The Handy Math Answer Book: Second Edition (Handy Answer Book) - Softcover

"plain language questions take readers back to ancient Greece, shed light on the latest innovations of math in applications such as computing, finance, sports, and healthcare, [plus] math basics and history, through math in the physical and natural sciences and math in everyday life."-- Book News

"[I]f you want an overview of mathematics, this is a good book. ... ideal for classroom research. While math thinkers will enjoy the overview of their field, the authors offer an entry point for the rest of as well. This will work as book for curious kids to page through, as well as a reference text for reports."-- Children's Literature

"the perfect handbook to give your nonmathematician friends ...."-- Mathematics Teacher

"a good resource for classroom teachers or parents. It is always nice to be able to answer questions about where the mathematics came from, who has contributed to our knowledge, why mathematics is useful, and why it is important for everyone to know this"-- Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School

"The text is clear and concise and is understandable to lay readers, while not oversimplified. This worthwhile resource will provide valuable background information to budding math experts; teachers will also enjoy posing these questions to their students."-- School Library Journal

From modern-day challenges such as balancing a checkbook, following the stock market, buying a home, and figuring out credit card finance charges to appreciating historical developments by Pythagoras, Archimedes, Newton, and other mathematicians, this engaging resource addresses more than 1,000 questions related to mathematics. Organized into chapters that cluster similar topics in an easily accessible format, this reference provides clear and concise explanations about the fundamentals of algebra, calculus, geometry, trigonometry, and other branches of mathematics. It contains the latest mathematical discoveries, including newly uncovered historical documents and updates on how science continues to use math to make cutting-edge innovations in DNA sequencing, superstring theory, robotics, and computers. With fun math facts and illuminating figures, The Handy Math Answer Book explores the uses of math in everyday life and helps the mathematically challenged better understand and enjoy the magic of numbers.