Did You Know that Lobsters, Birds, Cats and Dogs Can Do Math?
Math is, unfortunately, one of the least liked subjects in school. For many children, it is just a series of painful memorization of tables, lots of tedious calculations and nothing much in the way of being interesting.
if you want your youngster, or yourself, to see math from a new and somewhat amazing perspective, get hold of the book by Kevlin Devin titled The Math Instinct: Why You're a Mathematical Genius. http://www.amazon.com/Math-Instinct-Mathematical-Genius-Lobsters/dp/1560256729
Devlin is a mathematician with a gift for telling stories--and he tells lots of interesting ones, including how infants and animals have some extraordinary math abilities. For example, babies within a few days after birth can distinguish between two objects and three objects. Is he counting? Well, they are surely not saying, "one, two, three" but nevertheless, they are showing a grasp of number.
This would be a great book to read to your children and grandchildren if they are 8 years or older. All of us love ideas that are intriguing and challenge our views of the world. And in the process, the new ideas are likely to make math easier and more attractive. Quite a combination.
