Since no one has brought up "Nix the Tricks" yet, here's the link to the ebook: http://nixthetricks.com/ http://nixthetricks.com/ Foreigners are likely unaware

Since no one has brought up "Nix the Tricks" yet, here's the link to the ebook: http://nixthetricks.com/ http://nixthetricks.com/ Foreigners are likely unaware that these are the algorithms routinely taught to US students in math class. There are no formal proofs, no emphasis on making sense - the only purpose is to have something memorizeable to have students pass the next test (and possibly the No-Child-Left-Behind test at the end of the year). There is no generalization, no focus on understanding. When you tell an American kid at university level "this is why concept XY makes sense" they don't understand why you might say this, they are only interested in the algorithm and the solution (and passing the next test, of course). Small wonder that anyone exposed to that curriculum sucks at math and on top of that us turned off the subject. It's like Feynman in Brasil!