Do you shy away from using numbers? Basic Mathematics can help. An easy-to-follow guide, it will ensure you gain the confidence you need to tackle maths and overcome your fears.

Table of Contents

• Meet the author
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Reasons to be cheerful about mathematics
• Is this book really for me?
• Can I succeed now if I failed at school?
• Hasn't maths changed since I was at school?
• Will it help to use a calculator?
• Can I help my child?
• The magic number machine
• Numbers, numbers everywhere
• Saying hello to your calculator
• Introducing the counting numbers
• The calculator constant
• Tens and units
• Hundreds, thousands and beyond
• Children and numbers
• Answers to exercises for Chapter 2
• Calculating with numbers
• Properties of numbers
• Adding
• Subtracting
• Multiplying
• Dividing
• Knowing what sum to do
• Answers to exercises for Chapter 3
• Fractions
• Facing up to fractions
• What is a fraction?
• How to picture a fraction
• Fitting fractions into the number line
• What are equivalent fractions?
• Adding and subtracting fractions
• Multiplying and dividing fractions
• Ratio and proportion
• Answers to exercises for Chapter 4
• Decimals
• Decimal fractions
• What is the point of the decimal point?
• Using the four rules with decimals
• Dividing fractions
• An overview of decimals
• Answers to exercises for Chapter 5
• Percentages
• What is a percentage?
• Changing a fraction to a percentage
• Why bother with percentages?
• Calculating percentage increases and reductions
• Persistent problems with percentages
• Answers to exercises for Chapter 6
• Measuring
• What do we measure?
• Why do we measure?
• How do we measure?
• How accurately should we measure?
• Imperial and metric units
• Answers to exercises for Chapter 7
• Statistical graphs
• Barcharts and piecharts
• Scattergraphs and line graphs
• Misleading graphs
• Answers to exercises for Chapter 8
• Using a formula
• Is algebra abstract and irrelevant?
• Algebra as shorthand
• Calculating with formulas
• Proving with algebra
• Answers to exercises for Chapter 9
• Puzzles, games and diversions
• 1 Bus number game
• 2 Pub cricket
• 3 Guess my number
• 4 Finger tables
• 5 The story of 12
• 6 Magic squares
• 7 Magic triangle
• 8 Upside down
• 9 Logically speaking
• 10 The bells, the bells!
• 11 Calculator inversions
• 12 Four 4s
• 13 Return journey
• 14 Find the numbers
• 15 Explore and explain the pattern
• 16 1089 and all that
• 17 Large and small sums
• 18 Gold pieces
• 19 Initially speaking
• 20 Guess the number
• 21 Nim
• 22 Calculator snooker
• 23 Place Invaders
• Answers for Chapter 10
• Spreadsheets
• An overview of a spreadsheet
• Why bother using a spreadsheet?
• Using a spreadsheet
• Number sequences on a spreadsheet
• Percentages on a spreadsheet
• What else will a spreadsheet do?
• Answers to exercises for Chapter 11
• Diagnostic quiz
• Quiz
• Solutions to the quiz
• Detailed comments on the solutions
• Appendixes
• Appendix A: Calculating a best buy
• Appendix B: Reading the 24-hour clock
• Appendix C: Bus and railway timetables
• Appendix D: Checking the supermarket bill
• Appendix E: Understanding a shop receipt
• Appendix F: Checking the VAT
• Appendix G: Cooking with figures
• Appendix H: Buying a TV set
• Appendix I: Will it fit?
• Appendix J: Measures of alcohol
• Appendix K: Understanding barcodes
• Appendix L: Junk mail and free offers
• Appendix M: Winning on the National Lottery
• Appendix N: Safe travel
• Taking it further