Basic Maths For Dummies

I did my 'O' level in maths in 1979 and got a 'U' (that's one step up from an Orangutan). I'm hoping this will make amends. So far...it's looking good.

This book is absolutely terrible. I'm sure to the author it seemed simple when he wrote it, but that's because he knows math. I got to the long division section and it droned on for a bit and then totally switched subjects... but I wanted to learn long division! It's confusing, poorly explained, and the author tries to relate it to real world situtations, but its done in such a way that it only confuses further. Very frustrating. I have a degree and a postgrad degree so I'm not a total idiot, but man, did this book really put the dummy in me.

I thought the book was poorly structured and it makes using it difficult. For Example, the division section. Has an explanatory paragraph printed on the end of one page, and the diagram on the other, meaning you have to flick back and forth between the examples, which is counterintuitive when trying to follow the structure of the sum. If you want to see all aspects of division, its scattered throughout the book.Take dividing with a leftover number. If you want to try and convert that left over to decimals, you have to trawl forward in the book to find decimals, and piece together how it fits in with division a few chapters back. Its not all aspects of division explained in one chapter with progression.Overall, not helpful and i found the flippant language and explanations distracting and often as not, confuses you.

In typical Dummies style this book is written by an expert. In typical Dummies style, it is absolutely impenetrable. Simply getting an expert to write the book is not a recipe for success. There's a very good reason why Teacher Training Colleges exist. Just because you are an expert in a particular subject, doesn't mean you are qualified to teach it. Teaching is like any other skill. It needs to learned and understood before you can teach your subject to anybody else. The majority of Dummies books suffer from the same problem. This one is no exception. As I said, it's impenetrable.

I didn't enjoy the format & it didn't help me at all. I hated the first few maths instructions/method and struggled with it, then I quickly realised that the rest of the book was based on getting to grips with these first few pages which consisted of the authors very specific method, hence the rest the whole book meant it was totally useless as every chapter relies on the same mathematical method. I paid for a private tutor instead. It might be OK for people who like the style of the 'for dummies series'.