The Math Myth: and Other STEM Delusions by Andrew Hacker 2 stars despite some excellent point

[Karin]

This book is a mixed bag. It ranges from some excellent points to pure baloney, so 2.5 but rounded down. However I do agree with a few things! Note that I was very "mathy" growing up (Algebra came easily to me) and my eldest majored in math; all of my kids managed to pass high school Algebra at either honours or college prep 1.

First off, I found it difficult to believe that as many kids as he says can't pass high school Algebra, but he's correct. I agree that it's inane to require everyone to take that class; it should depend on your major. Accounting, statistics (but that's rather complex, to be frank), arithmetic for daily life, etc. I was the one who had to teach my kids how to balance their chequebooks but if you're going to teach kids the value of money in elementary school that type of thing ought to be taught in secondary school! How about arithmetic for daily living? I do agree with him about people lacking numeracy (mathematical literacy) and have read a book he cites, Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences.

Secondly, I agree that teaching to the SAT is inane, but thankfully there has been an enormous drop--by 2023 admissions more than 80 percent of American bachelor-degree granting institutions in the States no longer require it because they've finally realized what has always been the case--school grades are a better indicator of academic performance. Hopefully that won't change. Not all kids with high IQs test well on those; my son got a 4.0 address in his graduate degree but only received average scores on the SAT, and I know a young woman who is brilliant--she was enrolled in an online program for highly gifted kids (IQ tested) and landed a high paying writing job right out of college who scored the same. He doesn't need Algebra, either, but learned in depth thinking with advanced music theory and analysis which is very difficult.

However, some of what he alleges is baloney, such as just how few people actually use Algebra, and other things. I still use it at times because it makes things easier, plumbers use trigonometry (he didn't seem to know this,) etc.