Loaded with typos, errors, and confusing grammar.

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	• Algebra Demystified : A Self Teaching Guide (Demystified) Rhonda Huettenmueller McGraw-Hill Professional, 2002 - 349 pages average customer review:based on 23 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Loaded with typos, errors, and confusing grammar.

A lot of the other reviews have covered the high points of this book, and should be considered along with this review. I did find that the book was adept in teaching the ways of algebra from the comfort of my desk, but there was a lot of head scratching along the way.

In many examples, the author substitutes the standard dot symbol for multiplication with a lowercase "x". Okay, not such a big deal, except we're already solving for "x" the variable. 4x (34) and 4 x (34) are similar enough to confuse, and just should not be done.

Also, many of the paragraphs explaining the upcoming steps use tricky passive voice grammar that requires several reads through, or simply shows how to solve the problems without offering you any reason why it works.

I found that these faults were actually helpful to my learning. First of all, 95% of all math teachers are more confusing and obfuscated than this book, so you're already ahead of the game there. Second, in absence of any reasoning behind why any of this works, you're required to forge those mental pathways yourself; kinda like creating your own proof in your head. For me, that helps me commit these skills to memory. Would a text or teacher who explains the "why" along with the "how" be any more or less effective? I wouldn't know, I've never encountered it.

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This book taught me basic algebra

If you're committed to learning basic algebra, this book will teach it to you. It's not without its flaws, but overall I'm giving a 4 star review for the following reasons:

1) There are a huge amount of sample exercises and practice problems.
2) The author includes substantial, categorical treatment of algebraic word problems. These are dealt with by type; so by the time you're done with a category you understand how to solve a specific type of word problem.
3) This book taught me basic algebra.

I've subtracted a star for the following reasons:

1) There are quite a few mistakes, some in the exercises and some in the chapter review problems. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt on this one because I bought the text several years ago, and I'm making the assumption that subsequent printings have dealt with these.
2) There are times when more explanation could help, and it's left to the example exercises to explain how things work. I would suggest to those using this text that with some patience and perseverance, most of the concepts become clear after working through the practice problems. Don't be afraid to redo a chapter here and there (I did) and if you get stuck, put it away and come back to it a day later.

Overall this author did a fine job of presenting the material in a limited amount of pages (over 400). She begins with basic fractions (without variables) and ends with quadratic applications, which provide an introduction of the usefulness (hence application) of quadratic equations.

If you've never touched an algebra problem, you might have a little more difficulty with this text -- but you should still be able to work through it if you're serious about learning the subject. However if you're using it for review or a supplement to a math class, it's likely to give you exactly what you need. The combination of problem solving with application (word problems) helps many of the concepts of basic algebra really come together.

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Awesome book!

I have never found a book that helped so much!

I personally learn from doing, and that is what this book teaches you to do. You jump right in, and don't get confused by too much by over-explanations.

This book is working great for me and I can't wait to get conquer this book and more!

Great Book

I was a nervous wreck because it has been several years since my last algebra class. This book was very informative.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Whether you want to learn more about algebra, refresh your skills, or improve your classroom performance, Algebra Demystified is the perfect shortcut.

Knowing algebra gives you a better choice of jobs, helps you perform better in science, computing, and math courses, ups your score on competitive exams, and improves your ability to do daily computations. And there's no faster or more painless way to master the subject than Algebra Demystified! Entertaining author and experienced teacher Rhonda Huettenmueller provides all the math background you need and uses practical examples, real data, and a totally different approach to life the "myst" from algebra.

With Algebra Demystified, you master algebra one simple step at a time--at your own speed. Unlike most books on the subject, general concepts are presented first --and the details follow. In order to make the process as clear and simple as possible, long computations are presented in a logical, layered progression with just one execution per step.

THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND SELF-TEACHING TEXT OFFERS: Questions at the end of every chapter and section to reinforce learning and pinpoint weaknesses A 100-questions final exam for self-assessment An intensive focus on word problems and fractions--help where it's most often needed Detailed examples and solutions

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