The Humongous Book of Algebra Problems (Humongous Books) Paperback – July 1, 2008

Wow, just wow. I can't recommend this book enoughA few months ago, I decided to go back to school (specifically for a master's program) and started looking for a text that could help me review all of the algebra I'd forgotten (in preparation for reviewing all the calculus I'd forgotten).I was basically looking for something that A) would give me a broad understanding of all of the important Algebra topics I need to know and B) wouldn't baby me or throw too much at me in one go. While there are plenty of online and offline resources to help understand specific topics and areas of Algebra, nothing has been quite right (either the explanations focus too much on explaining the simple stuff, doesn't explain enough of the basics or doesn't cover enough topics). The Humongous Book of Algebra problems, however, has been absolutely perfect for what I need.There are basically two reasons why I absolutely love this book.First, format of the book. This book is written in a basic Q and A format where a question is asked and Kelly answer it both on a technical and theoretical level (ie, what you do to the numbers to get the answer and why it works that way). Each question in answered in a quick no-nonsense style that gives you the important information - no more, no less. This format breaks up Algebra into bite sized questions that lets the reader take in as much information as he or she needs. At some points I was able to breeze past several pages, while at other points I needed to read and reread an answer before finally getting it. Apart from the fine intake control, the Q and A style breaks everything up into small steps that allows you to pin point exactly what you get and what you don't get. Sometimes texts and materials try to bundle up several subtopics into one overarching topic. As a result, it can be difficult to figure out what exactly you don't understand or what you need to go over to get the concept. Not so with this book.Also, this Q and A style allows you to quiz yourself. After covering a few pages, you can go back, cover the solution, and try to answer the question in your own words. The solutions are extensive enough that answering most requires you to deeply understand why something works the way it does (which, you have to admit, is much better than the end of the chapter battery of plug and chug questions that most textbooks give you)Second, the wording. This is where the book really shines. Most math books force you to choose between two styles - a super jargon heavy technical style or a simplified conversational style. Each have their strengths and weaknesses (Jargon will helps you understand advanced texts but can be difficult to get an initial understanding of; The simplified style is easy to understand, but can get annoying as you start trying to get a deeper understanding of what's going on), but this book takes the best of both. As it's base, it uses a technical style that doesn't get to heavy, but still uses the proper terminology. However, the little 'notes' that Kelly has added to the book gives you little tricks and simple alternative explanations that helps the reader grasp the core concept quickly. There were so many "ohhh now I get it" moments as I read these notes. As a result, while the book has enough rigor to keep you advancing as a student, the side notes makes you feel like you've got a helpful tutor pointing out the easiest ways to understand the harder topics.If any of this sounds like it will be the least bit helpful for your study goals, I definitely suggest you pick up a copy of this book.

I am an old guy. 2 masters in computer science and electronics. I am moving into AI space where math concepts become more important. My GPA in college was 3.8 going through all math through differential equations. But that was many years ago. Big picture is still in my head but many nuts and bolts have been forgotten. This book explains everything better than any book I have ever seen like this. It fills in all the nooks, crannies and crumbs. Extremely helpful for me anyway to re-ramp up in algebra. Headed towards calculus, differential equations and statistics. I will be using more of this series of math books. Very highly recommend.

I expected this to have lots of problems to work through but surprisingly there wasn't enough. This book is not a comprehensive guide of algebra by any means. At times I felt I had gaps in my knowledge and didn't understand where I went wrong. The problem with this book is that it doesn't explain every rule or the entire syntax to you. It simply provides problems and shows you how to solve it. This is why this is definitely not a work book since usually they tell you everything you need to know before solving a problem. What this book is good at is explaining concepts that may have seemed confusing and showing you a method or few to solve them.If you're confused about a topic of Algebra or simply want to learn it then this book is fine but I was looking for a book to self teach myself Algebra. The book will not tell you all the rules of algebra so it is not a complete guide but merely supplementary material providing clarity on concepts. It does this by explaining in plain English, with annotations, illustrations, and worked solutions. I must say I am impressed by how the author fully explains every step of working through a problem, which is lacking in many other maths texts I have read. As he says many other maths people have a tendency to skip steps, and they assume you know them, which can cause problems for a learner.

Each chapter tackles an area of algebra and provides lots and lots of examples. Each concept is demonstrated clearly. One of the many things I like about this book is the numerous notes in the margins which explain key concepts or places it would otherwise be easy to get tripped up on.The tone is a lot like the Dummies books--light and easy to follow. Yet it a serious book--something the Dummies books can't always claim.I also like how they label the difficult problems with a skull and crossbones, so you know before you begin that those problems will be toughies.Finally, the book is organized the way it should be: easy stuff first, and then you slowly build on what you learn. If you get stuck--and the authors anticipate this at critical points in the book--they even give you the references you need to go back and brush up on something.This is a great place to start if, like me, you have become very rusty in math. Work through all the problems, go slowly, be patient, and your math skills will definitely improve, well, exponentially!