A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)
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The companion book to COURSERA®'s wildly popular massive open online course "Learning How to Learn" Whether you are a student struggling to fulfill a math or science requirement, or you are embarking on a career change that requires a new skill set, A Mind for Numbers offers the tools you need to get a better grasp of that intimidating material. Engineering professor Barbara Oakley knows firsthand how it feels to struggle with math. She flunked her way through high school math and science courses, before enlisting in the army immediately after graduation. When she saw how her lack of mathematical and technical savvy severely limited her options—both to rise in the military and to explore other careers—she returned to school with a newfound determination to re-tool her brain to master the very subjects that had given her so much trouble throughout her entire life. In A Mind for Numbers, Dr. Oakley lets us in on the secrets to learning effectively—secrets that even dedicated and successful students wish they’d known earlier. Contrary to popular belief, math requires creative, as well as analytical, thinking. Most people think that there’s only one way to do a problem, when in actuality, there are often a number of different solutions—you just need the creativity to see them. For example, there are more than three hundred different known proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem. In short, studying a problem in a laser-focused way until you reach a solution is not an effective way to learn. Rather, it involves taking the time to step away from a problem and allow the more relaxed and creative part of the brain to take over. The learning strategies in this book apply not only to math and science, but to any subject in which we struggle. We all have what it takes to excel in areas that don't seem to come naturally to us at first, and learning them does not have to be as painful as we might think. Read more
Publisher : Tarcher
Publication date : July 31, 2014
Edition : Illustrated
Language : English
Print length : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 5
ISBN-13 : 45
Item Weight : 11.2 ounces
Dimensions : 5.91 x 0.87 x 8.94 inches
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Paperback
A Mind for Numbers is written for students of math and science, but Barbara Oakley’s perspective, interviews, and recommendations are very useful for everybody who wants to be a SMART 21st Century lifelong learner. It is a practical book that reflects the best knowledge about how our brains process things – both logically and creatively, from the details up AND from the ideas down. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn better – or who wants to help a scholar who wants to excel and LEARN in school. Oakley uses good teaching/learning approaches in this book. It is peppered with stories and even pictures that bring lessons to life. The stories are from very successful scientists – many of whom struggled to learn or were even written off by their teachers. They are stories that say – “persist, be smart about how you learn, and you will succeed.” This, of course, is the learning mindset that is so crucial for discovery and living an unstoppable life. Oakley also distributes insights about her core topics – building up and reinforcing the key ideas throughout the book. Ultimately, she concludes that 10 practices are critical (she calls them “Ten Rules of Good Studying.” They apply to lifelong learning as well as to learning for school – especially to information and processes you want to remember: Use recall. Don’t just review what you want to remember. Actively pull your insights out of your own brain. This, of course, is a key practice in my Unstoppable You. Oakley offers many reinforcements of this important way to support learning Test Yourself. This is something anyone can do about any topic you want to remember. For kids it’s flash cards, for adults it might be asking yourself what you know about a topic before a meeting or reading, and then doing it again afterwards. Chunk information. Organizing ideas and facts into categories, pictures and diagrams, songs, and other mental files can help you remember and understand at a deeper level. Connecting ideas to what you know and to each other creates more neural connections and thus more ways to find what you need when you need it. Space repetition. Oakley practices this by revisiting and enhancing these 10 rules throughout this book. The lesson is to work on something for a shorter period of time (30 minutes?) and then do something less demanding. When you return to the learning project later, you will be fresher and your automatic system (she calls it your “diffused processing mode”) will have done some undercover work to process your initial learning. Alternate different problem-solving techniques. She talks about how this works in math – work on equations for a while, then on verbal problems, then do a test, etc. The point is, don’t get stuck on one way of learning something. Get a variety of perspectives – some big picture, some detailed. This “interleaving” is a pretty valuable approach for any topic. Take breaks. When you are stuck or tired from focusing on solving a problem/learning, stop and do something that isn’t so taxing. Your automatic (diffused) processing will continue to work on the problem unconsciously and you will be able to have a new perspective when you come back to it. Use explanatory questioning and simple analogies. Try explaining what you are learning in a simple way – preferably to someone else. Tell them what it is “like” (an example she gives if that the flow of electricity is like the flow of water). This more deeply engrains the knowledge in your brain and may get you some clarifying questions. Focus. This is a very important and often broken rule. It is clear that your brain can’t work on more than one complex problem at a time. So, as many others suggest, turn off the phones, text messaging, loud music, and create a space where you can concentrate. Eat your frogs first. That is, do the hardest things first when you have the energy. Make a mental contrast. This is equivalent to the imagination quality presented in Unstoppable You: see where you want to be and compare it the where you are. Let this be motivating. There are many specific tips and encouraging comments in this book. And for students, there is a lot of good help related to working with teachers, studying with others, dealing with procrastination, taking tests, dealing with anxiety, letting go of the need to be perfect in order to be open to insights and to correct errors in thinking, remembering facts and methods, and more. Oakley is a very respected educator who came to the sciences by accident when she was in military service. We should be glad that she discovered math and science and became curious about how to be a master learner and teacher in these areas. We all benefit from her perspective, examples, and tips.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2017 by Pat McL
Format: Paperback
This is the book that helped me learn that I had what it takes to do MATH, even College Algebra!!! Such an inspiring, informative, and fun to read book! I read it several years ago but was looking at it on my bookshelf again recently, I recommend this book to students and adults all the time! It has great information, creative ways to look at things, numerous ways in which to study a subject like math or science, is easy to read and engaging. Lots of examples, testimonials, stories of people who succeeded and how, etc. Highly recommend!!!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2026 by DCM - Book Lover
Format: Kindle
This is a great book, but I would not recommend the kindle version. The kindle version is not horrible, but it was quite uncomfortable for me to use. For the most part, because I felt that for this book I needed to be able to every so often flip back to a previous page, which is not as easy with the kindle as it is with a real book. About the content, the book tries to give scientifically backed learning strategies and techniques, and does so quite well. The strategies and techniques taught in this book are very well researched, with plenty of references, and not only for STEM subjects, by the way. There are also a lot of anecdotes from other students and teachers throughout the entire book. Each chapter ends with a summary of key concepts, a small question set (without solutions - but none is really necessary or even possible, for questions that require a private answer), and a large reminder to "Pause and Recall" the material that was studied in the chapter - this was in my opinion the best thing in the book. If you do indeed get into the habit of pausing and recalling learned material, then you will most likely study much much better. It is also important, however, to check with the book that you have indeed recalled the material correctly, by looking either at the content of the chapters themselves or the summary. The book was very readable and quite enjoyable. It is mainly organized into three parts: 1. dealing with procrastination, 2. learning strategies, 3. attitude (such as avoiding overconfidence and minimizing anxiety). The learning strategies can themselves be made into two distinct groups: one that deals with memorization tricks, and one that deals with understanding. Although the two groups are not mutually exclusive. There is also a lot of emphasis on pointing out what strategies DO NOT work - such as rereading and highlighting. At the end of the book you can find a quick recap the entire book. This recap is freely available as a PDF on the author's website, titled "10 rules of studying". Just google it, if you are interested. Be wary that the book is quite verbose. For every idea presented in the text, there are a lot of background stories that are probably there to help anchor the idea with some real world situation, although for some they might be useless and even cumbersome. Another thing about this book that might be viewed as a drawback, is the author's reliance on metaphors. The concepts of "diffuse" and "focused" thinking modes, for examples, are explained using the metaphor of a pinball machine. Another metaphor is that of vampires for the mechanisms of forgetting in the brain. The metaphors might be helpful, but they also feel awkward. Overall, I felt the book was great, quite readable, and I am very happy to have read it. The main concept I have taken from this book is the recall technique, where after you learn something, I try to recall it by explaining it to yourself out loud. Throughout the entire book, you are actively reminded to use it.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2016 by RSH
Format: Kindle
In A Mind for Numbers, Oakley discusses how even a hopeless case can develop a more analytical, creative, mathematical mind. The book has many different studies, books, etc referenced, so if you want to dive in deep, you have the perfect place to start. Some things you'll learn include the concept of chunking and how to abstract those chunks so you can connect them with other things you already know, therefore raising your chances of not only remembering that information, but being able to use it in other contexts, too. You'll also learn about the two modes of thinking and how the focused type, as admirable as it may be, can keep you from solving problems. You'll also learn good and bad ways of studying. For example, using an SRS system to test yourself is good. Rereading a book over and over again is bad. (Not that you can't reread a book if you enjoy it...) The information in Mind for Numbers is brilliantly simple, but it does take work. Depending on how you work now, you may have to change a lot of things. In my opinion, it's worth it. I read Oakley's book much more slowly than I normally read books and have already put some things to use. They're effective, but they require effort. Perhaps one thing that makes them effective is the effort required. I'd honestly recommend this book to everyone except maybe the most brilliant minds, who are probably already putting at least some of these techniques to use already.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024 by Megan
Format: Kindle
This is an excellent little book that teaches you the most valuable skill in the world: learning how to learn. I went through, and was somewhat traumatized by, the traditional school system. It wasn't that I was a bad student (I was valedictorian actually), but that it taught me terrible habits that didn't serve me in real life. I left school with a rigid fixed mindset that made learning laborious at best and impossible at worst; and even though I hated the traditional classroom environment with its handholding and hoop-jumping, I was utterly paralyzed outside of it. I think on some deep emotional level, I didn't believe I could learn anything new. (Hence the fixed mindset. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, google "fixed vs. growth mindset", and for heaven's sake, embrace the latter!) I have struggled for years to retool my mental habits, and I'm finally getting to the point where I feel free and agile again. This book was incredibly helpful and would have been even more so had I read it earlier in my journey. Even now, it taught me a lot, mostly the science behind the techniques I'd already discovered but also a few new tricks too. This book (or something like it) will be required reading for my kids, and I'm planning on structuring their entire education around these skills (we're homeschooling). To me, it's way more important than any math concept or classical piece of literature, because if you know this, you can go get that at any time. This book is no doubt helpful for school, but I would argue that it is even more essential for your career. Today, continued learning, both on the job and in your spare time, is becoming ever more critical for long-term career success. In IT, things move so fast that you should expect your skills to be outdated by the time you graduate! If you can't keep learning and fast, you're nowhere. I did have a couple of gripes with the book: Structurally, I felt like it sort of went in circles. Topics were brought up again and again, each time going a bit deeper into it. It sort of goes along with the theme of spaced recall, but I like my books more linearly organized so that *I* can do the jumbling. :) The other is that it's very academically focused with most of the examples drawn from college students. That makes sense as the author is a college professor. However, for most people, college is but a short chapter in the story of life, and I would have enjoyed reading more examples drawn from real world careers and industry. (See above paragraph.) Okay, enough talking ... go buy it!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2015 by Lisa
Format: Kindle
This book is great for anyone (teens and up) struggling with learning anything. It is easy to read & understand. It introduces the newest brain research related to learning and the best ways to use that knowledge to improve both the speed of learning and the understanding of topics you are working on. It also includes tools, such as some awesome flashcard programs that will play on almost any device - Anki is one. You can create your own cards and make your own. It uses spaced repetition, which is the best way to memorize (covered in the book). I have memorized a pile of information using this method, and it is staying with me! The book also addresses procrastination & many great ways to trick yourself into getting around it - no, you do not have to use all your will power to do it! One method is the Pomodoro. It recommends that you to set a timer for 20 - 30 minutes, then just focus on the process of doing work (not on completing it!). When the timer goes off, take a break. Then either continue on the same subject, switch another, or do something else. It really works & removes the painful feeling of having to finish something right now! I also highly recommend the Coursera.org course, "Learning How to Learn", which goes over much of the information in the book, plus some. It's free and all you need to do is sign up. You can just watch the short videos & check out the links to additional info, drop out if it's too much, or you can get a certificate. Next one starts in Jan 2015. I've been working on learning new things on my own for the last year and was making little progress until I read this book. I am now zooming along, using the tools and concepts in this book. I highly recommend it!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2014 by Azadi
Format: Paperback
Why did the author write a book about getting better at numbers and math and science and not really talk specifically about how to get better at math and science? This book is 90% about general study skills with lackluster tie-ins to how it might work with math/science. Don't go into this thinking you'll learn stuff specific to math/science – you'll be disappointed. As an introductory book to study skills, it's not too bad, though it's overshadowed by more compelling books that specifically talk about general study skills like Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning and Cal Newport's books. Many of the productivity and study tips it mentions are good, but they fall into the classic non-fiction personal development book trap of telling you some common-sensical thing you should be doing and adding an anecdote in there. It's OK if it's common-sense advice, but it's not really that useful if it's common-sense advice without much follow-through information on how to implement that advice. Maybe it's just me. Admittedly, I've read a lot about productivity and study skills so most of this was a reminder at best, boring repetition at worst. If you've read books like Make It Stick or Cal Newport's books and want to get a more math- and science-focused advice on how to do better, don't pick this up. If you've read some but aren't sure, maybe pick up the audio version (which is what I did). It's not that there aren't gems in this book. There are a few. Diffuse mode vs. focused mode thinking, a core part of the book, is pretty interesting. The fact that the memory palace technique works well for unrelated things, which I never thought about. And some other ones that weren't so memorable. It's good for reminding you about all the productivity tips that you should be doing. But for me, there was nothing novel in here.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2016 by Mark Bao
Format: Paperback
I was introduced to this book through the Dr. Oakley’s Coursera course, Learning How to Learn. I'm a senior engineering major with a good GPA, and so I initially thought I wouldn't get much out of learning how to learn. I was wrong. The concepts taught in A Mind for Numbers and Learning How to Learn are widely applicable and very practical. Don't be put off by this book's title if you're not looking for math or science help. Regardless of what you're trying to learn, you will find many useful pieces of information in this book. This book taught me how to be more efficient with productivity strategies such as the pomodoro, focusing on process over product, and the importance of recall. One thing in particular the book helped me with is getting back on track in learning to play the guitar. I attempted to learn the guitar about a year ago and I got discouraged. I stopped playing and my guitar gathered dust in a corner. After reading this book, I realized my problem was that I focused too much on product rather than process. Instead of trying to play the guitar for 25 minutes a day, I would instead try to learn how to play a song in one go. This mindset leads to discouragement and procrastination. Ultimately, this is a book for people who want to improve their ability to learn. It's a book I'm really glad that I read now rather than later. I feel like it will make a big difference with anything I'm trying to learn. If you're still not sold on buying this book, you can get a taste of it in the Learning How to Learn Coursera course. Dr. Oakley uses this book as her source material, so if you like the course, you'll like the book.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2015 by SGF