Liberal Arts

Mathematics: Its Power and Utility, 8th Ed.,
Brooks/Cole, Thompson Learning, Belmont, 2005, approx. 650 pages;

available from www.brookscole.com

Help your students build confidence, problem-solving skills, and math literacy. This effective book provides a proven framework for carefully guiding even the most math-anxious student. There are real world problems in every chapter that help students use mathematics in everyday life (topics include: managing money using the ideas of interest, installment buying, using a credit card, inflation, buying a car or home, and more). There is an emphasis on developing problem-solving skills through the use of discussion, examples, and multiple-choice questions. There are a number of helpful pedagogical features such as warning symbols that alert students to potential problems, "What is Wrong?" problems that develop students' basic problem-solving skills, and "Mind Bogglers" that present interesting and challenging problems.

Mathematics: Its Power and Utility

The Nature of Mathematics, 9th Ed.,
Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, 2001, about 995 pages, $59.95.

The 9th edition has been completely revised to meet the needs of today's students. It includes greater emphasis on problem solving, superb examples, interesting and functions motivations. It is flexible and well-paced, and has a complete web-based interface.

This revision of a very successful textbook was done to keep pace with the new resurgence of liberal arts mathematics. Professors and students are no longer content to have "just" a great ideas mathematics text. They are also interested in meeting specific objectives related to mathematics competencies and skills. In addition to including the great ideas of mathematics, this new ninth edition is a major revision of the book which includes a great deal of new material, some rearrangement of the old material, and a reorganization of all of the problems.

Mathnature Notebook, Solutions to The Nature of Mathematics, 9the Ed. for Students by Karl J. Smith, 213 pages, $19.95.

This solution's manual for students provides step-by-step help for all the problems in the text (multiples of three), so that it will complement the answers to odd-numbered problems in the back of the book. It is printed in convenient three-ring binder format so that it can also be used for keeping notes, homework, and other math materials. Order from Karlin@mathnature.com.

 

The Nature of Mathematics, 10th Ed.
Brooks/Cole-Thompson, 2004, about 1000 pages; available from www.brookscole.com

Karl Smith's loyal customers adopt this book for its clear writing, its coverage of historical topics, selection of topics, level, exercise sets (featuring great applications problems), and emphasis on problem solving. Since the first edition of Smith's text was published, hundreds of thousands of liberal arts students have "experienced" mathematics rather than just doing problems. Smith's writing style gives students the confidence and ability to function mathematically in their everyday lives. The emphasis on problem solving and estimation, along with numerous in-text study aids, encourages students to understand the concepts while mastering the techniques. This edition contains five new chapters: "The Nature of Voting and Apportionment, The Nature of Networks and Graphic Theory, The Nature of Set Theory and Counting, and the Nature of Growth." Order from Karlin@mathnature.com.

The Nature of Mathematics, 10th Ed.

Other Textbooks by Karl Smith