFECT.
If you're clueless about algebra, however, and are looking to learn from scratch, this is NOT the book for you. "Algebra I for Dummies" is probably your better choice in that case.
Pros:
- The topics covered are precisely those which are most tested on exams, so you're not wasting your time.
- Great organization of material, too: the book is broken down into chapters which start from the basics and build upward toward applications (i.e. word problems), and each chapter has a straightforward format of (a) brief explanation, (b) examples, (c) practice questions, (d) solutions.
- Review exams at the end of each chapter, and a final review of the whole book at the end--both of which are very helpful for making sure you retained the material.
- The practice questions are well designed, often cleverly weaving in concepts from previous chapters to make sure you remember them.
Cons:
- There is very little verbal explanation of their solutions. They do show you step-by-step what they did to get their answer*, but in MATH--not words. This might be the main reason why those unfamiliar with algebra will feel lost. If you're a person who can't "see" what's going on mathematically in an algebraic expression, even when they show you the changes step-by-step, then start somewhere elsewhere for now...but do come back to this book when you're ready.
- A bit misleading in advertising itself as a "self-teaching guide" in which "nothing [is] left for YOU to 'figure out'". It would more accurately be described as a "self-guided review" that gives "simple & straightforward examples & solutions". I understand that the publishers probably have enough of a challenge selling math books as it is, but I do feel that the mathematically inexperienced might be misled by the marketing. This just isn't a book for true beginners.
- Some very minor typographical errors, but nothing significant.
*Except for the Chapter Review questions, which at first I found surprising...but then realized that there is plenty of material to go back to for understanding where you went wrong.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Great Review Book, 2008-09-03
This was just what I needed to score high on my college math placement test! I haven't taken math in 20 yrs!! My last memory of math is me crying and my teacher yelling "Do you want to graduate?!?!" I'm so glad I don't have to take any developmental classes.
The book provided lots of practice problems. It also provided clear easy examples of how to solve the problems. They really broke it down so I understood each step to solving each problem. Each new skill taught utilized the skills learned in the previous lesson.
Great Book!! I actually found myself enjoying working through the problems. Go figure. Now I'm back to buy the College Algebra version to help me get through my class.
Tips: Start from the beginning and work your way through the book in order. Don't go to the next section until you are comfortable with the previous section.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
This book taught me basic algebra, 2008-07-24
If you're committed to learning basic algebra, this book will teach it to you. It's not without its flaws, but overall I'm giving a 4 star review for the following reasons:
1) There are a huge amount of sample exercises and practice problems.
2) The author includes substantial, categorical treatment of algebraic word problems. These are dealt with by type; so by the time you're done with a category you understand how to solve a specific type of word problem.
3) This book taught me basic algebra.
I've subtracted a star for the following reasons:
1) There are quite a few mistakes, some in the exercises and some in the chapter review problems. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt on this one because I bought the text several years ago, and I'm making the assumption that subsequent printings have dealt with these.
2) There are times when more explanation could help, and it's left to the example exercises to explain how things work. I would suggest to those using this text that with some patience and perseverance, most of the concepts become clear after working through the practice problems. Don't be afraid to redo a chapter here and there (I did) and if you get stuck, put it away and come back to it a day later.
Overall this author did a fine job of presenting the material in a limited amount of pages (over 400). She begins with basic fractions (without variables) and ends with quadratic applications, which provide an introduction of the usefulness (hence application) of quadratic equations.
If you've never touched an algebra problem, you might have a little more difficulty with this text -- but you should still be able to work through it if you're serious about learning the subject. However if you're using it for review or a supplement to a math class, it's likely to give you exactly what you need. The combination of problem solving with application (word problems) helps many of the concepts of basic algebra really come together.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Awesome book!, 2008-04-01
I have never found a book that helped so much!
I personally learn from doing, and that is what this book teaches you to do. You jump right in, and don't get confused by too much by over-explanations.
This book is working great for me and I can't wait to get conquer this book and more!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Loaded with typos, errors, and confusing grammar., 2008-01-03
A lot of the other reviews have covered the high points of this book, and should be considered along with this review. I did find that the book was adept in teaching the ways of algebra from the comfort of my desk, but there was a lot of head scratching along the way.
In many examples, the author substitutes the standard dot symbol for multiplication with a lowercase "x". Okay, not such a big deal, except we're already solving for "x" the variable. 4x (34) and 4 x (34) are similar enough to confuse, and just should not be done.
Also, many of the paragraphs explaining the upcoming steps use tricky passive voice grammar that requires several reads through, or simply shows how to solve the problems without offering you any reason why it works.
I found that these faults were actually helpful to my learning. First of all, 95% of all math teachers are more confusing and obfuscated than this book, so you're already ahead of the game there. Second, in absence of any reasoning behind why any of this works, you're required to forge those mental pathways yourself; kinda like creating your own proof in your head. For me, that helps me commit these skills to memory. Would a text or teacher who explains the "why" along with the "how" be any more or less effective? I wouldn't know, I've never encountered it.
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