Practical Math,
Staff-written by
American
Technical
Publishers, 1994;
708/957-1100.
Softcover, 6x9,
340 pages. $21.96.
If you've ever had a helper call out a
measurement as, "54 inches and … 5
little marks," you'll appreciate the
training this book offers. It's a typical
textbook in most respects, but all the
sample problems and tests are geared
to the building trades. The idea is that
if you're going to teach your carpenters
how to multiply and divide fractions,
you might as well teach them using
portions of a 4x8 sheet of plywood as
an example.
Practical Math begins with the basics
— defining whole numbers and fractions,
and explaining how to add, subtract,
multiply, and divide them. In
keeping with the trades theme, the
book uses an