Many very bright and competent people enrolled in colleges, universities, and community colleges are frustrated. They are eager, ambitious, and quite capable of succeeding in their careers or moving to a better job. They want to learn but find themselves handicapped because they do not have the basic mathematics skills needed to continue. They need help with these essential skills. If that describes where you are, this book is for you.
This book is designed to help you review or relearn basic arithmetic skills. It is more like a private tutor than a lecturer; you participate in the process rather than simply reading, listening, or sleeping through it.
The book is organized in a format that respects your unique needs and interests and teaches you accordingly:
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You can use it for self-study, for study with a tutor or helper, or as a text in a formal course.
- Each chapter begins with a preview and a sample test to help you see your particular needs.
- You have the option of designing your own course, skipping familiar material to save time or working through all of it if you need it.
- Many practice problems and self-tests are included, including drill problems, practical applications, more difficult brain boosters, and problems where a calculator should be used. Each chapter ends with an optional self-test.
- Answers to all problems are in the back of the book.
- Unlike previous mathematics textbooks you may have used, this book is careful to explain every operation. Sometimes we even explain our explanations.
This book has been used by hundreds of thousands of students and they tell us it is helpful, interesting, and even fun to work through. We hope you agree with them.
It is a pleasure for us to acknowledge our debts to the many people who have contributed to the development of this book and to this third edition. Jeffrey Golick and the staff at John Wiley & Sons, Inc., have been most supportive and patient throughout the lengthy process of producing a book. We were fortunate to have W Royce Adams, formerly the director of the Reading Center at Santa Barbara Community College, read preliminary versions of the book and provide valuable assistance in improving its readability.
Finally, we wish to extend special thanks to our kindest critics and most enthusiastic helpers: our children-Pat, Laurie, Maire, and Ericour other works in collaboration.
