Math Smart, 2nd Edition (Smart Guides)

 (11 customer reviews)

I bought Math Smart to review all of the math that had gotten rusty from disuse in my brain. In just a couple of days, I was most of the way through the book, remembering how easy math can be.
Others have complained about this book and the sequel, Math Smart II, saying that they do not cover things in very much depth. I would disagree. Math Smart is not a comprehensive math text--nor does it pretend to be. It provides quick coverage of the basics.
Yes, there are a few incorrect answers to test questions. This is not a huge problem, as checking your work can ferret them out easily enough.
The only negative comment that I do agree with is that there is not very good explanation of the answers to the test questions. However, this has not stopped it from being a useful and effective book. And for the price, it is hard to beat.

I was preparing for the GRE, but I had one big problem. I had not taken a math class in 5 years. I had made it through calculus, but after a 5 year hiatus, it had all left my brain. Even the basic stuff, such as rules about exponents was out of my memory. This book takes you back to the very beginning (we're talking, "Here are the positive numbers, and the negative numbers"), and reteaches you math step-by-step in a very easy-to-understand way. It is also fun to read, as the author keeps the book interesting by using jokes and quips. This was the most helpful math review that I had (and I even took the Kaplan GRE course!). Teaches you how to solve math problems quickly by also giving tips and shortcuts. You won't regret buying this book.

i am an nontraditional college student who knew she would need refresher math courses after being out of school for 20 years.
i paid the local bookstore a visit and spent an hour pouring over
which 'cliffnote type'of math help book would i buy while my 13 year old kept bugging us to leave...i chose 'math smart' because the first chapter had me understanding math terms and formulas that i was never taught in high school. i could grasp the material easily and the humour made me relate the mathematical
problems in real examples of math that i actually have to
perform in my everyday life...something that most of us did not
have to experience while under mom and dad's roof...i was impressed because outside of the basics adding, subtracting, multiplication and division i had not one clue what 'exponent'
means because i let math terrify me as a youngster...i am no
longer intimidated by the imaginary 'math dragon' and 'math smart' really helped me to decode...Read more