math&calcs book 4 kids, any suggestions?

[lrdheat]

Hi Luigi,

Although this book was written years before calculators came about, a most delightful book (if it can still be found) is Lady Luck The Theory of Probability. It is by Warren Weaver, a professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin prior to 1932. My copy of his book was a Dover edition from 1982.

In his forward, he says that "I have written it for a double audience: first, for bright high school youngsters, in the hope of attracting them to the field and to more serious further study; and second, for people. By people I mean any and all sorts of adults, in the hope that they will be amused, that they will be intellectually stimulated, and that they will be sufficiently interested to use their influence- with Parent-Teacher groups, school boards, etc. - to see to it that this rich and practical and lovely subject gets some reasonable amount of attention in the mathematical courses in high schools. Indeed, I am convinced that this way of thinking ought to start in elementary schools."

I whole heartedly agree. The last sentence in the above paragraph also is a good one as I think a bright 11 year old would find much of the material accessible and fascinating! What might be difficult could be skipped, and quite possibly would drive a curiosity in mastering the math that was difficult!

He ends with "As you read along, don't expect to find a philosophical treatise. Don't expect meticulous accuracy about the very latest development in pure mathematics. Just bump along with me, admittedly on side roads now and then, and see if it isn't really fun."

Richard

This book is a treasure!