Mathematics, a Human Endeavor: A Textbook for Those Who Think They Don't Like the Subject

by Harold R. Jacobs

For instructors of liberal arts mathematics classes who focus on problem-solving, Harold Jacobs's remarkable textbook has long been the answer, helping teachers connect with of math-anxious students. Drawing on over thirty years of classroom experience, Jacobs shows students how to make observations, discover relationships, and solve problems in the context of ordinary experience. (WorldCat)

Subjects:
• The path of billiard ball
• More billiard-ball mathematics
• Inductive reasoning: Finding and extending patterns
• The limitations of inductive reasoning
• Deductive reasoning: Mathematical proof
• Number tricks and deductive reasoning
• Arithmetic sequences: Growth at a constant rate
• Geometric sequences: Growth at an increasing rate
• The binary sequence
• The sequence of squares
• The sequence of cubes
• The Fibonacci sequence
• The idea of a function
• Descartes and the coordinate graph
• Graphing linear functions
• Functions with parabolic graphs
• More functions with curved graphs
• Interpolation and extrapolation: Guessing between and beyond
• Large numbers
• Scientific notation
• An introduction to logarithms
• Logarithms and scientific notation
• Computing with Logarithms
• Logarithmic scales
• Symmetry
• Regular polygons
• Mathematical mosaics
• Regular polyhedra: The platonic solids
• Semiregular polyhedra
• Pyramids and prisms
• The circle and the ellipse
• The parabola
• They hyperbola
• The sine curve
• Spirals
• The cycloid
• The fundamental counting principle
• Permutations
• More on permutations
• Combinations
• Probability:The measure of chance
• Binomial probability
• Pascal's triangle
• Dice games and probability
• Independent and dependent events
• The birthday problem: Complementary events
• Organizing data: Frequency distributions
• The breaking of ciphers and codes: An application of statistics
• Measures of location
• Measures of variability
• Displaying data: Statistical graphs
• Collecting data: Sampling
• The mathematics of distortion
• The seven bridges of Königsberg: An introduction to networks
• Euler paths
• Trees
• The Möbius strip and other surfaces.
(WorldCat)

Genres: Mathematics, Education, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Science

649 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this math text! It happens to be one of my favorite books of all time. You know, I didn't even like mathematics before I started teaching. Funny then, that after five years of doing so I would find a text book that intrigued me so much that it would become a highly prized object.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is more to mathematics than computational techniques! Jacobs' clear and entertaining text (which is full of cartoons, pictures, and anecdotes) inspires a love of math. Each chapter invites the reader to discover for himself the patterns and structure of a particular topic. This book helped to convert me into someone who appreciated mathematics.

[J. Boo]

Random people on the internet say this is good for a student who needs a bit of a break from more hardcore mathematics. (Specifically suggested in a thread about what to do with someone who completed pre-algebra.)

Table of contents here: https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/to...

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great puzzles and ways to make you think