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.
For over the past 30 years, author Tom 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. Tom'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.
