50 Math Tricks That Will Change Your Life: Mentally Solve the Impossible in Seconds

by Tanya Zakowich

Insane Number Hacks For Curious Adults And Daring Students!

In this epic book, you’ll uncover 50 unbelievable ways you can manipulate numbers to solve equations, word problems and brain teasers in a flash, no calculator required. Math wizard Tanya Zakowich uses colorful diagrams and quirky explanations to help you see math as a creative tool you can use to quickly solve problems without confusion. Whether you want to divide huge numbers in your head, instantly know the square root of 5,489 or mentally calculate how much you’ll spend on a Spotify subscription this year, you’ll be able to get your answer in a matter of seconds. These mind-blowing tricks will teach you that numbers aren’t just magical, they are an awesome resource for hacking the world around you!

Genres: Mathematics

297 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 21, 2023

Reviews

[Amelia N.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter (14 yr old) loved this book!!!!! She says it is quote: "Not actually long and boring". I have been following Pink Pencil Math videos for a year and this book absolutely delivered. It is colorful, fun and a great gift!

[Luqman LuQe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for middle school students and also adults looking to rekindle their interest in math. Simple concepts and effective shortcuts that make learning math fun and enjoyable. Highly recommended

[Sam Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm an adult and found this book a good read. What a beautifully done, colorful and vibrant book. Better than the other mental math books out there. Each chapter is one trick, why the trick works and a real life example. You can flip through the chapters instead of going chronological order.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful little book that offers up, and then explains, neat little math hacks like how to multiply and divide large numbers in your head. The real-life examples are fun (will this bathtub fit in my bathroom, is this a real credit card number). The book is irrepressibly fun, and the font and colorful layout make the book soooo accessible. A joy to read. I really enjoyed reading it. Perfect for the budding mathematician in your life.

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, easy-to-read book. Some things I already knew. Some were nice, though I'm not sure I'll remember them. A few seem so convoluted as to not even feel like shortcuts at all (especially the part on cubing numbers)

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many fun tricks like:

When subtracting
5000 change to 4999
-3729 -3728

When dividing by 5, double the original number and the divide by 10

Bigger fractions?

5/8 or 4/7
5x7=35 4x8=32

[Alberto Tebaldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book that should be taught to kids in school. plenty of maths marvels. the author intend also to give practical tips for calculations but I'll find it harder to remember each single case, especially after being used to the traditional ways to calculate.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m learning that I don’t have to finish a book to get a lot out of it and that “FINISHED” is a relative term. I didn’t read the whole book but I got to page 85 and learned to appreciate that there are many ways to solve problems and many ways to think about a situation.

Thanks, Tanya!

[Sue Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought it for my niece who is in middle school. She loves it! Super colorful, fun and friendly. Pages feel nice too. Probably the best math related book out there. Good find!

[lalunenoire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Coming into this as someone who did not follow Zakowich, but as an educator looking for supportive resources, I'm not sure that this is one I can recommend. While full of tips and tricks used by educators, most of them are systems I have seen employed in a number of math and support classes in my district. By collecting them into one place like this, one could argue it's use as a reference book, however, in context it is aimed at the younger audience, and with the inherent denseness of any math book, and the varied concepts within, I can't with confidence say this is a resource any student would reach for.