Product Description

If you missed out on mathematics education at school, then this book is a must. Graham Lawler has taken basic mathematics topics that may seem baffling but he provides devastatingly simple but powerful techniques that will help you understand the mathematics and be able to use it in your daily life. If you are in a training course where basic mathematics is involved, then this book is a must. The famous author and scientist Sir Arthur C Clarke ("2001 A Space Odyssey") has been so impressed with the author's work that Sir Arthur has written the foreword to this edition of the book. This is the ideal book for primary student teachers, trainees on apprentice courses and parents who want to help their own children. Now extended to include information on spreadsheets and personal development profiles, this is a very popular and highly successful book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17734 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 204 pages

Review
It does what it says on the cover, February 17, 2005 Reviewer: A reader from Reading, Berkshire United Kingdom If like me you had an awful time understanding maths in school (pre 1980's) and you now need to get to grips with the subject (kids homework getting harder!) then Understanding Maths by Graham Lawler is a 'must have book'. He takes a number of areas including decimals, fractions, percentages, angles and even algebra - and shows you what you need to know to solve the problems, all explained in a simple, friendly manner. On completion you will want to study the subject further. Wish I had this book 30 years ago. Reviewer: A reader from dublin, ireland This is an excellent book for entry level adult learners. I've had trouble using basic maths all my adult life, frustration finally got the better of me and I found this title during a web search. Lawler's book has opened up the subject to me. I am only two chapters into your book and felt that I must tell you what a difference it has made to my understanding of maths already. At the age of 41 I have just learned that a decimal point does not move but the number does. I am not exaggerating when I say that this was a revelation to me. I missed periods of both primary and secondary school because of my mothers ill health and therefore did not learn the basics of lots of things at school including maths. My saving grace is that I have an aptitude for English and my career has developed where I can use this subject. I am now planning to re-train as a primary school teacher and need maths. I have avoided anything to do with the subject for years but now must confront my demons. I am determined to finally try to get rid of the "maths monkey", who has been sitting on my back since primary school. I do intend to treat your book as a friend as I will need the support in taking on this challenge. I have achieved many things academically since leaving school but nothing would compare to the sense of achievement I would feel if I could attain at least a standard grade in maths, although I need a credit level 1 or 2 for teaching. This would be a miracle but I do believe in miracles. keep up the GREAT work. Regards Terry I have recently purchased a copy of your study mates book 'Understanding Maths' and just want to say thank you, it has really helped me. In fact, i wish i could have got a copy 20 years ago. I already fell my understanding of maths has gone up expotentially. I plan on buying the Algebra book when i am finished with this one. Thanks again. James 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The best book I've ever bought., 11 Mar 2009 By G. Robertson (Lincolnshire) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) I am restarting education at 41 years old, hoping to increase my employment chances if the recession bites. I believe that mathematics is an essential skill, but I lack confidence, probably because of bad experience as as child. This book changes that. It is written in such a clear, straightforward way that I'm wondering what my problem was with this subject; dare I say it, mathematics appears to be enjoyable. The beauty of it is, all my questions are answered in a way that makes the subject interesting. Graham Lawler: you are a hero. 5.0 out of 5 stars Get it!, 7 Jan 2007 By C. Dodd (Wirral) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) This book has changed my whole attitude to a subject that I hated at school and have never had any confidence in. Just flicking through it was enough to make me realise that I could actually understand things straight away that I had always thought I couldn't do! It was a real eye-opener for me and has given me the confidence to face up to something that I have always avoided. I was so chuffed I wrote an email to the author to thank him and got a lovely email back from him straight away. If you didn't keep up with maths at school or thought everybody else 'got it' whilst you got left further and further behind then this is a great book for you. PS I have forgiven my maths teacher for all the times he threw the board rubber at our heads in frustration and hopefully he might have learned a a little about his teaching style over the years! Fab book - make sure you buy more than one, 20 Feb 2007 By Mrs. Eileen Field - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) Make sure you buy at least two copies as you'll be lending this to other folks to use as well and will not see it back. A superb aid in teaching and learning. Highly recommended. 5.0 out of 5 stars Thank goodness - another solid book to help us understand!, 21 Jun 2009 By A. I. McCulloch (Co Durham) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) Those of us with memories of poring over difficult maths textbooks that seemed to speak another language will be heartened by this. If you've used BBC mathematics online resources to help you study you will have read the author Graham Lawler already - he wrote many of them. This book is handily sized to slip into a briefcase in comparison to many textbooks. It's written in language that clarifies, not confuses, in a way that relates maths skills to the real world, particularly the world of business. I've reviewed a few maths resources for Amazon and this is up there with the best. If you are buying this for someone with dyslexia you might also wish to purchase the Chambers Adult Learners' Guide to Numeracy which is written in dyslexia-friendly text and on off-white non-glaring paper. However that stops short at key skills Level 2, whereas this goes further with the skills needed for Level 3 and university entrance tests/ the numeracy skills tests needed to gain qualified teacher status (QTS). It's a good resource for numeracy tutors too - giving insights in how to get difficult concepts over. Excellent!, 22 May 2009 By Wild58 (Cumbria) - See all my reviews I am a student teacher in the Lifelong Learning Sector and I can say without a shadow of doubt this book is excellent! I will definitely be using it in preparing my lessons. One minute overview and tutorial in every chapter plus useful snippets you don't get in other maths books. The 'Using a Calculator' chapter is very useful. Don't wait buy it! FANTASTIC BOOK, 30 April 2009 By S. Scanlon - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) I left school some years ago with a less than average understanding of maths. I've have almost completed the book which is extremely easy to understand and it takes you through each calculation step by step. There are practise questions at the end of each chapter with the answers at the back of the book. A definite must have for anyone wanting to improve their maths from basic level up.

From the Author
Despite what Amazon have said on this page, they do have this title available elsewhere on the site. Simply key in Understanding Maths and Graham Lawler and the most up to date version, with the orange cover will come up. May I also thank the thousands of people who have bought this book, you have made a mathematics educator very happy, thank you.

About the Author
Graham Lawler is an author, teacher and broadcaster - with a mission to do for learning what Jamie Oliver has done for school meals. After taking his B.Ed degree in biology from the University of Liverpool (for which he studied in Chester) he read for a BA in Mathematics and education at the Open University, followed by an MA in Education and then a PhD. He taught at Soar Valley College in Leicester before moving to Warwickshire, where he became Head of Department. He has also lectured on education at the University of the West of England and in 1999 he received online qualifications from the Institute of Education at London University and also from City University in London. He is now one of the few qualified online teachers in England and Wales. He has taught online for a number of years first with the Loughborough based Satellite Virtual School and later as head of mathematics for an online college. Graham is the author of BBC Bitesize Maths, joint author of Channel 4's Your Family Counts and Studymates Mathematics for Adults(introducing adults to financial literacy) and Algebra: basic algebra explained. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC radio, appearing regularly as 'Mr Educator' as BBC Radio and was formerly one of the establishing broadcasters on 'West Coast Radio' in West Somerset, now known as 'Quaywest Radio'. He has made programmes for independent tv and a training video on learning skills for adults. He is married and he and his wife are keen gardeners. This book is a new edition of Understanding Maths, with a foreword by Sir Arthur C Clarke.

Customer Reviews

Get it!
This book has changed my whole attitude to a subject that I hated at school and have never had any confidence in. Just flicking through it was enough to make me realise that I could actually understand things straight away that I had always thought I couldn't do! It was a real eye-opener for me and has given me the confidence to face up to something that I have always avoided. I was so chuffed I wrote an email to the author to thank him and got a lovely email back from him straight away.
If you didn't keep up with maths at school or thought everybody else 'got it' whilst you got left further and further behind then this is a great book for you. PS I have forgiven my maths teacher for all the times he threw the board rubber at our heads in frustration and hopefully he might have learned a a little about his teaching style over the years!

Fab book - make sure you buy more than one
Make sure you buy at least two copies as you'll be lending this to other folks to use as well and will not see it back. A superb aid in teaching and learning. Highly recommended.

The best book I've ever bought.
I am restarting education at 41 years old, hoping to increase my employment chances if the recession bites.

I believe that mathematics is an essential skill, but I lack confidence, probably because of bad experience as as child. This book changes that.

It is written in such a clear, straightforward way that I'm wondering what my problem was with this subject; dare I say it, mathematics appears to be enjoyable.

The beauty of it is, all my questions are answered in a way that makes the subject interesting.

Graham Lawler: you are a hero.