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"Mind Over Math" by Dr. Stanley Kogelman & Dr. Joseph Warren
This classic treat, priced at pocket change, will clear out all the mental clutter you have trying to decipher the enigmatic beautiful of mathematics.
Kris Caballero • Jul 17, 2012 • 0 comments • Book Reviews



Certainly a one-of-a-kind self-help book out there. Though there are a couple out there, one written by a feminist, I went with this one nonetheless. Despite it being a older book, it was cheap and thought I'd take a look (the condition I received, as you can tell from the images, has a torn front cover, but I didn't feel like spending more on it as I will eventually pick up a better copy just as long as the seller doesn't charge much).
You know, I had no idea Math caused a ruckus among students decades before my parents made and raised me. You can tell that extreme hatred toward Math is still apparent today, and most complain how and when they're going to use these complex equations in their lives.
To be honest, yes I hated Math especially the time I got to high school (reason is too personal for me to talk about). This book made me feel like I'm in a psychiatrist's office with a group of others struggling as well, and hoping to destroy the walls holding everyone out to entering mathematical empyrean. In the beginning of the book, stories from patients are shared about their struggles with numbers and offer advice to clear your mind. Then the second half, you start solving and putting your mind at work. It felt very good—the eloquent revitalization your body feels after a good massage, or a good, brisk shower.
Even though my feelings toward Math changed after playing around with computer programming, I read this book to clear out any leftover fragments hanging around. Besides, not only did the book did just that, it built up my confidence; the book really gets your brain set on what to look for. The writing is gentle, as if the doctors are speaking right at you personally.
You'll also learn that Math is very much just following instructions, similar to cooking. The key is never to over-analyze the question, especially word problems (this happens to me sometimes).
Strongly recommended for those wanting to quickly eliminate their fear/struggles with Math. Also a great read before the big exam; it's a quality book that can be read over and over again.
A more calm mindset yet a gentle approach to working with word problems, without over-thinking, was what I learned from this book. This helped made me that much more brave tackling the beauty of problem solving. Don't believe me? Pick this book up, and try the Sherlock Holmes problem.
My favorite chapter is the last chapter about Calculus. Surprising to say, I've never taken a Calculus class; the highest Math class I took was Statistics. I'm working on it, and have developed self-motivation into mastering the higher levels of Math, not because of any job opportunities or because of bigger pay being able to do so, but because I'm strongly attracted to its beauty (thanks for the inspiration, G.H. Hardy).
The stories provided from members of the authors' workshop share enough to get you to reflect on your own struggles as what it is holding you back from concentrating and being able to solve problems.
CONTENTS5/5
COVER4/5
WRITING5/5
PRICE5/5
- Clearest and concise book for those struggling with math.
- Reads like a private clinical appointment with a psychologist/psychiatrist.
- A boost of mathematical confidence after reading.
- Doesn't overwhelm the reader with examples from advanced subjects like Multi-Vairable Calculus or Linear Algebra.
- A title not often suggested nor found by professors struggling to help/tutor their students' difficulties with math.
PROFILE |
|
---|---|
Title | Mind Over Math Put yourself on the road to success by freeing yourself from math anxiety |
Author(s) | Dr. Stanley Kogelman & Dr. Joseph Warren |
Description | Maybe it's your attitude, not your aptitude... A study by a sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley, revealed that of all freshmen admitted in 1972, 43 percent of the males and 92 percent of the females had not taken four years of high-school math, a requirement of fifteen of the twenty majors at Berkeley. In effect, those students had limited themselves to only 25 percent of the possible majors. Like the Berkeley freshmen, many Americans avoid math—and consequently restrict their personal and professional options to areas that are not math-related. Otherwise intelligent and capable people react so negatively to math that their ability to concentrate and learn it is effectively impaired; they assume they "don't have the aptitude" for it. Mind Over Math evolved from a workshop program developed by the authors for business and professional people, as well as students. Using a friendly, informal style, they debunk "math myths," explore the roots of math anxiety, and demonstrate that doing math is not really so different from any other skill. Reinforcement is provided in a section of math practice. Different from—and vastly superior to—a math review book, Mind Over Math is a unique combination of sympathetic analysis of an emotional disability and practical guidance for overcoming it. It will find a grateful audience among all those whose hearts race at the prospect of interpreting a graph or computing a waiter's tip. |
Dedication | "To Elaine Sorel for her warmth, friendship, and inspiration" |
ISBN | 0-07-035281-X |
Book Dimensions | Width: 3.0″ |
Height: 5.31″ (5 5/16″) | |
Depth: 0.56″ (9/16″) | |
Page Count | 252 |
Contents | Preface, Introduction, six (6) parts, twenty-one (21) chapters |
Book Design | McGraw-Hill |
Author Photograph | -- |
Published | August 1, 1979 |
Publisher | McGraw-Hill (www.mheducation.com) |
Copyright | © 1978 by Stanley Kogelman and Joseph Warren |
Printed in | United States of America (Reprinted by arrangement with The Dial Press) |
Book Format | Hardcover, Paperback |
Best Seller's List | -- |
Other | The Hardcover edition of this book was published by Dial Press in 1978. Stanley Kogelman and Joseph Warren both hold Ph.D. degrees in mathematics. For a master's degree in clinical psychology, Kogelman researched the emotional causes of math anxiety. In 1976, the authors developed their "Mind Over Math" program as a consulting service for educational institutions, corporations, and the general public. |
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data |
1. Mathematics—Study and teaching—Psychological aspects |
I. Warren, Joseph, 1936— joint author | |
II. Title. | |
CIP Number | 79-15176 |
LC Control Number | 2009034248 |
LC Call Number | QA11.K74 1979 |
DDC Call Number | 510´.7 |
Kris Caballero
Founder of KCU Network and KCU Plus, Kris has been writing since he managed a personal blog made back in late 2005. Officially back to doing computer programming (software development) and video production, Kris enjoys reading books on Mathematics, Quantum Computing, Philosophy, playing old video/DOS games, digital video archiving, and listening to sports, public radio and classical music.
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