Mathsemantics: Making Numbers Talk Sense

by Edward MacNeal

An entertaining, anecdotal elucidation of math shows readers how numbers have inherent semantic content and attempts to cure readers of math blocks acquired in school. 20,000 first printing. $20,000 ad/promo.

Genres: Mathematics, Nonfiction, Science

Hardcover

First published February 24, 1994

Reviews

[Chloe Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

On deciding to rate and review this book, I just realised something funny. Since the time I read this book, a long time ago, perhaps in my early teens, I've considered it to be formative to my thinking. But I just realised I can't actually remember anymore exactly why or exactly what was covered by the book!
Nevertheless, it must have done something right to have gotten itself classified that way in my head and to have stuck in my head for so long, so it has my strong recommendation! One thing I do remember is learning that you CAN add 4 apples to 2 oranges. This didn't make me the favourite of my math teacher while we were studying algebra....

[Gábor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by an "industrial" statistician (running a company analyzing airline passenger traffic), this book analyzes results of job applications targeted to evaluate real life math skills. The results are surprising, in particular for these self selected sample of population applying for jobs requiring these skills. So what is the result of adding 2 apples to 5 oranges?
Some (or possibly many) of us got good grades in math, and indeed claim to be proficient in math. But as this book shows, without the correct semantics applied, math skills just not quite working right. Many of us cannot abstract relationships, cannot estimate (including estimating the population of the USA, which is a really basic number for somebody dealing with airline passenger counts ...), do not recognize 0 is a number, cannot round numbers, do not understand percentages, cannot convert minutes to hours, and the list goes on.
Part philosophical treatise, part personal reminiscences, part child/adult development discussion, lessons in history, part self help, overall a strange package of fun.
Oh, and to above question, 7 fruits would be a good answer :)

[Eric Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Presents one basic idea, that math is only useful if we understand the real-world entities being enumerated, and then stretches and pads that idea out to book length.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that the semantics in math is critical to correct mathematics. His first example is: what is 2 apples plus 3 oranges. The answer depends on the names and meanings you give the objects, so 5 fruits would be the best answer. No to objects are the same in reality, they are only similar and can be grouped by similarities. After reading this I think I can better understand physics and quantum physics as long as I can understand the meanings and names of the objects being quantified. He makes a lot of references to other writers like Piaget and general semantics writers.

[Stefani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. Surprised how many people who self-select as being "good with numbers" are not when it comes to anything outside of pure mathematics (like word problems and order of magnitude). Now, to keep up frequent math explanations for real world problems with my children, and hopefully keep them from failing when it comes to understanding mathsemantics.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that taught me you CAN compare apples and oranges, as long as you chage your terms and call them fruit.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second go round. A fascinating book on the intersection of mathematics and semantics. Accessible and engaging, at least to a nerd like me.

[Diana Sandberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most interesting discussion of ways in which our culture fosters a certain incompatibility with number concepts, despite our increasing reliance on numeric information. Really intriguing.