Saturday, April 4, 2015

Harry Lorayne's Miracle Math

Cover to the B&N editionAs a coda to last time's Lorayne post I wanted to mention his book Miracle Math. Mr Lorayne has written a lot on memory but as previously said he has expanded a bit into other mental areas. Math is one of these areas, but I feel that somehow this volume has not received the attention it deserves.

It deals with the four arithmetic operations, but in an entirely new (at least for me) and efficient way. I don't know were he got his material from but he deconstructs and puts back again the basic operations in ways that are more useful, faster and more logical. The result is both quicker calculations on paper and an expanded range for mental arithmetic (look ma no hands!).

The techniques are well explained and easy to grasp and apply. There are lots of exercises to test yourself on, though I would advise not to write on the book, as it mars pages and curtails other solvers.

This book has been so very useful and the techniques so much better that they have entirely superseded the old methods I learned from elementary school in my mind; so much so, that I no longer know how to calculate the old way: It is not necessary!

There are probably other books that revolve around the same theme. This is the one I know and so is the one I praise.  This a great book for a motivated child.

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