Gary Gordon – författare

A mathematical exploration of the popular card game SETHave you ever played the addictive card game SET? Have you ever wondered about the connections between games and mathematics? If the answer to either question is "yes," then The Joy of SET is the book for you! The Joy of SET takes readers on a fascinating journey into this seemingly simple card game and reveals its surprisingly deep and diverse mathematical dimensions. Absolutely no mathematical background is necessary to enjoy this book—all you need is a sense of curiosity and adventure!Originally invented in 1974 by Marsha Falco and officially released in 1991, SET has gained a widespread, loyal following. SET''s eighty-one cards consist of one, two, or three symbols of different shapes (diamond, oval, squiggle), shadings (solid, striped, open), and colors (green, purple, red). In order to win, players must identify “sets” of three cards for which each characteristic is the same—or different—on all the cards. SET’s strategic and unique design opens connections to a plethora of mathematical disciplines, including geometry, modular arithmetic, combinatorics, probability, linear algebra, and computer simulations. The Joy of SET looks at these areas as well as avenues for further mathematical exploration. As the authors show, the relationship between SET and mathematics runs in both directions—playing this game has generated new mathematics, and the math has led to new questions about the game itself.The first book devoted to the mathematics of one of today’s most popular card games, The Joy of SET will entertain and enlighten the game enthusiast in all of us.

Can America’s public schools, long resistant to change, meet the challenges of globalization and new educational alternatives? Not by doing what they’re doing today. So argues Building Engaged Schools, a book that challenges the faulty assumptions that guide American public education.

In our efforts to create the best possible schools for America’s kids, we’ve allowed process concerns such as standards, curriculum, and testing to overshadow the importance of people. But the fact is, what we’ve come to think of as the “soft” aspects of education are actually what make truly effective learning possible. Building relationships, nurturing student and teacher talents, fostering engagement ... these are what motivate great teachers and inspire students.

Indeed, if schools can learn anything from the business world, it’s this: The “soft” stuff drives results. Corporate leaders have realized that the best way to improve productivity is to tap the talents and motivation of their human assets. This approach is even more critical in the classroom. An overemphasis on process reforms has set the education system at odds with both teachers and students. Too many students are lethargic or alienated; too many teachers have become disillusioned and cynical. We must find a way to bring public schools back to life, and to tap the enormous potential that exists in America’s classrooms.

Drawing on decades of Gallup research, Building Engaged Schools offers a fresh approach: Leverage student and teacher talent, on a school-by-school basis. Focusing on talent may lack the political appeal of process reforms, which can be implemented in broad strokes. This approach is surely more complex. But the return on the time and effort invested is far greater. In fact, that return is no less than a more fully engaged society, and a better future for America’s children.