What is a good book to learn about elementary mathematics?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for books that cover elementary mathematics, particularly focusing on topics that precede algebra, such as arithmetic and fractions. Participants share their preferences for reading materials over video resources and express their specific needs in finding comprehensive books.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks book suggestions for topics that should be studied before algebra, indicating a desire for foundational material.
  • Another participant suggests using video resources from Khan Academy or mathispower4u.com for quicker learning, but acknowledges the preference for books.
  • A participant mentions having collected books like "Practical Algebra: A Self-Teaching Guide" and HELM workbooks but is looking for a book that covers operations with numbers and fractions.
  • Links to various online algebra resources and books are provided, including a Wikipedia portal and specific algebra textbooks.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about finding a single book that covers all necessary topics, suggesting that learning from multiple sources may be more effective.
  • A suggestion is made for a specific pre-algebra book by Danica McKellar, highlighting its interesting background.
  • A participant finds "Algebra I For Dummies" to be the book they were looking for, indicating it contains the foundational material they need.
  • Another participant reiterates their satisfaction with finding the "Dummies" book, confirming it meets their requirements.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the best approach to learning elementary mathematics, with some favoring books while others suggest videos. There is no consensus on a single book recommendation, as participants share various titles and resources.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the limitations of finding a comprehensive book that covers all foundational topics, indicating a reliance on multiple resources for a complete understanding.

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you know all the things that you are supposed to study before algebra .

any good book suggestions ?
:nb)
 
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I would checkout the videos at Khan Academy or at mathispower4u.com as you will probably learn more quickly. You can stop the video, rewind it and play it again to learn the concept.
 
Thanks for the suggestion , i would still like to read books , for some reasons i don't like videos much .

i have collected a couple of books like
Peter Selby, Steve Slavin-Practical Algebra_ A Self-Teaching Guide
HELM workbooks

but the problem is i wish i had that one book that also covers some operations of numbers , fractions and such , i haven't been able to find a book like that

anyway i will keep looking , maybe i can find some good websites like the ones you suggested
 
thanks for the suggestions once again

i think it would be waste of time looking for a book that would contain only parts of mathematics like these

https://www.mathsisfun.com/fractions-menu.html

the best think still would be to learn little things like those from many different places
after that i can move to these two books

Peter Selby, Steve Slavin-Practical Algebra_ A Self-Teaching Guide
HELM workbooks
 
rosekidcute said:
you know all the things that you are supposed to study before algebra .

any good book suggestions ?
:nb)
The material that comes before algebra is pretty much limited to plain old arithmetic. If you do a web search for "pre-algebra books" you'll see tons of links. One that seems interesting to me is this one - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0452295408/?tag=pfamazon01-20, by Danica McKellar, who was on a US TV show called "The Wonder Years" that ran in the late '80s and early '90s. She also holds a degree in mathematics and drives race cars.
 
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Thanks for the suggestion Mark44 ,

but i found what i was looking for when i googled this "algebra for dummies pdf" .

then you can freely download this book

Algebra I For Dummies, 2nd Edition

it has all those little things i am looking for
 
rosekidcute said:
Thanks for the suggestion Mark44 ,

but i found what i was looking for when i googled this "algebra for dummies pdf" .

then you can freely download this book

Algebra I For Dummies, 2nd Edition

it has all those little things i am looking for
Great! However, you asked about all the things that you are "supposed to study before algebra," so that's how I responded. If that Dummies book is what you need, then great!
 
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Yes that's exactly what i wanted , thank god i found it
 
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