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I'm working my way through Ivan Savov's "No bullshit guide to math & physics" - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22876442-no-bullshit-guide-to-math-and-physi

by elric 6y ago

I'm working my way through Ivan Savov's "No bullshit guide to math & physics" - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22876442-no-bullshit-guide-to-math-and-physics https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22876442-no-bullshit-gui... Would recommend it to anyone whose maths needs a bit of a brush up, or anyone who's interested in basic mechanics! Oh and I'm using Khan Academy for extra practice, which I can warmly recommend as well.

ARandomerDude 6y ago
Great book, too bad it's got such an offensive title. The book could be used more widely without it.
- elric 6y ago
  How is it offensive? Because of the word bullshit?
  - ARandomerDude 6y ago
    Yes. Can you imagine this used in a professional or collegiate setting?
    - Koshkin 6y ago
      You don’t have to show it to your professor.
    - elric 6y ago
      Yes, I don't see why not? Maybe this is a cultural thing, but I don't know anyone who would be offended by the word bullshit, professionally or otherwise.
- ivan_ah 6y ago
  To be honest, I think the book is used widely because of the title. There are many (hundreds, perhaps even thousands) of good math books out there with standard titles, and from what I have seen, most learners will not bother with them, even though they are totally capable of understanding math AND the books would do a decent job at explaining. The irreverent title gives me just one extra moment of attention with the cold-reader, and if I can capture their interest in that moment (the first section also has a swearword in it), and get them to bring their "math guard" down for fifteen minutes, then I can "convert" them to the beautiful subject. You're right that the same "feature" of wow-this-book-seems-to-be-different is also a turn-off for most people who are already pro-math. This cannot be serious math if there is a swearword in the title. Some readers have said they get the sleazy "learn math in three-easy-steps feeling!" when they see the title. That's just life—you win some you lose some ;) I am less worried about people who already like math, since they, having already overcome the fear of math, can learn all the other good books out there.
ivan_ah 6y ago
Thanks for the plug elric! Anyone interested in seeing what the book is about can check the (slightly outdated) preview here: https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide_v5_preview.pdf https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide_v5_previ... (a more descriptive title would be high-school math, mechanics, and single-variable calculus three-in-one) I also have a followup book on linear algebra, which you can preview as PDF here: https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide2LA_preview.pdf https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide2LA_previ... or as spoken tutorial + SymPy notebooks https://github.com/minireference/noBSLAnotebooks#no-bullshit-guide-to-linear-algebra-notebooks https://github.com/minireference/noBSLAnotebooks#no-bullshit... Other goodies and free stuff on the website: https://minireference.com/#freestuff https://minireference.com/#freestuff
- elric 6y ago
  Thanks for writing the book! It's a fun read, and it packs a big punch. It's making me regret not spending more time on maths before.

by elric 6y ago

ARandomerDude 6y ago

Great book, too bad it's got such an offensive title. The book could be used more widely without it.

elric 6y ago
How is it offensive? Because of the word bullshit?
- ARandomerDude 6y ago
  Yes. Can you imagine this used in a professional or collegiate setting?
  - Koshkin 6y ago
    You don’t have to show it to your professor.
  - elric 6y ago
    Yes, I don't see why not? Maybe this is a cultural thing, but I don't know anyone who would be offended by the word bullshit, professionally or otherwise.
ivan_ah 6y ago
To be honest, I think the book is used widely because of the title. There are many (hundreds, perhaps even thousands) of good math books out there with standard titles, and from what I have seen, most learners will not bother with them, even though they are totally capable of understanding math AND the books would do a decent job at explaining. The irreverent title gives me just one extra moment of attention with the cold-reader, and if I can capture their interest in that moment (the first section also has a swearword in it), and get them to bring their "math guard" down for fifteen minutes, then I can "convert" them to the beautiful subject. You're right that the same "feature" of wow-this-book-seems-to-be-different is also a turn-off for most people who are already pro-math. This cannot be serious math if there is a swearword in the title. Some readers have said they get the sleazy "learn math in three-easy-steps feeling!" when they see the title. That's just life—you win some you lose some ;) I am less worried about people who already like math, since they, having already overcome the fear of math, can learn all the other good books out there.

ivan_ah 6y ago

Thanks for the plug elric! Anyone interested in seeing what the book is about can check the (slightly outdated) preview here: https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide_v5_preview.pdf https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide_v5_previ... (a more descriptive title would be high-school math, mechanics, and single-variable calculus three-in-one) I also have a followup book on linear algebra, which you can preview as PDF here: https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide2LA_preview.pdf https://minireference.com/static/excerpts/noBSguide2LA_previ... or as spoken tutorial + SymPy notebooks https://github.com/minireference/noBSLAnotebooks#no-bullshit-guide-to-linear-algebra-notebooks https://github.com/minireference/noBSLAnotebooks#no-bullshit... Other goodies and free stuff on the website: https://minireference.com/#freestuff https://minireference.com/#freestuff

elric 6y ago
Thanks for writing the book! It's a fun read, and it packs a big punch. It's making me regret not spending more time on maths before.