A Mind for Numbers
How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $20.40
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Grover Gardner
-
Written by:
-
Barbara Oakley PhD
About this listen
The companion book to COURSERA®'s wildly popular massive open online course "Learning How to Learn"
Whether you are a student struggling to fulfill a math or science requirement, or you are embarking on a career change that requires a new skill set, A Mind for Numbers offers the tools you need to get a better grasp of that intimidating material. Engineering professor Barbara Oakley knows firsthand how it feels to struggle with math. She flunked her way through high school math and science courses, before enlisting in the army immediately after graduation. When she saw how her lack of mathematical and technical savvy severely limited her options - both to rise in the military and to explore other careers - she returned to school with a newfound determination to re-tool her brain to master the very subjects that had given her so much trouble throughout her entire life.
In A Mind for Numbers, Dr. Oakley lets us in on the secrets to learning effectively - secrets that even dedicated and successful students wish they’d known earlier. Contrary to popular belief, math requires creative, as well as analytical, thinking. Most people think that there’s only one way to do a problem, when in actuality, there are often a number of different solutions - you just need the creativity to see them. For example, there are more than 300 different known proofs of the Pythagorean theorem. In short, studying a problem in a laser-focused way until you reach a solution is not an effective way to learn. Rather, it involves taking the time to step away from a problem and allow the more relaxed and creative part of the brain to take over. The learning strategies in this book apply not only to math and science but to any subject in which we struggle. We all have what it takes to excel in areas that don't seem to come naturally to us at first, and learning them does not have to be as painful as we might think.
©2014 Barbara Oakley (P)2021 Penguin AudioYou may also enjoy...
-
Learning How to Learn
- How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens
- Written by: Barbara Oakley PhD, Terrence Sejnowski PhD, Alistair McConville
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drs. Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski's popular Online course Learning How to Learn, has enrolled more than 1.8 million students. In this much needed follow-up to A Mind for Numbers, the authors teach kids and teens how to learn effectively at a time when they most need these skills. Learning How to Learn teaches them about the importance of both focused concentration and letting their minds wander, how the brain makes connections between different pieces of information, why procrastination is the enemy of problem solving, and much more.
-
-
Beneficial for all ages
- By shawn kassee on 2021-06-17
Written by: Barbara Oakley PhD, and others
-
Learn like a Pro
- Science-Based Tools to Become Better at Anything
- Written by: Barbara Oakley PhD, Olav Schewe
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe have both struggled in the past with their learning. But they have found techniques to help them master any material. Building on insights from neuroscience and cognitive psychology, they give you a crash course to improve your ability to learn, no matter what the subject is.
Written by: Barbara Oakley PhD, and others
-
The Money Tree
- A Story About Finding the Fortune in Your Own Backyard
- Written by: Chris Guillebeau
- Narrated by: Chris Guillebeau
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like financial classics The Latte Factor and The Richest Man in Babylon, The Money Tree uses a compelling story with captivating characters to share its core insight: You are never at the mercy of fortune as long as you have an appetite for hard work and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone.
-
-
A different way to teach lessons about money!
- By Nyajal on 2021-01-14
Written by: Chris Guillebeau
-
The Man from the Future
- The Visionary Life of John von Neumann
- Written by: Ananyo Bhattacharya
- Narrated by: Nicholas Camm
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The smartphones in our pockets and computers like brains. The vagaries of game theory and evolutionary biology. Nuclear weapons and self-replicating spacecrafts. All bear the fingerprints of one remarkable, yet largely overlooked, man: John von Neumann.
Written by: Ananyo Bhattacharya
-
Some Assembly Required
- Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA
- Written by: Neil Shubin
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over billions of years, ancient fish evolved to walk on land, reptiles transformed into birds that fly, and apelike primates evolved into humans that walk on two legs, talk, and write. For more than a century, paleontologists have traveled the globe to find fossils that show how such changes have happened.
-
-
One of the best books in understanding molecular biology of evolution
- By Syamkumar M Divakaramenon on 2021-06-23
Written by: Neil Shubin
-
Thinking Better
- The Art of the Shortcut in Math and Life
- Written by: Marcus Du Sautoy
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We are often told that hard work is the key to success. But success isn’t about hard work - it’s about shortcuts. Shortcuts allow us to solve one problem quickly so that we can tackle an even bigger one. They make us capable of doing great things. And according to Marcus du Sautoy, math is the very art of the shortcut. Thinking Better is a celebration of how math lets us do more with less.
-
-
Thank you, I am Thinking Better now.
- By Roger Meloche on 2021-12-13
Written by: Marcus Du Sautoy
-
Learning How to Learn
- How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens
- Written by: Barbara Oakley PhD, Terrence Sejnowski PhD, Alistair McConville
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drs. Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski's popular Online course Learning How to Learn, has enrolled more than 1.8 million students. In this much needed follow-up to A Mind for Numbers, the authors teach kids and teens how to learn effectively at a time when they most need these skills. Learning How to Learn teaches them about the importance of both focused concentration and letting their minds wander, how the brain makes connections between different pieces of information, why procrastination is the enemy of problem solving, and much more.
-
-
Beneficial for all ages
- By shawn kassee on 2021-06-17
Written by: Barbara Oakley PhD, and others
-
Learn like a Pro
- Science-Based Tools to Become Better at Anything
- Written by: Barbara Oakley PhD, Olav Schewe
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe have both struggled in the past with their learning. But they have found techniques to help them master any material. Building on insights from neuroscience and cognitive psychology, they give you a crash course to improve your ability to learn, no matter what the subject is.
Written by: Barbara Oakley PhD, and others
-
The Money Tree
- A Story About Finding the Fortune in Your Own Backyard
- Written by: Chris Guillebeau
- Narrated by: Chris Guillebeau
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like financial classics The Latte Factor and The Richest Man in Babylon, The Money Tree uses a compelling story with captivating characters to share its core insight: You are never at the mercy of fortune as long as you have an appetite for hard work and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone.
-
-
A different way to teach lessons about money!
- By Nyajal on 2021-01-14
Written by: Chris Guillebeau
-
The Man from the Future
- The Visionary Life of John von Neumann
- Written by: Ananyo Bhattacharya
- Narrated by: Nicholas Camm
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The smartphones in our pockets and computers like brains. The vagaries of game theory and evolutionary biology. Nuclear weapons and self-replicating spacecrafts. All bear the fingerprints of one remarkable, yet largely overlooked, man: John von Neumann.
Written by: Ananyo Bhattacharya
-
Some Assembly Required
- Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA
- Written by: Neil Shubin
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over billions of years, ancient fish evolved to walk on land, reptiles transformed into birds that fly, and apelike primates evolved into humans that walk on two legs, talk, and write. For more than a century, paleontologists have traveled the globe to find fossils that show how such changes have happened.
-
-
One of the best books in understanding molecular biology of evolution
- By Syamkumar M Divakaramenon on 2021-06-23
Written by: Neil Shubin
-
Thinking Better
- The Art of the Shortcut in Math and Life
- Written by: Marcus Du Sautoy
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We are often told that hard work is the key to success. But success isn’t about hard work - it’s about shortcuts. Shortcuts allow us to solve one problem quickly so that we can tackle an even bigger one. They make us capable of doing great things. And according to Marcus du Sautoy, math is the very art of the shortcut. Thinking Better is a celebration of how math lets us do more with less.
-
-
Thank you, I am Thinking Better now.
- By Roger Meloche on 2021-12-13
Written by: Marcus Du Sautoy
-
Make It Stick
- The Science of Successful Learning
- Written by: Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel
- Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To most of us, learning something 'the hard way' implies wasted time and effort. Good teaching, we believe, should be creatively tailored to the different learning styles of students and should use strategies that make learning easier. Make It Stick turns fashionable ideas like these on their head and will appeal to all those interested in the challenge of lifelong learning and self-improvement.
-
-
Good science, bad journalism
- By Nam Hee Kim on 2018-05-18
Written by: Peter C. Brown, and others
-
Fundamentals
- Ten Keys to Reality
- Written by: Frank Wilczek
- Narrated by: Sean Patrick Hopkins, Frank Wilczek
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of our great contemporary scientists reveals the 10 profound insights that illuminate what everyone should know about the physical world.
-
-
What The World Is And How It Works
- By Inbae Ahn on 2021-02-06
Written by: Frank Wilczek
-
Brag Better
- Master the Art of Fearless Self-Promotion
- Written by: Meredith Fineman
- Narrated by: Meredith Fineman
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Does talking about your accomplishments feel scary or icky because you're worried people will think you're "obnoxious"? Does it feel more natural to "put your head down and do the work"? Are you tired of watching the loudest people in your industry get disproportionate praise and rewards? If you answered "yes" to any of the above, you might be self-sabotaging. You need to learn to brag better. Meredith Fineman shares the surefire and anxiety-proof strategies that have helped her clients effectively communicate their achievements and skill sets to others.
Written by: Meredith Fineman
-
Time of the Magicians
- Wittgenstein, Benjamin, Cassirer, Heidegger, and the Decade that Reinvented Philosophy
- Written by: Wolfram Eilenberger, Shaun Whiteside
- Narrated by: Rhett Samuel Price
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1919. The horror of the First World War is fresh for the protagonists of Time of the Magicians, each of whom finds himself at a crucial juncture. Benjamin is trying to flee his overbearing father and floundering in his academic career, living hand to mouth as a critic. Wittgenstein, by contrast, has dramatically decided to divest himself of the monumental fortune he stands to inherit, in search of spiritual clarity.
Written by: Wolfram Eilenberger, and others
-
Future Presence
- How Virtual Reality Is Changing Human Connection, Intimacy, and the Limits of Ordinary Life
- Written by: Peter Rubin
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Heralded as the most significant technological innovation since the smartphone, virtual reality is poised to transform our very notions of life and humanity. Though this tech is still in its infancy, to those on the inside, it is the future. VR will change how we work, how we experience entertainment, how we feel pleasure and other emotions, how we see ourselves, and most importantly, how we relate to each other in the real world. And we will never be the same. Peter Rubin, senior culture editor for Wired and the industry's go-to authority on the subject, calls it an "intimacy engine".
-
-
Good book for those starting in VR
- By Felipe Almeida on 2020-07-14
Written by: Peter Rubin
-
Dear Chairman
- Boardroom Battles and the Rise of Shareholder Activism
- Written by: Jeff Gramm
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A sharp and illuminating history of one of capitalism's longest-running tensions - the conflicts of interest among public-company directors, managers, and shareholders - told through entertaining case studies and original letters from some of our most legendary and controversial investors and activists.
Written by: Jeff Gramm
-
The Deep History of Ourselves
- The Four-Billion-Year Story of How We Got Conscious Brains
- Written by: Joseph LeDoux
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Renowned neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux digs into the natural history of life on earth to provide a new perspective on the similarities between us and our ancestors in deep time. This pause-resisting survey of the whole of terrestrial evolution sheds new light on how nervous systems evolved in animals, how the brain developed, and what it means to be human. In The Deep History of Ourselves, LeDoux argues that the key to understanding human behavior lies in viewing evolution through the prism of the first living organisms.
Written by: Joseph LeDoux
-
Listen Like You Mean It
- Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection
- Written by: Ximena Vengoechea
- Narrated by: Ximena Vengoechea
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For many of us, listening is simply something we do on autopilot. We hear just enough of what others say to get our work done, maintain friendships, and be polite with our neighbors. But we miss crucial opportunities to go deeper - to give and receive honest feedback, to make connections that will endure for the long haul, and to discover who people truly are at their core. Fortunately, listening can be improved - and Ximena Vengoechea can show you how.
-
-
practical, pleasurable and an easy read
- By Suzy J on 2021-10-25
Written by: Ximena Vengoechea
-
How to Become a Straight-A Student
- The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less
- Written by: Cal Newport
- Narrated by: Johnathan McClain
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A breakthrough approach to acing academic assignments, from quizzes and exams to essays and papers, How to Become a Straight-A Student reveals for the first time the proven study secrets of real straight-A students across the country and weaves them into a simple, practical system that anyone can master.
-
-
worth the read!
- By Nicholas beaudry on 2019-03-08
Written by: Cal Newport
-
Nasty, Brutish, and Short
- Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids
- Written by: Scott Hershovitz
- Narrated by: Scott Hershovitz
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Some of the best philosophers in the world gather in surprising places—preschools and playgrounds. They debate questions about metaphysics and morality, even though they’ve never heard those words and can’t tie their shoes. They’re kids. And as University of Michigan professor of philosophy and law Scott Hershovitz shows, they can help grown-ups solve some of life’s greatest mysteries.
-
-
Every parent should read this book.
- By Christa on 2022-08-15
Written by: Scott Hershovitz
-
The Data Detective
- Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics
- Written by: Tim Harford
- Narrated by: Tim Harford
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Today we think statistics are the enemy, numbers used to mislead and confuse us. That’s a mistake, Tim Harford says in The Data Detective. We shouldn’t be suspicious of statistics - we need to understand what they mean and how they can improve our lives: they are, at heart, human behavior seen through the prism of numbers and are often “the only way of grasping much of what is going on around us”.
-
-
Nice liste
- By M. Stork on 2021-02-27
Written by: Tim Harford
-
Chemistry and Our Universe
- How It All Works
- Written by: Ron B. Davis, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ron B. Davis
- Length: 30 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chemistry and Our Universe: How It All Works is your in-depth introduction to this vital field, taught through 60 engaging half-hour lectures that are suitable for any background or none at all. Covering a year’s worth of introductory general chemistry at the college level, plus intriguing topics that are rarely discussed in the classroom, this amazingly comprehensive course requires nothing more advanced than high-school math. Your guide is Professor Ron B. Davis, Jr., a research chemist and award-winning teacher at Georgetown University.
-
-
Excellent survey of chemistry
- By Shesophist on 2020-07-21
Written by: Ron B. Davis, and others
What the critics say
“If you struggled through math and slept through science, there’s hope. In A Mind for Numbers, polymath Barbara Oakley reveals how to unlock the analytic powers of our brains so we can learn how to learn. This book should be required reading for students - and for my mother.” (Adam Grant, New York Times best-selling author of The Originals)
“A good teacher will leave you educated. But a great teacher will leave you curious. Well, Barbara Oakley is a great teacher. Not only does she have a mind for numbers, she has a way with words, and she makes every one of them count.” (Mike Rowe, creator and host of Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs and CEO of mikeroweWORKS)
“In my book The Math Instinct, I described how we have known since the early 1990s that all ordinary people can do mathematics, and in The Math Gene, I explained why the capacity for mathematical thinking is both a natural consequence of evolution and yet requires effort to unleash it. What I did not do is show how to tap in to that innate ability. Professor Oakley does just that." (Keith Devlin, NPR Weekend Edition’s “Math Guy”)
What listeners say about A Mind for Numbers
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Luis Jaimes
- 2024-08-24
Extremely valuable
I helped me to improve my grades during my undergrad . Very insightful and easy to understand
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!