All Things Being Equal: Why Math Is the Key to a Better World

by John Mighton

From the award-winning founder of JUMP Math, All Things Being Equal is a proven guide to succeeding in math, and a passionate argument for why this success can and must be available to the majority instead of the privileged few.

For two decades, John Mighton has developed strategies for fostering intellectual potential in all children through learning math. Math, Mighton says, provides us with mental tools of incredible power. When we learn math we learn to see patterns, to think logically and systematically, to draw analogies, to perceive risk, to understand cause and effect--among many other critical skills. Yet we tolerate and in fact expect a vast performance gap in math among students, and live in a world where many adults aren't equipped with these crucial tools. This learning gap is unnecessary, dangerous and tragic, he cautions, and it has led us to a problem of intellectual poverty which is apparent everywhere--in fake news, political turmoil, floundering economies, even in erroneous medical diagnoses.
In All Things Being Equal, Mighton argues that math study is an ideal starting point to break down social inequality and empower individuals to build a smarter, kinder, more equitable world. Bringing together the latest cognitive research and incremental learning strategies, Mighton goes deep into the classroom and beyond to offer a hopeful--and urgent--vision for a numerate society.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mathematics, Education, Science, Teaching, Audiobook

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 7, 2020

About the author

John Mighton, OC is a Canadian author and mathematician. He is the founder of JUMP (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies), a charitable organization that works to educate students in mathematics. He is the author of The Myth of Ability (2003) and The End of Ignorance (2007). Mighton is also a playwright, and has been the recipient of two Governor General Awards for his plays which include Possible Worlds, The Little Years, Body & Soul, Scientific Americans, A Short History of Night, and Half Life.

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd really like to meet John Mighton one day or hear him speak in person to see if he is as effusive about teaching math in person as I perceive him to be from his books. This is the third book of his that I have read. I find his enthusiasm to be quite contagious. It seems weird to say, but I really enjoyed reading this math book!

I've been teaching JUMP for a few years and this was a really good refresher. I've been hearing people say some things lately (JUMP means you can JUMP from one lesson to another, or the practice and review book is something you can skip, if you want, for example) that were not ringing true for me. Reading this book, I feel like I'm back to the groundedness of JUMP. His philosophy really does fit well with our school's version of direct instruction. I especially appreciated his list of principles of effective instruction:

1. Begin a lesson with a short review of previous lessons.

2. Present new material in small steps with sufficient practice after each step.

3. Ask a large number of questions and check the responses of all students.

4. Provide models.

5. Guide student practice.

6. Check for understanding.

7. Obtain a high success rate.

8. Provide scaffolds for difficult tasks.

9. Require and monitor independent practice.

10. Engage students in weekly and monthly review.

Barak Rosenshine, "Principles of Instruction: Research-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know," American Educator 36, no. 1 (Spring 2012): 12.

I really like the idea of weekly and monthly reviews. I could do well to start that practice Barak Rosenshine suggests reviewing the previous week's work every Monday and the month's work the last Monday of the month.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished reading “All Things Being Equal by John Mighton. The premise behind this book is that everybody can learn to excell in mathematics. Math skills are not inherent or hereditary but can be exploited through practice and followingsome basic steps as taught by the JUMP math system. A working knowledge of math, according to the author, will help people become more aware of their environment, sciences, economics, and engineering. The concepts can be transferred to other school subjects to make learning and understanding of complex ideas easier to comprehend. This could be a good reference for everyone.

[Alex Hajjar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. I thought it was a bit braggadocio the way the author not-so-subtly snuck in some plugs for his methodology of teaching and where to find it online. And when he said children would clap him for walking into a classroom, I mean I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt but there was a fair bit of bragging.

Credit where it’s due, he’s clearly an intelligent dude.

The last chapter was the most moving and I agree with most of the authors ideologies and respect where his message is meant to direct people. The book is great for teachers and educators but at the very least EVERYONE should read chapter 8.

[Sara Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Groovy way to look at math fundamentals and helping all kids and adults access math. Bit of a marketing push for Jump and some not-cool language (ie: “primitive tribes”).

[Gerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the authors passion for thinking that learning math will solve many of the worlds problems. He does present some strong evidence to suggest that this might be so. The book though sometimes read like an advertisement for his math program, "JUMP Math". Also worth noting is that he is a fellow Canadian, and better yet, he had a role(as a math student of course) in a favourite movie of mine, "Good Will Hunting".
Overall, a very satisfying read...and I just may hone up on my math skills.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the intention of the book, and found parts to be inspirational for my practice as a math teacher, but found that it fell a little flat in terms of professional development. The whole time I was reading, I felt that what really should do is look through a JUMP math book for ideas and extrapolate to my high school level classes.

[Mala Ashok · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explodes the myth that only some people can excel at or even understand Math. He explains concepts in a method such that every student can understand them. The author suggests that scaffolding or building on skills already learned can help demystify new skills. I would say that all teachers and parents should read this book specially if their students/ children are struggling in Math.

[Sunni Bi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting thoughts about math learning and education methods.

The author John Mighton, is a very passionate mathematician and is open with sharing his learning strategies to improve our educational system and helping the school teachers who are mentally struggling with teaching students or lack of effective teaching resources.

[Barrette Plett · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good. It inspired me to take another look at using JUMP materials in my Math classroom. I generally liked the book and it seems to be based on good research. I felt it ended a bit grandly, but I suppose that's Mighton's prerogative and he is, after all, a dramatic writer, too.

[Linda Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

He talks about a different way to engage our children in math. It should be realized yo some degree by now that our current education system is failing our students who don't have the extra support outside school.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case For Mathematics

This was a great book on mathematics.

I found it an easy read, and a good book on why mathematics is an important field.

Definitely recommend checking out this book if you find this an interesting topic!

3.9/5

[Adam Clost · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read for teachers of all ages. Some really interesting examples of activities and modifications Mighton and others have used to make math more accessible too. More than worth the short time it takes to read it.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great. Perhaps the excessive brain science in the early chapters will seem tedious to you too (summary, everyone can do math), but in section two where he gets into the heart of the math matter this book is definitely 5 stars.

[Teodora Davidkova · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite worth reading. It claims and give evidence to that the major importance we give to talent in math and other domains is more of an illusion rather than a fact. Very liberating in my view.

[Maki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Growth Mindset idea of teaching maths. I am always looking for better ways for children to understand the basic concepts and agree with teaching through games when possible.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mighton's enthusiasm is infectious and makes you want to go seek out Math problems. His dedication and work is inspirational and I hope he has continued success with JUMP.

[Augusto Barros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must read if you are a parent. I realized the many mistakes I was making while trying to help my son with math. Check the JUMP resources mentioned in the book, they are great.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and hopeful that all of us can learn math. I am even inspired to perhaps look into his Jump Math and give it a go. Some stimulation for the old brain

[Cindy Mac Jac · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book for those who struggle with math concepts or teach children or them self math.

[Jessalyn Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I came to it already liking math, but I don't think that you would need to like math previously to like this book.

[L J]

Read it in one sitting! Really thoughtful book.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christmas gift from mum. Some pedagogically interesting stuff in there but also a lot of math as technocratic uber solution which I am somewhat skeptical of.

[Bre Fitzpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most important books I’ve read in my life. Math was never my strongest subject so this added a refreshing perspective and teaching style around it.

[N.J. Danatangelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love his work in the realm of maths, also happens to be a playwright as well!

[Cess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was making be think I could do calculus again but then I wasn’t able to solve a grade 9 math question.

[Linda Easthope · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read pages 1-62. The purpose of the first part of the book appears to be to convince teachers and parents that it's worth finding a better way to create mathematical literacy in children. It's not exactly a compelling read but I'm giving it three stars for the hopefulness it can inspire in those who struggle to learn math (and those who support them). This book itself isn't a primer on Jump Math, but reading it would definitely encourage someone to give Jump a try.

[Pasc Guill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really love this book! I loved math and this made me fall in love with it again!

[Lizanne Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Libro.fm for the audiobook.
Interesting read for anyone looking to improve in math with the way to do it. You’ll want to check out jumpmath.org when you’re done reading.
The audiobook was rather dry listening.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. I feel most people who will pick this up, however, are already those who see the power and impact of numeracy and understanding of math.

I think some of the anecdotes could have been excised in favour of more in depth look at the methodology. As it wasn't it can sometimes feel a bit sales-y towards his methods rather than straight insights and encouragement to do better.

Probably best suited for educators and those who can influence educational policy but the concept that a growth mindset can and should be applied to math and numeracy (i.e. there is no such thing as someone who can or can't do math) is a good one and should be understood by all, especially as math understanding becomes more and more critical in today's landscape (also clarifying the difference between arithmetic and mathematical thinking...)

Worth a skim, if not a full read depending on your engagement with the subject in real life.

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite an informative read. I was someone who was always struggling with math, so much so that I had to take remedial math for several years in high school. It makes me wonder if I was someone who could have been benefitted from JUMP Math. Maybe I'll look it up to see if I can improve my math skills. I definitely recommend this for the curious.


*won as a GoodReads First Reads*