Given how much I struggle with maths, I’m genuinely impressed by how easy this textbook has been to follow with only minimal assistance from my Open University tutor. It’s written in a remarkably clear and concise way, and even my friends—who are far more knowledgeable about maths than I am—have praised its quality. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the experience has been "fun", but this is probably as enjoyable as studying maths will ever be for me!
One of the great things about the OU is that it sells mano of its textbooks to the public. In theory, this could be an excellent resource for anyone looking for a GCSE-level maths refresher without the cost of enrolling in the full OU course—provided they have the motivation to study without deadlines or tutor feedback (which, unfortunately, I still need). There was only one section I found a bit rushed and needed my tutor’s help with, but I suspect free YouTube videos would also fill in the gaps.
Overall, I’m very happy with this course so far, and this first textbook (in a series of four) has been a fantastic starting point.
The 2021 edition has 268 pages rather than the 224 stated here.
I've really enjoyed it. There are times when some of the methods differ from mine and seem to be overcomplicating things, but then in many cases, those methods also have less steps than the way I would normally do the calculations. The main thing is that I've understood the topics (yes, even surds!) and have made a good start to the module. If I want more practice with a topic, there are always the practice quizzes on the module website.
A really good textbook, lots of clear explanations and examples - and answers to the exercises are included at the back of each unit.