A discussion last month was talking about teaching mathematics, or how people learn math.
On 26 Feb 2003 21:13:05 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Jay Warner) wrote: > > Keith Devlin, The math Gene: How Mathematical Thinking Evolved and why Numbers > are Like Gossip , Basic Books , 2000 ISBN 0-465-01618-9 > > Makes ref to data, but doesn't rely upon it himself, for the most part. > Nonetheless, he has got it down. I want to add -- Following that recommendation, I found the book in the library, I read it, and I was favorably impressed. I believe he is definitely right, an original, about why some parts of math and arithmetic are hard to learn (or teach). I recommend it too. Devlin has some discussions and arguments about the origin of human intelligence, consciousness, and languages. I think he treats the literature intelligently and fairly. - I've read a dozen related books in the last decade, so I report here as an "informed" reader who is not an "expert". -- Rich Ulrich, [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pitt.edu/~wpilib/index.html . . ================================================================= Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at: . http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ . =================================================================
