Rapid Math Tricks & Tips: 30 Days to Number Power

Rating:
Summary: Title Somewhat Deceptive
Review: I am a long retired teacher and supervisor of mathematics. In addition to having taught math for many years, I have also written and published materials covering the same subject. I am now using this book with an eight year-old math whiz and find it valuable to introduce him to rapid calculation and then an analysis of why it works (largely based on our place-value system of numbers. The various methods are interesting but most of them are not very practical for everyday calculation since most are special cases rather than general applications. For successful use they also require instant recall of the basic number facts and there is no hint as to how this can be accomplished. Barring that prior requirement not many math phobes will become highly skilled arithmeticians in 30 days using this or any other book.

Rating:
Summary: Title Somewhat Deceptive
Review: I am a long retired teacher and supervisor of mathematics. In addition to having taught math for many years, I have also written and published materials covering the same subject. I am now using this book with an eight year-old math whiz and find it valuable to introduce him to rapid calculation and then an analysis of why it works (largely based on our place-value system of numbers. The various methods are interesting but most of them are not very practical for everyday calculation since most are special cases rather than general applications. For successful use they also require instant recall of the basic number facts and there is no hint as to how this can be accomplished. Barring that prior requirement not many math phobes will become highly skilled arithmeticians in 30 days using this or any other book.

Rating:
Summary: This is way better than his first rapid math book!
Review: I have to admit I hated the first rapid math book he wrote.Besides that,this book is way more better than the first.I gave it three stars instead of five because you have to memorize all of the addition ,subtraction ,mutiplication, and division tables.I wish he would teach rapid math tricks to remember your tables.You'll keep saying to yourself "If only I knew my facts this trick would be alot easier." I hope he reads this.

Rating:
Summary: Got me through GRE
Review: The information gained in this book helped me through the GRE! I recommended this to all of my friends.

Rating:
Summary: Cool Tricks
Review: This book has some very cool tricks. It really helps out a lot on tests. It is fun to show my dad them (he is really interested in math). In math class we are reading this book and doing the problems. I don't see how Mr. Julius figured out these tricks. You should get this book!

Rating:
Summary: Examples of math that should not be done
Review: This book is designed to do something that simply should not be done. While the mathematical inadequacies of the American public are conceded here, teaching people sixty tricks is hardly the solution. Furthermore, if someone cannot divide by 4 in the normal way, how is it possible that they will learn to do it by dividing by 2 twice? The rules of division are the same in both cases. If someone understands the rules of arithmetic, then all of these tricks are superfluous.
Even if these sixty special cases are thoroughly learned, that is, memorized, the amount of mathematics digested will be minimal, as no generalizations are made. For example, one of the tricks is the rapid multiplication of any one- or two-digit number by 101. But the reasons for this are never explained, so the end result is the reader knows only one particular operation on a small set of numbers.
The accountant or bookkeeper that wishes to increase their ability to compute on the fly may find this book of interest. But, to all others, the message is simple and direct, spend your time learning the general rules of arithmetic!

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