Math Games with Bad Drawings: 75 1/4 Simple, Challenging, Go-Anywhere Games―And Why They Matter

I teach middle school and high school mathematics. One of my students' parents mentioned this book to me. It looked intriguing so I got a copy. Spoiler alert: It has been revolutionary in my math teaching. The games are very easily explained, even to squirrely seventh-graders, who can start playing almost right away but soon discover what appears to be a simple game actually has lots of twists and turns and strategies. I just finished playing one with a group of 30 kids (the combination game "Neighbors") and it was a huge success. We played three games and the kids' strategies completely changed by the end of the third game. You could watch their minds take in information, think it over, and come up with new plans. At the end, a student said, "That was so much fun! We should do that every Friday!" I agree with the author that current math curriculum is dreadfully boring. This book of games brings the beauty and joy of math back into the classroom. I especially love how he relates the games to real-world situations which require similar thought processes. I feel it should be part of everyone's math curriculum. Heck, it should be part of every curriculum; it covers ideas in science, statistics, government, physics, and more! If you are a teacher, you won't be disappointed.

This book is way heftier and packed than I expected! It’s thick and hardcover. The writing is entertaining, and the games seem very clever and fun.

Full of fun, simple number games that you can play when bored or share with students in the classroom. Make downtime in the classroom educational without feeling like practice! My 6th grade math students go nuts for these games. We've adopted a dozen into our normal classroom exercises. It's such a value for all that is included.

My son renewed this book from library for 8 times, now he finally got his own!

My husband (our "math man") is enjoying it. For many games, you only need a pencil and paper or something simple that you probably have at home. The pictures are great for helping us non-math-minded people understand what's going on, and the "where it comes from" and "why it matters" sections for each game are interesting. I didn't realize that most of the games were for more than one player, but it is a simple, fun way for him to "bring us into his world".

My son loves this book a lot! He can’t stop reading for hours! If your kid loves numbers and math, it’s a must read book!

So many FUN games and tricks! The math concepts are challenging and accessible to a wide range of ages and abilities!

A fantastic book for kids (and adults!) looking to learn and enjoy a little "off grid" math. Once you've learned them, the games make for fantastic entertainment while traveling or passing time. Highly recommend.

My fifteen-year-old son loved this!

Vabbè, Ben Orlin e i suoi disegni brutti non hanno bisogno di presentazioni. I giochi qui presenti (non sono davvero 75 1/4: alla fine c'è tutta la spiegazione di come è arrivato a quel numero) mi erano in parte noti ma generalmente sconosciuti: Orlin si muove nel sottile crinale tra non spiegare assolutamente le possibili strategie e dare troppe spiegazioni. La struttura secondo me è anche ottima, non tanto per la suddivisione in capitoli a seconda della matematica che sta dietro il gioco quanto per le variazioni indicate alla fine di ogni gioco e che spesso sono giochi dalla strategia completamente diversa. Ma soprattutto quella che mi è piaciuta è la parte "perché è importante" alla fine della spiegazione di ogni gioco. Spesso quando giochiamo non vogliamo farci tanti problemi: ma se uno è un matematico dentro, a volte i problemi sono più divertenti del gioco stesso, e sapere quali sono i temi matematici toccati può essere utile. Ricordo che esiste anche la scatola con gli strumenti per giocare, se uno è un collezionista :-)

Großartige Auflistung einer riesigen Sammlung einfacher aber trickreicher Spiele

Leuk boek om af en toe er even bij te pakken

It’s a fabulous book. Bought it for my 11year old’s birthday. He started to read and he is totally loving it.