Math Doesn’t Suck

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Actress Danica McKellar is probably best known for playing the part of Winnie, “the girlfriend” on “The Wonder Years” in the eighties. It was a brilliant show, and now she has written what promises to be a brilliant book. With the subtitle, “How to Survive Middle-School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail,” Ms. McKellar offers help and advice that most girls need. Most boys need it as well, but she is targeting her group well, because, well … duh.

Math shouldn’t have to be a gender issue, but unfortunately society has generally foisted the stupid myth on us that “girls can’t do math.” Modern society has foisted the dumber myth on us that “if you are smart, you can’t be cool.”

Let’s examine that second one for a minute. If you are smart, it’s probably true that there is window of time in your adolescent life during which most of your friends will pretend that it’s uncool to be smart.

Why do they do that? Because they are secure, mature, and successful at the things they are going to need and want in life?

Naaaaah. It’s because their hormones are playing ping-pong with their gonads.

That will last a few more years, and then they’ll end up as fratboy and sororitygirl drunks. Now there’s a goal to shoot for.

Respect your future. Respect your mind. This book seems to have some insights on how to do that without becoming a total boring geek. Imagine that!

I’ve created a new squidoo lens about it at: http://squidoo.com/mathdoesntsuck
Check it out.