Comments on: Secrets of Mental Math: The Mathemagician’s Guide to Lightning Calculation and Amazing Math Tricks

By: D.L. Oldham

D.L. Oldham — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:11:57 +0000

After seeing this author reviewed on the Colbert Report, I ordered it for my 12 year old grandaughter. Her mother tells me that she has spent hours in her room reading it. This has been followed by endless statements like “Go ahead ask me the square root of ….” It is a winner!

By: Torben Brams

Torben Brams — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:11:57 +0000

I must say this Kindle book was a nice surprise – although the topic might discourage many people from browsing this book at all, I find the book to be very well written and appropriate for all audiences regardless of educational background. Formatting on the Kindle is overall acceptable, but with the occasional missing word or sub phrase, like in this example in Locations 2933-42 “Thus February 12, 1809, has and 14+14 = 0, so …”

By: Ulrich Semrau

Ulrich Semrau — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:11:57 +0000

Great little book. Basic math should be taught this way in all schools. The way we teach now creates problems with math for the majority of people. The United States is 24th in math scores world wide. What is insanity, doing the same thing over and over the same way and expecting a different result? That is what our educational system does. This book gives us a fun and effective way to teach basic math so our kids continue on to the more complex and fun stuff.

By: vence

vence — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:11:57 +0000

I ordered this book to make up the difference to qualify for free shipping from Amazon. Turned out to be a fortuitous purchase. My 9 year old now gets a kick at being able to multiply numbers like 81×89 in hear head in less than 5 seconds. I’ve also learned a few things myself as well.

By: Cultural Groupie

Cultural Groupie — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:11:57 +0000

I bought this book because I got a performance note at work saying that I needed to work on my math skills. As an accountant, I’m really good with Excel and my trusty calculator. However, mental math can come in really handy if you’re on the phone with a client or in a boardroom and you don’t have your computer nearby. I found that adding & subtracting left to right is much easier, and even though it takes a little practice to get comfortable with the techniques in the book, if you work through the exercises it really works. I think it’s invaluable. Yeah, there’s a chapter on tricks to impress your friends (um, nerdy, I would NEVER pull those out at a party), but I didn’t even bother reading that and skipped right to improving my mental math. Easy to read, fun, and it works. Definitely recommend it.