Edward B. Burger

Michael Starbird

The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking presents practical, lively, and inspiring ways for you to become more successful through better thinking. The idea is simple: You can learn how to think far better by adopting specific strategies. Brilliant people aren't a special breed--they just use their minds differently. By using the straightforward and thought-provoking techniques in The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, you will regularly find imaginative solutions to difficult challenges, and you will discover new ways of looking at your world and yourself--revealing previously hidden opportunities. The book offers real-life stories, explicit action items, and concrete methods that allow you to attain a deeper understanding of any issue, exploit the power of failure as a step toward success, develop a habit of creating probing questions, see the world of ideas as an ever-flowing stream of thought, and embrace the uplifting reality that we are all capable of change. No matter who you are, the practical mind-sets introduced in the book will empower you to realize any goal in a more creative, intelligent, and effective manner. Filled with engaging examples that unlock truths about thinking in every walk of life, The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking is written for all who want to reach their fullest potential--including students, parents, teachers, businesspeople, professionals, athletes, artists, leaders, and lifelong learners. Whenever you are stuck, need a new idea, or want to learn and grow, The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking will inspire and guide you on your way. To share thinking stories, go to: http://5elementsofthinking.wordpress.com

The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking

Making Light of Weighty Ideas

Coincidences, Chaos, and All That Math Jazz

Los 5 elementos del pensamiento efectivo nos ofrece técnicas prácticas, entretenidas e inspiradoras para mejorar nuestra forma de pensar a partir de una idea simple: podemos aprender a pensar mejor adoptando estrategias específicas. La gente brillante no viene de otro mundo, simplemente usan su mente de forma diferente. Las técnicas propuestas en este libro nos enseñan a encontrar soluciones imaginativas a retos complicados, y a descubrir nuevas formas de ver el mundo y a nosotros mismos, encontrando nuevas oportunidades que nos habían pasado desapercibidas. Los 5 elementos que nos proponen los autores para pensar mejor son: 1 – Tierra: Fundamentar nuestro pensamiento; entender bien las cosas. 2 – Fuego: Aprender de los errores para enfocar las cosas de manera distinta y provechosa. 3 – Aire: Sé tu propio Sócrates: Plantearnos preguntas 4 – Agua: Seguir el flujo las ideas: mirar atrás, mirar hacia delante, crear nuevas ideas a partir de las viejas. 5 – elemento: Los cuatro elementos anteriores no sirven de nada si no se practican y no nos implicamos en el cambio. El libro también contiene ejemplos de historias reales y métodos concretos que nos permitirán desarrollar nuestra capacidad de razonar correctamente. Y, por último, descubriremos que todos somos capaces de cambiar.

Los 5 elementos del pensamiento efectivo

It is a rare mathematics book that can be called lucid, light-hearted, and profound, and yet these are the words that capture the spirit of The Heart of Mathematics. Using careful explanation, intriguing puzzles, and challenges, the authors invite readers to use open-ended thinking in discovering and constructing mathematical ideas. Throughout the book, the authors stress that mathematics is an analytical way of thinking, one that can be brought to bear on problem solving and effective thinking in any field of study.

An Invitation to Effective Thinking

The Heart of Mathematics

Brian P. Katz

Mathematics is not a spectator sport; successful students of mathematics grapple with ideas for themselves. Distilling Ideas presents a carefully designed sequence of exercises and theorem statements that challenge students to create proofs and concepts. As students meet these challenges, they discover strategies of proofs and strategies of thinking beyond mathematics. In other words, Distilling Ideas helps its users to develop the skills, attitudes, and habits of mind of a mathematician, and to enjoy the process of distilling and exploring ideas. Distilling Ideas is an ideal textbook for a first proof-based course. The text engages the range of students' preferences and aesthetics through a corresponding variety of interesting mathematical content from graphs, groups, and epsilon-delta calculus. Each topic is accessible to users without a background in abstract mathematics because the concepts arise from asking questions about everyday experience. All the common proof structures emerge as natural solutions to authentic needs. Distilling Ideas or any subset of its chapters is an ideal resource either for an organized Inquiry Based Learning course or for individual study.

An Introduction to Mathematical Thinking (Graphs, Groups, Calculus)

Distilling Ideas

David C. Marshall

Edward Odell

Number Theory Through Inquiry is an innovative textbook that leads students on a carefully guided discovery of introductory number theory. The book has two equally significant goals. One goal is to help students develop mathematical thinking skills, particularly, theorem-proving skills. The other goal is to help students understand some of the wonderfully rich ideas in the mathematical study of numbers. This book is appropriate for a proof transitions course, for an independent study experience, or for a course designed as an introduction to abstract mathematics. Math or related majors, future teachers, and students or adults interested in exploring mathematical ideas on their own will enjoy Number Theory Through Inquiry. Number theory is the perfect topic for an introduction-to-proofs course. Every college student is familiar with basic properties of numbers, and yet the exploration of those familiar numbers leads us to a rich landscape of ideas. Number Theory Through Inquiry contains a carefully arranged sequence of challenges that lead students to discover ideas about numbers and to discover methods of proof on their own. It is designed to be used with an instructional technique variously called guided discovery or Modified Moore Method or Inquiry Based Learning (IBL). Instructors' materials explain the instructional method. This style of instruction gives students a totally different experience compared to a standard lecture course. Here is the effect of this experience: Students learn to think independently: they learn to depend on their own reasoning to determine right from wrong; and they develop the central, important ideas of introductory number theory on their own. From that experience, they learn that they can personally create important ideas, and they develop an attitude of personal reliance and a sense that they can think effectively about difficult problems. These goals are fundamental to the educational enterprise within and beyond mathematics.

Number Theory Through Inquiry

This innovative textbook leads students on a carefully guided discovery of introductory number theory. The book has two equally significant goals. The first is to help students develop mathematical thinking skills, particularly theorem-proving skills. The other goal is to help students understand some of the wonderfully rich ideas in the mathematical study of numbers. This book is appropriate for a proof transitions course, for independent study, or for a course designed as an introduction to abstract mathematics. It is designed to be used with an instructional technique variously called guided discovery or Modified Moore Method or Inquiry Based Learning (IBL). Instructors' materials explain the instructional method, which gives students a totally different experience compared to a standard lecture course. Students develop an attitude of personal reliance and a sense that they can think effectively about difficult problems; goals that are fundamental to the educational enterprise within and beyond mathematics.

Francis Su

Topology Through Inquiry is a comprehensive introduction to point-set, algebraic, and geometric topology, designed to support inquiry-based learning (IBL) courses for upper-division undergraduate or beginning graduate students. The book presents an enormous amount of topology, allowing an instructor to choose which topics to treat. The point-set material contains many interesting topics well beyond the basic core, including continua and metrizability. Geometric and algebraic topology topics include the classification of 2-manifolds, the fundamental group, covering spaces, and homology (simplicial and singular). A unique feature of the introduction to homology is to convey a clear geometric motivation by starting with mod 2 coefficients. The authors are acknowledged masters of IBL-style teaching. This book gives students joy-filled, manageable challenges that incrementally develop their knowledge and skills. The exposition includes insightful framing of fruitful points of view as well as advice on effective thinking and learning. The text presumes only a modest level of mathematical maturity to begin, but students who work their way through this text will grow from mathematics students into mathematicians. Michael Starbird is a University of Texas Distinguished Teaching Professor of Mathematics. Among his works are two other co-authored books in the Mathematical Association of America's (MAA) Textbook series. Francis Su is the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and a past president of the MAA. Both authors are award-winning teachers, including each having received the MAA's Haimo Award for distinguished teaching. Starbird and Su are, jointly and individually, on lifelong missions to make learning—of mathematics and beyond—joyful, effective, and available to everyone. This book invites topology students and teachers to join in the adventure.

Michael Starbird

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