Everyday Mathematics Made Easy: A Quick Review of What You Forgot You Knew

by Tom Begnal

Overview

This easy-to-understand handbook teaches essential math concepts using real-life examples so you can confidently apply math skills in everyday situations such as personal finance, cooking, home repair, and shopping.

For many of us, math can conjure memories of frustration and embarrassment, yet math and its application are all around us every day—in the workplace, supermarket, mall, and the gas station, where a basic math solution can easily and quickly solve a problem. However, some of us have either blocked out, forgotten, or simply did not learn the basics of math. With Everyday Mathematics Made Easy, author Thomas Begnal brings math back to the forefront of our brains and re-teaches (or teaches) all the basic math concepts.

Using an encouraging voice throughout, each chapter is devoted to a specific math topic and explains the underlying basic math function in a simple and easy-to-understand way. Step-by-step instructions on topics such as the traditional operations of arithmetic, fractions and decimals, averages, ratios and percentages, geometry, and more are enforced with sidebars on how to solve math problems quickly and correctly in common situations, including:

• Cooking: How to double or half recipes; how long to thaw food items based on ratios; how to convert measurements from imperial to metric; and how to work with ingredient ratios in food recipes.
• Shopping: How to determine a better deal between two sale items; what is the real cost of an item after the sale percentage is taken off; how much is the sales tax; and how much to tip at a restaurant.
• Finances: How to figure out interest rates on credit cards, loans, and mortgages; how to determine the value of a car; how much will it cost to use gasoline on a road trip; how to determine the cost of gas per gallon; how to balance a checkbook; and how to determine currency exchanges.
• Home: How to determine how much a home-improvement project will increase the value of a home; how to take accurate room measurements; how to determine the correct size of furniture to fit in a space; how determine the ratio of a solution when mixed with water; how much does it cost to run appliances; how much fertilizer do you need for a yard; and how to determine if a rotting tree may hit your house.

Get a quick review of everything you forgot you knew with the Everyday Learning series from Wellfleet Press. Need a refresher course in topics like grammar and philosophy? Then let these handy reference books be your sidekicks on your journey to higher learning. You’ll learn about timeless global topics, as well as the thought leaders responsible for some of the greatest contributions in the worlds of science, art, and more. Packed with useful information, these portable books are perfect for commuters who want to jump-start their day with useful and fun facts. With the Everyday Learning series, you’ll be an expert in any field in no time.

Other titles in this series include: Everyday Economics Made Easy, Everyday Grammar Made Easy, Everyday Philosophy Made Easy, and Everyday Spanish Made Easy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781577152224
Publisher:	WellFleet Press
Publication date:	06/22/2021
Series:	Everyday Learning Series , #2
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	400,736
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

For over the past 30 years, author Thomas Begnal has held editorial positions at three magazines: The Woodworker’s Journal, Shopnotes, and Fine Woodworking. He has also written three books: The Woodworker’s Guide to Shop Math, The Handy Shop Reference, and Building Backyard Structures. As a freelancer, he has edited how-to books for Betterway Books and McGraw-Hill. Thomas’s interest in math goes back to his roots in mechanical engineering and an early career as a production engineer. Later, when his woodworking hobby led to an editorial position at The Woodworker’s Journal, he continued to put his math skills to work while designing and building furniture.  

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING NUMBERS
CHAPTER 2: ADDING WHOLE NUMBERS
CHAPTER 3: SUBTRACTING WHOLE NUMBERS
CHAPTER 4: MULTIPLYING WHOLE NUMBERS
CHAPTER 5: DIVIDING WHOLE NUMBERS
CHAPTER 6: UNDERSTANDING FRACTIONS
CHAPTER 7: WORKING WITH FRACTIONS
CHAPTER 8: UNDERSTANDING DECIMALS
CHAPTER 9: WORKING WITH DECIMALS
CHAPTER 10: UNDERSTANDING AVERAGES
CHAPTER 11: POWERS AND ROOTS
CHAPTER 12: ORDER OF OPERATIONS
CHAPTER 13: RATIOS
CHAPTER 14: PROPORTIONS
CHAPTER 15: PERCENTAGES
CHAPTER 16: INTEREST AND RATES
CHAPTER 17: USING EVERYDAY MATH EVERY DAY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INDEX