Stanley F. Schmidt

Marlo returned to homeschooling after her diagnosis of CRPS. We made it through this book, together, at that time. We got no further, due to the progression of her illness. Time rolled on.

I took 5 years of math during 4 years of high school. I took Algebra I & II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus. I have lost most of it, over time, though. Now everyone but me is in public middle school, high school, college, or graduate school. I finally have time to focus on improving myself and so I am relearning math. I went through this book again, to give myself a strong foundation as I carry onward through his series.… (meer)

This is a reread for me of the most delightful high school Algebra 1 text there is, hands down. While most students won't be able to use this all by itself (they need teachers and more practice problems, although there is now the expanded edition and there is the Home Companion) I think every single Algebra teacher or high school math teacher ought to read these a. for fun and b. to see if they can use them to supplement the dry and boring texts, whether or not otherwise well done, they are required to use in their classrooms.

Fred Gauss, our protagonist (name, naturally, after Carl Frederich Gauss, that incredibly brilliant real life mathematician and astronomer who is fictionalized in that good fiction novel, Measuring the World) leads us through beginning Algebra in a humourous romp replete with Algebra being taught in real world stuff (even if in a fictional work) and rife with literary, musical and other references, and a bit of fun with country music.

In the book, Fred is taken, on his sixth birthday, from his office at Kittens University, where he is a professor of mathematics, and drafted into the army because his secretary has not been opening all of his fan mail, just guessing which category it falls under (job offers, marriage proposals, etc) and sending off a form letter. I shall say no more so as not to ruin the jokes (good, silly and otherwise), and that if you don't care to actually do all the math in the "your turn to play" sections and the cities, you can still enjoy this romp.
… (meer)