Introduction
I f you’re like most other people, you use a
pocket calculator to do your basic arithmetic. The calculator is fast
and accurate as long, of course, as you punch in the right numbers.
So what could be bad about a tool that saves you so much work and gives
you the right answers?
Let me be brutally frank. You know why you bought this book, and
it’s not for the story. By working your way through this book, problem
by problem, you will be amazed by how much your math skills will
improve. But—and this is a really big BUT—I don’t want you to use your
calculator at all. So put it away for the time you spend working through
this book. And who knows—you may never want to use it again.
Your brain has its own built-in calculator, and it, too, can work
quickly and accurately. But you know the saying, “Use it or lose it.”
The book is divided into four sections—a review of basic arithmetic,
and then sections on fractions, decimals, and percentages. Each section is
subdivided into four to eight lessons, which focus on building specific
skills, such as converting fractions into decimals, or finding percentage
changes. You’ll then get to use these skills by solving word problems in the
applications section. There are 21 lessons plus four review lessons, so if
you spend 20 minutes a day working out the problems in each lesson, you
can complete the entire book in about a month.
One thing that distinguishes this book from most other math books is
that virtually every problem is followed by its full solution. I don’t believe
in skipping steps. You, of course, are free to skip as many steps as you
wish, as long as you keep getting the right answers. Indeed, there may well
be more than one way of doing a problem, but there’s only one right
answer.
When you’ve completed this book, you will have picked up some very
useful skills. You can use these skills to figure out the effect of mortgage
rate changes and understand the fluctuations in stock market prices or
how much you’ll save on items on sale at the supermarket. And you’ll
even be able to figure out just how much money you’ll save on a low-
interest auto loan.
Once you’ve mastered fractions, decimals, and percentages, you’ll be
prepared to tackle more advanced math, such as algebra, business math,
and even statistics. At the end of the book, you’ll find my list of recom-
mended books to further the knowledge you gain from this book (see
Additional Resources).
If you’re just brushing up on fractions, decimals, and percentages, you
probably will finish this book in less than 30 days. But if you’re learning
the material for the first time, then please take your time. And whenever
necessary, repeat a lesson, or even an entire section. Just as Rome wasn’t
built in a day, you can’t learn a good year’s worth of math in just a few
weeks.
While I’m doing clichés, I’d like to note that just as a building will
crumble if it doesn’t have a strong foundation, you can’t learn more
advanced mathematical concepts without mastering the basics. And it
doesn’t get any more basic than the concepts covered in this book. So put
away that calculator, and let’s get started
