Math matters—June 12, 2009
How is math relevant to everyday life? That’s a question many mathematically challenged students ask as they sit in a classroom, but time starts ticking from the moment they wake up for the day. Do you check the temperature before you venture outside for the day, measure the cereal in proportion to the milk, or decide which way to drive before you start out for your destination? Hastings Public Library has resources available from answering your math equation questions to providing recreational math games.
Parents may like to teach math concepts to their children using the 12 book series “Math and My World.” One of the books, “Animal Math,” uses equations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division intermingled with animal facts and figures such as size, speed and the number of animals in the species. “Medical Math” explains how average age, height and weight is derived, how to read body temperature instruments and how to read many health tests people of all ages take. Other book series topics include how to interpret numbers in weather, kitchens, sports, music, space, travel, maps, construction, money and time.
Adults may find assistance in the books “Everyday Math Made Easy” by Peter Davidson, “Real-Life Math: Everyday Use of Mathematical Concepts” by Evan M. Glazer and John W. McConnell, or “All the Math You’ll Ever Need: A Self-Teaching Guide” by Steve Slavin. The books refresh practical uses of math such as figuring tips and discounts, calculating mortgage interest rates and solving time, rate, and distance problems.
Research more specific topics in books such as “Keys to Reading an Annual Report” by George Thomas Friedlob and Ralph E. Welton or “The Numbers Game: The Commonsense Guide to Understanding Numbers In the News, In Politics, and In Life” by Michael Blastland and Andrew Delnot. Focus on the spiritual significance of numbers and their relationship to the scripture in Ed. F. Vallowe’s book “Biblical Mathematics: Keys to Scripture Numerics.” Read about the meaning of the numbers in one of the Bible’s books, “Numbers.” Vallowe says that understanding scripture numbers are important to having a working knowledge of the Bible.
Have fun with mathematical books such as “Mathmagical Fun” by Stuart A. Kallen, “Mathamazing” by Raymond Blum or “Arithmetricks.” You don’t need formal training to solve the puzzles in the book “Test Your Math IQ” by Steve Ryan, but logic and a sense of humor may help.
Find books about math and all of its uses at the Hastings Public Library.
