A Review of The Modern Algebra by Andre Agassi

A Review of 'The Modern Algebra' by Andre AgassiI recently discovered that a book called 'The Modern Algebra' had some very useful tips for helping me solve my algebra problems. I've read other books about algebra, but nothing like this. It is so useful and such a fun book to read. I couldn't put it down.My first question was; what exactly does the book say? In an excellent section in the Introduction, which includes an awesome picture of Thomas the Tank Engine, the author explains his main claim. He claims that it has really been the easy part of learning math - the numbers at the top and bottom - that were making math more difficult than necessary. He states: 'Academic learning is always most effective when it focuses on the practical applications of what you learn.' Then he goes on to describe his own experience learning algebra.His algebra teacher knew that he struggled to do things like working out what the roots of a given function were, or solving quadratic equations. He was o ften really tired after class because he needed to find out this information in just a few minutes. He was not assigned homework, and there was no way to check your work. He would either do these things himself, or get other people to do them for him.My point is this: it is important to understand how to do well with your math at school. You need to know that you need not only good teachers, but also good students. By having a book with useful tips for solving algebra problems at home, you are in a position to make sure that you're doing your homework, and your tests, every day.The other section in the book really helped me, too. There is an outstanding section on multiplication tables, where you will learn new techniques that make you think about the way that you multiply things. Forexample, you might be learning how to multiply a sum by a larger unit by multiplying that larger unit by its own factor. Or you might be learning the difference between first and second and figuring out how to replace one decimal point with another decimal point. These ideas can get boring, and you can't know whether you've understood what you're doing.There are lots of such things to learn when you are trying to learn algebra. When you have a book with good hints and solutions, you have a framework from which to build your own knowledge. I am not sure that I would recommend this book as a substitute for college-level algebra, but the book does give you a foundation.My husband who is studying chemistry also liked the book very much. He liked the fact that it included easy exercises and workbooks to use. He just needs some more help from a math tutor, and the book is a good start.