by Theresa Morrow

Created on: April 15, 2008

Everybody needs a good background in math. Whether you are going into engineering and will need knowledge of calculus and complex formulas or into retail where you may only need to make change and balance a simple ledger book, almost every career will involve math at some point. Because of this, a good background in math skills is essential.

One of the best groups of math books is a series written by K. Elayn Martin-Gay. This series ranges from basic math to intermediate algebra and has additional supplements available for purchase. The available workbooks not only teach math skills, but also apply them to everyday situations, which makes learning and remembering the basics much easier.

Basic College Mathematics starts with simple multiplication and division of fractions and progresses to geometry, basic statistics, and offers an introduction to algebra. It is the perfect tool for brushing up on skills learned in high school.

Next in the series is Pre-Algebra. This title introduces the basic concepts of algebra and teaches the student how those concepts can be used in everyday life. Introduced in Pre-Algebra are factorization, the concept of negative numbers, roots and powers, basic equations, and the concept of variables. Pre-Algebra also brushes up on basic geometry skills and shows their relationship to algebra.

The next book in the series is Introductory Algebra. The main purpose for this particular title is to provide a solid foundation for the student to move into a more advanced algebra course. It this title, the student is introduced to the order of operations, polynomials, and simplifying and solving equations.

The Intermediate Algebra text carries the concepts learned in earlier courses into more-advanced problems and introduces and equations with more than one variable. It also introduces linear equations, the coordinate plane, slope and Y-intercept, and graphing, all of which are necessary for the next course-trigonometry.

The Martin-Gay series ends at Intermediate Algebra. However, Earl Swokowski has an excellent series that picks up at geometry and continues through to calculus. One of the advantages of the Swokowski series is the calculator examples. While discouraged in lower-level math courses, a calculator is a necessity in upper-level courses and the Swokowski series walks the student through step-by-step, key-by-key examples using a variety of popular calculators.

Another great mathematics tutorial is the Wiley Self Teaching Guide series. This series not only starts with basic math, but expands into economics, statistics, and beginning physics.

Math doesn't change, so if purchasing books to brush up on skills or to keep on hand for future reference, look for older editions, which are much less expensive. It is possible to find older math books at yard sales or thrift stores for just a few dollars, however most will be missing any supplements that originally came with the text. Even if you want a specific title, purchasing an edition that is just a few years old can save you 95% or more of the cost of the latest edition. Most of the textbooks mentioned have additional supplemental workbooks and CD-roms available. So if you also want the supplements, check for available packaged versions of the text as they may include these at only a nominal increase in price.

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