Barron's Math Study Dictionary

Calming a bad case of math jitters is easier than parents and students might think. Secondary school math is, in essence, a new language, with new meanings assigned to words such as "altitude," "area," "axis," and "absolute." No wonder many an otherwise adept student gets bogged down. Barron's Mathematics Study Dictionary deftly and reassuringly resolves this predicament. Arranged alphabetically by themes (with vocabulary and definitions for "arithmetic," "conic sections," "formulas for shapes," and "probability," for example), and with a "Wordfinder" cross-reference (abbreviations to "Z- angles") to help locate specific confusing terms, the study dictionary helps explain the vocabulary of mathematics, translating lessons and homework back into plain English. --Stephanie Gold