The Math Myth: And Other STEM Delusions

by Andrew Hacker

Overview

A New York Times–bestselling author looks at mathematics education in America—when it’s worthwhile, and when it’s not.
 
Why do we inflict a full menu of mathematics—algebra, geometry, trigonometry, even calculus—on all young Americans, regardless of their interests or aptitudes? While Andrew Hacker has been a professor of mathematics himself, and extols the glories of the subject, he also questions some widely held assumptions in this thought-provoking and practical-minded book.
 
Does advanced math really broaden our minds? Is mastery of azimuths and asymptotes needed for success in most jobs? Should the entire Common Core syllabus be required of every student? Hacker worries that our nation’s current frenzied emphasis on STEM is diverting attention from other pursuits and even subverting the spirit of the country. Here, he shows how mandating math for everyone prevents other talents from being developed and acts as an irrational barrier to graduation and careers. He proposes alternatives, including teaching facility with figures, quantitative reasoning, and understanding statistics.
 
Expanding upon the author’s viral New York Times op-ed, The Math Myth is sure to spark a heated and needed national conversation—not just about mathematics but about the kind of people and society we want to be.
 
“Hacker’s accessible arguments offer plenty to think about and should serve as a clarion call to students, parents, and educators who decry the one-size-fits-all approach to schooling.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620973912
Publisher:	New Press, The
Publication date:	04/03/2018
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Andrew Hacker is the author of ten books, including The Math Myth: And Other STEM Delusions (The New Press) and the New York Times bestseller Two Nations. He teaches at Queens College and lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

1 The "M" in STEM 1

2 A Harsh and Senseless Hurdle 13

3 Will Plumbers Need Polynomials? 27

4 Does Your Dermatologist Use Calculus? 47

5 Gender Gaps 63

6 Does Mathematics Enhance Our Minds? 81

7 The Mandarins 97

8 The Common Core: One Size for All 117

9 Discipline Versus Discovery 131

10 Teaching, Tracking, Testing 147

11 How Not to Treat Statistics 165

12 Numeracy 101 181

Acknowledgments 205

Notes 209

Index 225

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Math Myth:
"Not one to decelerate, at 86 [Hacker] is doing nothing less than taking on the mathosphere."
—New York Times Education Life

"In the meantime, it's probably a good idea to give students multiple math pathways toward high school and college graduation—some less challenging than others. If we don't, we'll be punishing kids for the failures of an entire system."
—Slate

"The Math Myth is a worthwhile read, even if you are among the educators who become apoplectic at the suggestion that students shouldn't have to grapple with polynomial functions."
—National Book Review

"Hacker's accessible arguments offer plenty to think about and should serve as a clarion call to students, parents, and educators who decry the one-size-fits-all approach to schooling."
—Publishers Weekly (starred)

"A lively argument against the assumption that if the United States is to stay competitive in a global economy, our students require advanced training in mathematics."
—Kirkus Reviews

"[I]mportant and timely—and a great read."
—Howard Gardner, Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and author of The Unschooled Mind

"Andrew Hacker exposes the inconvenient truth that the majority of college students will never need to use quadratic equations in their majors and even fewer will ever need them on the job. Hacker shows convincingly that our current math curriculum has become too much of a good thing—an artificial barrier to the deeper learning at the heart of true vocations."
—Anthony Carnevale, Director of the Georgetown UniversityCenter on Education and the Workforce

"In a friendly and accessible style, Hacker. . . systematically demolishes every argument used to support the advanced-math-for-all position. His book is now my go-to resource on this topic."
—Alfie Kohn, author of Schooling Beyond Measure and The Homework Myth

"The Math Myth is an important book. Hacker demolishes some totally unrealistic policies that will prevent many students from ever receiving a high school diploma and leading useful lives."
—Diane Ravitch, author of Reign of Error and The Death and Life of the Great American School System

"I love every single word and idea. Andrew Hacker may make some enemies, but truth is truth!"
—Debora Meier, author of In Schools We Trust and The Power of Their Ideas

Praise for Mismatch:
"Few people writing today for a general audience can make more sense of numbers."
—The Wall Street Journal

Praise for Money:
"A political scientist doing with statistics what Fred Astaire did with hats, canes, and chairs...He doesn't crunch numbers, he makes them live and breathe."
—Newsweek

Praise for Two Nations:
"His insights into the racial wounds that refuse to close are searing, and urgently need to be addressed."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Witty at times and searingly direct."
—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Higher Education?:
"Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus have written a lucid, passionate and wide-ranging book on the state of American higher education."
—The New York Times

From the Publisher

★ 01/18/2016
Expanding on a furor-raising 2012 New York Times op-ed that questioned Common Core math requirements, Hacker (Mismatch: The Growing Gulf Between Women and Men), who teaches political science and mathematics at Queens College, takes an in-depth look at the issue and "the mandarins" behind those standards. Currently, national Common Core standards require students to study geometry, trigonometry, and two years of algebra in order to graduate high school—though calculus may be added to the list. Hacker believes these requirements actually stymie student advancement, locking out students hoping to be veterinary technicians, actuaries, software engineers, commercial artists, and cosmetologists because they fail to understand quadratic equations and other concepts that aren't needed to do the job. He also illuminates industry forces at work, including the proliferation of tutoring and test coaching businesses as well as the practice of "deskilling." Hacker calls for a sensible focus on adult arithmetic—the basic algebra and statistics skills needed to understand interest rates or calculate mileage for expense reports—and reserving advanced math for the fields where it's actually used. Hacker's accessible arguments offer plenty to think about and should serve as a clarion call to students, parents, and educators who decry the one-size-fits-all approach to schooling. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

04/01/2016
Hacker (emeritus, political science, Queens Coll., NY; coauthor, Higher Education?) challenges the accepted belief that math is essential. While maintaining that basic mathematics is a significant part of education, Hacker contends that the more complex subjects such as algebra and calculus are unnecessary even for many scientific disciplines. Strong voices advocating for an emphasis on science, engineering, and technology have usurped the conversation about math, placing the focus unduly on unnecessarily complex skills. Taking on many of the common arguments, Hacker confronts the assumptions of how much math is needed in careers, that girls do worse in the field, why math is used in college admissions, and the role of standardized testing. The presentation is compelling and logically laid out in an approachable format. Clearly, Hacker is passionate about his stance, but he is very open about his biases, allowing readers to reach their own conclusions. VERDICT Recommended for those who want a more critical look at the prevailing wisdom to find a more balanced approach for their discussions about the significance of advanced math in the education arena.—Rachel Wadham, Brigham Young Univ. Libs., Provo, UT

Library Journal

2015-11-18
A lively argument against the assumption that if the United States is to stay competitive in a global economy, our students require advanced training in mathematics. In this book, Hacker (Emeritus, Political Science/Queens Coll.; Mismatch: The Growing Gulf Between Women and Men, 2003, etc.) expands on his piece, "Is Algebra Necessary?" which appeared in the New York Times in 2012. The author is dismayed that students are required to pass mandated mathematics courses, pointing out that it is the principal academic reason for the high dropout rate in American high schools and colleges. He shows how the requirement filters out talented liberal arts students, that math in the workplace bears little relationship to math in the classroom, and that the claim that studying math instills desirable modes of thought is built on unverified premises. Further, he alleges that there is no shortage of qualified Americans to fill positions in the computer industry but that the industry prefers to hire foreigners at entry-level positions to keep wages low. To bolster his arguments, the author sprinkles his text with pages of speech balloons containing quotes from former students who agree with him, and he inserts difficult-to-read white-on-black math problems made to look like an exercise in chalk on a classroom blackboard. Such devices are superfluous; Hacker's prose is direct and clear. The final chapter, "Numeracy 101," one of the most fascinating and rewarding in the book, features samples of the kind of material on quantitative reasoning Hacker believes should be taught and that he developed for an experimental introductory mathematics course. Readers who never took algebra, geometry, or calculus, or who have no recollections of what they learned in those courses, will be challenged and engaged by the exercises. Hacker's arguments may convince some anxious students and be welcomed by their parents, but the reaction from academics is sure to be mixed.

Kirkus Reviews