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