Handy Math Answer Book

Patricia Barnes-Svarney is the author of "The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference" and "When the Earth Moves: Rogue Earthquakes, Tremors, and Aftershocks," as well as hundreds of articles for science magazines and journals. Thomas E. Svarney is a scientist and the coauthor with Patricia Barnes-Svarney of numerous books, including "The Oryx Guide to Natural History," " Skies of Fury: Weather Weirdness Around the World," and several titles in the Handy Answer Book series. They live in Endicott, New York.

"plain language questions take readers back to ancient Greece, shed light on the latest innovations of math in applications such as computing, finance, sports, and healthcare, [plus] math basics and history, through math in the physical and natural sciences and math in everyday life."— Book News"[I]f you want an overview of mathematics, this is a good book. ... ideal for classroom research. While math thinkers will enjoy the overview of their field, the authors offer an entry point for the rest of as well. This will work as book for curious kids to page through, as well as a reference text for reports."— Children's Literature"the perfect handbook to give your nonmathematician friends ...."— Mathematics Teacher"a good resource for classroom teachers or parents. It is always nice to be able to answer questions about where the mathematics came from, who has contributed to our knowledge, why mathematics is useful, and why it is important for everyone to know this"— Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School"The text is clear and concise and is understandable to lay readers, while not oversimplified. This worthwhile resource will provide valuable background information to budding math experts; teachers will also enjoy posing these questions to their students."— School Library Journal