If you're after size, these books will not disappoint. They
are, indeed, humongous. So, besides doorstops, what are they good for? Why
would anyone want a book with 1,000 problems in it, anyway? Here's the short
answer:
You need more hand-holding than your current math program provides when working problems
You feel that working more problems would help you improve
You want a math book with a sense of humor
You've already taken a course in this math subject, and
failed
You want to review the math you took with another book
There are times when you "just don't get it" and
would like an alternate instructional resource that is designed for self-study.
If you like friendly, more informal, books with explanatory
"note bubbles" and skull-and-crossbones (signifying difficult
problems) in the margins then you will probably enjoy this math resource.
Despite what the title reads, these are not just books of
problems. They are fully instructional texts that cover all of the major topics
in their strands. They just teach via problems – first a question is posed (in
a gray-shaded box), then it is answered, with complete explanation. If you
already know the answer, just skip that one. This makes for very efficient
review. For the student intimidated by "regular" texts, these have
enough "asides" in the margins to make them "marginally
acceptable." A student who shuns your instruction may have an easier time
learning from these than from typical math texts. Written to the user, they are
totally self-study. No looking up or checking answers here! They are right with
the question! Instead of teaching a concept, then supplying a set of practice
problems, each question is different in some way and has its own explanation or
solution. This doesn't mean there isn't practice for each concept; just that
there is not repetitive practice. Though a thousand problems may seem like a
lot, for comparative purposes, the Saxon Algebra book has about four times that
– more if you include tests. Written by the author of some of The Complete
Idiot's Guide to…. math tomes, these will drive concepts home without burning
students out.
