Paul Lockhart reveals arithmetic not as the rote manipulation of numbers but as a set of ideas that exhibit the surprising behaviors usually reserved for higher branches of mathematics. In this entertaining survey, he explores the nature of counting and different number systems—Western and non-Western—and weighs the pluses and minuses of each.

A brilliant tour of mathematical thought and a guide to becoming a better thinker, How Not to Be Wrong shows that math is not just a long list of rules to be learned and carried out by rote. Math touches everything we do; It's what makes the world make sense. Using the mathematician's methods and hard-won insights-minus the jargon-professor and popular columnist Jordan Ellenberg guides general readers through his ideas with rigor and lively irreverence, infusing everything from election results to baseball to the existence of God and the psychology of slime molds with a heightened sense of clarity and wonder. Armed with the tools of mathematics, we can see the hidden structures beneath the messy and chaotic surface of our daily lives. How Not to Be Wrong shows us how--Publisher's description.

Arithmetic is still hugely important in many aspects of modern life, but our personal attitudes to it differ greatly. Many people struggle with the basic principles of arithmetic, whilst others love it and feel confident in their arithmetical abilities. Why are there so many individual differences in people’s performance in, and feelings about, arithmetic? Individual Differences in Arithmetic explores the idea that there is no such thing as arithmetical ability, only arithmetical abilities. The book discusses several important components of arithmetic, from counting principles and procedures to arithmetical estimation, alongside emotional and cognitive components of arithmetical performance. This edition has been extensively revised to include the latest research, including recent cross-cultural and cross-linguistic research, the development of new interventions for children with difficulties and studies of early foundations of mathematical abilities. Drawing on developmental, educational, cognitive and neuropsychological studies, this book will be essential reading for all researchers of mathematical cognition. It will also be of interest to educators and other professionals working within individuals with arithmetic deficits.