Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss
by Danica McKellar
List Price:
Our Price: $3.97
You Save: $20.98 (84%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Danica McKellarEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-08-05
ISBN: 1594630496
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Hudson Street Press
Book Reviews of Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss
Book Review: Danica helps girls with math, self-esteem, and the world
Summary: 5 Stars
I highly recommend this book for high-school girls. It is a guide or a text in elementary algebra. What makes this book stand out is that it uses silly analogies, it explains the algebra well, it boosts the girl's self-esteem, and it is relevant to her life.
One of the first things Danika does is that she gives us the order of operations: parentheses, exponentiation and so forth, spelling the acronym PEMDAS. She calls these pandas and shows some pandas doing some math. She even expands PEMDAS into "Pandas eat mustard on dumplings and apples with spice." She makes functions into sausage factories. (for veggie sausages, let's hope). Silly analogies like this have been shown to enhance memory of things. So this would be a good book to use for studying for a test.
She explains the math well. Her use of a cutesy daisy for an unknown shows that there is nothing particularly special in alphabet letters. I like her way of dealing with word problems. Sometimes you get an equation with a large number of minus signs; this can be kind of hairy. Her remedy is to multiply everything by -1. Most textbooks say to clear complex fractions by multiplying by a common denominator, but few have this type of advice. She tells us that word problems involves English grammar as well as mathematics, and lists the mathematical equivalents for such expressions as "is less than" or "three times".
The book is not entirely about math. Math for some reason causes stress in people, including high-school girls. So she includes plenty of material on how to relieve stress. She tells girls how to deal with boys in an assertive and positive way. And she has plenty of testimonials from girls who deal with mathematics in some way.
One of her chapters is entitled "Nope, she never gets off the phone". She starts this chapter, on word problems, with a problem that has appeared in everyone's lives. There are two phone plans, which she calls Fabulous Fones ($14/month and 10 cents/min) and Happy Talk (no monthly charge and 30 cents/min) and she poses the problem of which is best. This word problem leads to an equation with a solution that tells when you should switch from one plan to the other. She shows us how to solve real world problems as well as the problems one is likely to encounter on math tests. One of the best sections of the book is a list of possible careers for women and how math is used in each.
Here are a few tips for improvement. She brings up a phrase "seven less than twice x". She tells us that this should not get a < sign because it is not a sentence. But what about the student that writes 7 - 2x? She should explain how this should be 2x - 7 instead. She brings up exponents in a few places and even has a good sidebar on how sending a kitty video to 5 people who in turn sends to 5 people can quickly reach a huge number of people. She should emphasize here that this could cause problems for web servers. Further, I would liked to have seen a section on what exponents and the exponential function mean for our world; many of today's problems are caused by exponential growth of people and material possessions.
But this is an improvement on her previous book and I highly recommend this book for young girls. She has helped bring mathematical literacy to the world.
Summary of Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss
From the author of the runaway bestseller Math Doesn?t Suck, the next step in the math curriculum-- pre-Algebra.Last year, actress and math genius Danica McKellar made waves nationwide, challenging the ?math nerd? stereotype?and giving girls the tools to ace tests and homework in her unique just-us-girls style. Now, in Kiss My Math, McKellar empowers a new crop of girls?7th to 9th graders?taking on the next level of mathematics: pre-Algebra.
Stepping up not only the math, but also the sass and style, Kiss My Math will help math-phobic teenagers everywhere chill out about math, and finally ?get? negative numbers, variables, absolute values, exponents, and more. Each chapter features:
? Step-by-step instruction
? Time-saving tips and tricks
? Illuminating practice problems with detailed solutions
? Real-world examples
? True stories from Danica?s own life as a student and actress
Kiss My Math also includes more fun extras--including personality quizzes, reader polls, and real-life testimonials-- ultimately revealing why pre-Algebra is easier, more relevant, and more glamorous than girls think.
Math Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Math Books
Macmillan/ McGraw-Hill Math, Grade 1, Pupil Edition (Consumable)by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill; Published: 2004-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $44.39
Price in other shops:
Igcse Mathematics for Edexcel (International GCSE)by Paul Metcalf
Harpercollins Education; Published: 2006-04-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $24.66
New Maths Frameworking 27. Year 8 (Bk. 3)by Kevin Evans
Collins Educational; Published: 2008-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $185.32
Price in other shops:
New Maths Frameworking 25. Year 8 (Bk. 1)by Kevin Evans
Collins Educational; Published: 2008-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $179.74
Price in other shops:
Mental Mathematics: Levels 1 & 2 (Mental Maths)by Vince Cross
Collins Educational; Published: 1998-06-15; Hardcover; Book
Steps 3a: Book1Harper Collins Education; Published: 1993-04-15; Paperback; Book
Spectrum Maths: Go Further With Number Skillsby Dave Kirkby
Collins Educational; Published: 1996-06; Paperback; Book
Steps 4a: Answer Book (STEPS mathematics)by Anne Woodman, E. Albany, Richard Riding
Collins Educational; Published: 1994-09-14; Hardcover; Book
STEPS Mathematics: Answer Book Level 3BCollins Educational; Published: 1994-01-31; Hardcover; Book
Mathematics Explorer: Bk. 6by D. Godber, Alan Brighouse, Peter Patilla
Collins; Published: 1986-01; Paperback; Book
Similar Books and other products
A-Plus Notes for Beginning Algebra: Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1by Rong Yang
A-Plus Notes Learning Center; Published: 2010-01-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.83
Price in other shops:
Dr. Math Gets You Ready for Algebra: Learning Pre-Algebra Is Easy! Just Ask Dr. Math!by The Math Forum Drexel University
John Wiley & Sons; Published: 2003-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.94
Price in other shops:
40 Fabulous Math Mysteries Kids Can't Resist (Grades 4-8)by Marcia Miller, Martin Lee
Scholastic Teaching Resources; Teaching Resources; Published: 2001-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.84
Price in other shops:
Algebra Survival Guide Workbook: Thousands of Problems to Sharpen Skills and Enhance Understandingby Josh Rappaport
Spring Arbor/Ingram; Singing Turtle Press; Published: 2010-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.89
Price in other shops:
Hot X: Algebra Exposedby Danica McKellar
Hudson Street Press; Published: 2010-08-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.99
Price in other shops:
Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nailby Danica McKellar
Books; Hudson Street Press; Published: 2007-08-02; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.95
Price in other shops:
The Math Dude's Quick and Dirty Guide to Algebra (Quick & Dirty Tips)by Jason Marshall
St. Martin's Griffin; Published: 2011-07-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.10
Price in other shops:
Algebra Survival Guide: A Conversational Guide for the Thoroughly Befuddledby Josh Rappaport
Spring Arbor/Ingram; Singing Turtle Press; Published: 1999-12-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.00
Price in other shops:
Hot X: Algebra Exposed!by Danica McKellar
Plume; Published: 2011-06-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.64
Price in other shops:
Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nailby Danica McKellar
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; Plume; Published: 2008-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.25
Price in other shops: