» How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method (Princeton Science Library)

How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method (Princeton Science Library) Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent book and recommended reading for anybody
Comment: If you are a student, this book is for you. If you are into self-betterment, then this book is for you. Basically, if you want to learn how to think about problems and potential solutions, then this is for you.

Clearly written albeit math-oriented.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: How To Solve It, Polya
Comment: Very interesting book on how to solve problems, which can be applied to both mathematical and real-life problems. It contains general themes of problem-solving, attitudes one should have towards problems, and detailed methods of how to go about solving problems. It also discusses the optimal teacher-student relationship in the context of problem-solving.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Problem Solving Methods - Excellent Book on Heuristics
Comment: Every teacher and parent should read this book. Every person interested in problem solving should also read it.

This book is not just about mathematical methods, mathematical problem solving, or teaching mathematics. It is about solving problems. It presents concrete methods (or heuristics) and illustrates by guiding the reader using these methods through clear and cogent examples.

The problem solving insight this book provides is extremely useful. It is about how to go about solving a problem. There are many different ways to approach a difficult problem and often in complex problem solving one does not know where to begin to even think about the problem.

I recall Andrew Wiles, the mathematician who proved Fermat's Last Theorem (a very famous, long-lasting, and seemingly unproven theorem - unproven for centuries), discussed how during his initial work on the problem, work which ultimately took Wiles about seven years to figure out how to prove, and then to go ahead and prove the theorem, had to study problem solving methodologies just to know how to approach the problem. He needed to learn how to attack the problem - where to begin.

This book is great for learning the different approaches to problem solving. One method discussed in detail is to work similar problems or simpler problems that are similar to the main problem. This allows one to start gauge the issues surrounding the problem and the assist the mind in thinking about the problem and its boundaries.

Anyone interested in becoming a better problem solver, a better teacher, or a parent trying to teach or help their children learn mathematics or science (or to help them with their homework - but to do so by teaching advanced problem solving methods implicitly), then this book is for you. It is not a difficult book and you do not have to be an expert in mathematics or mathematically inclined.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Not just for academics
Comment: There is a reason that this book has been in print for decades. It should be required reading for teachers, students, and anybody interested in thinking. Problem-solving is a useful skill that can be learned. Polya does the teaching.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Actually tried it
Comment: I actually tried the techniques in this book while taking freshman physics at Harvard. They weren't all that helpful. I remember it sounding good, but being fairly useless when it came to attacking challenging textbook and recitation problems (which are a far cry from actual scientific questions). What I eventually learned was that the key to such so-called "problems" is to understand the problem writers and the choices they make. Polya operates in some idealistic and trivial world, as if being methodical were sufficient to win that game. People who find this book helpful may feel unprepared when they step it up a notch.

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