Mary Jane SterlingFinite Math For Dummies

Great teacher, simple explanations, just be patient, read to understand, move on, practice on paper some exercises and you'll be fine with this manual.

This is a really great reference book if your stuck and need a different method to understand a concept.

The Finite Math Book for Dummies is not for Dummies, but for those folks who have at least a working knowledge of algebra. That said, I think that Mary Jane Sterling has done a good job organizing and presenting a wealth of useful information, especially for people in business. She tells us on page 13 that: “A big application area in finite mathematics is that involving financial topics. There’s interest, dividends, amortized loans, continuous compounding, and more.”My suggestion is that a business person thinking he or she needs some help in understanding business math should use The Finite Math Book for Dummies as a reference, turning to those subjects that are useful in solving some business math problem. Remembering my early warning that algebra is needed to take full advantage of this book, I thought Mary Jane Sterling’s instructions were clear with many useful examples and visual illustrations.As in all Dummies books, icons are used to give us Tips, that is, some extra helpful information; Technical Stuff, for those that want to delve deeper into a particular subject; and Remember, a useful summary of important information or rules needed to solve a problem. Unlike some other Dummies books, these icons are used appropriately and sparingly in this Finite Math book.Mary Jane Sterling also wrote Algebra for Dummies, which might be a good starting off point for people with little math background. Algebra, like Finite Math, is not for Dummies, but with a little help and some effort, almost anyone can learn it and it is a most valuable subject that will be a good introduction to Finite Math, which is recommended with noted reservation.

Motivated after watching some episodes of Numbers on Amazon Prime, I wanted to find out more about the wonders of math and also was curious as to how credible the seemingly incredible ability of math to solve any problem and predict the future as presented on that show really was. I sent for this book. Well I must confess, I wasn't the greatest math student in school. I really like algebra - others whined about word problems but I loved the challenge. Every other branch of math I hated. So I think maybe I am not the best person to have this book. I figured it has been so many years since my school days that I'd come back to attack the subject and really understand its inner workings. Now that I actually have the book in hand, I find it still a challenge.The book description on the product page says, "If you’re not a math person or just want to brush up on your skills to get a better grade, Finite Math For Dummies is your ticket to scoring higher!" I'm not a math person and as stated in another customer review, you really need a working knowledge of algebra (and math in general, if you ask me). Even though I said I liked algebra in school, that was the word problem aspect but when it came to matrices and stuff like that, it didn't mesh well with me. I find that the author covers a lot of ground and applications but goes through them quickly and briefly so if math isn't your forte you're really going to have to take it slowly to digest it all.In terms of subjects covered and the practicality of those subjects, this book does a good job of it. My opinion is that it kind of breezes through everything leaving the reader to have to figure out a lot of it. If that suits your learning style then the book's a good match for you but if not (like me, when it comes to math) then just be aware of what's in store.

Typical math book, written by someone who is a “Math Person” i.e. can do the math, but cannot teach it to someone. Always skipping steps because “you should know it, and if you don’t , you are not as cool as I am”... Hey, I am not great at math, ok, you got me. Go ahead and show me every step. Teach me, don’t use this as an example to show you math buddies how smart you are....

I studied finite math in school, but that was a long time ago. And all of a sudden it's relevant again, because of AI. And TBH it's a lot more fun to learn this stuff now. I really appreciate the subject presented in the _for Dummies_ format. It's a real no-BS style, and actually pays attention to the user experience of the reader. In my opinion, these books are usually a lot better than college textbooks because they have to compete in the marketplace, and the *reader* makes the purchase decision. Whereas for textbooks, a 3rd party (the professor) chooses the book that the student must purchase. And so textbooks are marketed to faculty, not to students.Bottom line, this is an enjoyable way to freshen up on finite math.

I generally avoid the ‘Dummies’ series because I find them too elementary, or really not elementary at all....in which case, I feel like a dummy.This book falls squarely in the second category. It is likely simply to be too hard for readers who don’t have (very) solid general math backgrounds, ones that go well beyond competence and comfort with algebra.

This book broke down the math problem and explained in a way I could understand.