A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)
A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)
Book Brief
BetaA Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2014336
Book • Nonfiction
2010s
2014
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science by Barbara Oakley provides strategies to help individuals understand and excel in math and science. It focuses on effective learning techniques, overcoming mental blocks, and improving problem-solving skills, making challenging subjects more accessible.
Reviews & Readership
26,906 ratings
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Mixed feelings
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Review Roundup
Barbara Oakley's A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science offers practical techniques for improving math and science skills. Praised for its accessible writing and actionable advice, it's particularly useful for those struggling in these subjects. However, some find the anecdotes redundant, and the tips may seem basic to advanced learners. Overall, it's a valuable resource for students and educators alike.
Who Should Read A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)?
A reader who would enjoy A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science by Barbara Oakley is someone interested in improving their mathematical and scientific skills through understanding cognitive strategies. Comparable to readers of Carol Dweck’s Mindset and Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow, this audience values practical, research-based learning techniques.
26,906 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
A Mind for Numbers is written by Barbara Oakley, who not only teaches engineering but also has personal experience in overcoming difficulties with math, having initially struggled with the subject herself.
The book emphasizes the importance of shifting between "focused mode" and "diffuse mode" in the brain to better understand and solve complex problems, which are also concepts Oakley discusses in her popular Learning How to Learn online course.
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Oakley draws on neuroscience research to present learning techniques, showcasing how certain methods can dramatically improve mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills, even for those who traditionally struggle with math.
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336
Book • Nonfiction
2010s
2014
Adult
18+ years
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