Literacy and Mathematics: A Contemporary Approach to Quantitative Literacy

Literacy and  Mathematics: A Contemporary Approach to Quantitative  Literacy has been designed and written for a one-semester mathematics course fulfilling the non-calculus students' general studies criteria for graduation. The text focuses on real-world problems, as the concepts are evolved from scenarios as seen on CNN.com or in Time magazine - as opposed to contrived or artificial word problems.  The on-line projects inspire students and make them numerically aware of the world where he or she lives.  Emphasis is placed on interpretation and seeing reasonableness in an answer.  Readability was a priority in the construction of this  text, making it not only one of the most educational, but enjoyable, liberal arts math books around!

A word from Author Jay Abramson:
"Most College Mathematics texts that use the quantitative literacy approach do so with a traditional writing style. This book stands unique as it applies a quantitative literacy approach with quantitative literacy writing style.  Its emphasis on quantitative literacy permeates every page.  Students are encouraged to read a passage in context, understand the mathematics behind the words, and then in turn develop the ability to draw an analytical interpretation from this newfound understanding.  The student is taught, for example, to see a probability experiment from a set of data they are besieged with without the contrived directions "find the probability."  The emphasis in on applying basic mathematical concepts and tools in a sophisticated manner so the student can gain ownership of the process and the confidence to go one step further, to accept or refute what they have read. 

The book stands out from other texts because it emphasizes not only interpretation, reasonableness but forces the student to draw conclusions and interpret based on their own belief system which has been evolving since they were born. The problems are highly contemporary, emphasis was placed on information literacy and websites from the Census Bureau to NASA, from Dept of Health and Statistics to those on Natural Disasters to websites that propagate alarmist views are examined, scrutinized and reacted to, much as we expect our educated populace to do once they leave a university."