Stanley F. SchmidtRezensionen

I definitely a must have when studying economics or just want to understand your money.

Marlo returned to homeschooling after her diagnosis of CRPS. We made it through this book, together, at that time. We got no further, due to the progression of her illness. Time rolled on.

I took 5 years of math during 4 years of high school. I took Algebra I & II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus. I have lost most of it, over time, though. Now everyone but me is in public middle school, high school, college, or graduate school. I finally have time to focus on improving myself and so I am relearning math. I went through this book again, to give myself a strong foundation as I carry onward through his series.

A good book to use in an Algebra class, to explain what the textbook is saying, in a different and easier way.

This is a reread for me of the most delightful high school Algebra 1 text there is, hands down. While most students won't be able to use this all by itself (they need teachers and more practice problems, although there is now the expanded edition and there is the Home Companion) I think every single Algebra teacher or high school math teacher ought to read these a. for fun and b. to see if they can use them to supplement the dry and boring texts, whether or not otherwise well done, they are required to use in their classrooms.

Fred Gauss, our protagonist (name, naturally, after Carl Frederich Gauss, that incredibly brilliant real life mathematician and astronomer who is fictionalized in that good fiction novel, Measuring the World) leads us through beginning Algebra in a humourous romp replete with Algebra being taught in real world stuff (even if in a fictional work) and rife with literary, musical and other references, and a bit of fun with country music.

In the book, Fred is taken, on his sixth birthday, from his office at Kittens University, where he is a professor of mathematics, and drafted into the army because his secretary has not been opening all of his fan mail, just guessing which category it falls under (job offers, marriage proposals, etc) and sending off a form letter. I shall say no more so as not to ruin the jokes (good, silly and otherwise), and that if you don't care to actually do all the math in the "your turn to play" sections and the cities, you can still enjoy this romp.

We love this book at our house, mainly for its fun literary bent and the brilliant way the author can simplify some explanations for algebraic processes. For most students, this is not a stand alone text, but my university math major refuses to let me sell this. How many math authors introduce literary devices, poetry and various and sundry other things in a comic story about a lovable but totally unbelievable 5-6 year old math professor named Fred Gauss? If you enjoy reading math texts, I suggest adding this one to your list, and if you are teaching your students or kids Algebra, I highly recommend this as a supplement to whatever you're using.

One caveat, there is some Christianity here, but nothing in your face. I don't recall any preaching or scriptures or written out prayers, and I know non-Christians who have used and enjoyed this.

My 10YO girl's brain freezes about math. Life of Fred doesn't look like math and read like a story so she doesn't freeze. What I like is that already in book one, algebra and geometry are incorporated into math. My 7YO girl's only complaint is too much time on variation of 5+2=? but then she's a bit of a math whiz and I knew book one would be too easy for her. I am glad we started here, though.

Excellent! Very fun!