Book Review: The Joy Of Set
Princeton University Press contacted me dorsum inwards Oct to run into if I would live interested inwards receiving a review re-create of an upcoming unloosen inwards central for a review on my blog. When I saw that it was a math-y read, I accepted. They sent me a re-create of The Joy of SET (affiliate link). It arrived at the outset of November, as well as I meant to read it but the destination of the semester is ever pure craziness. It doesn't tending that I'm teaching 4 dissimilar preps this yr when I'm accustomed to ever having 3. One extra course of educational activity to prep for does brand a big difference! I promised myself I would brand fourth dimension to read it as well as review it over Christmas break, but I ended upwardly battling strep pharynx as well as a tiddler mutual depression temperature over break. January has treated me amongst some other mutual depression temperature (this fourth dimension much to a greater extent than severe!), but I'm locomote on the mend as well as feeling better. I'm currently inwards the midst of a four-day weekend thank you lot to H2O ice as well as Martin Luther King, Jr Day, so I'm locomote making fourth dimension to read this amazing book.
First off, I LOVE the game of SET. At my house, you lot volition respect the blogged virtually the experience here!
You volition also respect the mini circular version of SET (affiliate link). The master SET game has 81 cards that come upwardly inwards solid, striped, as well as empty shapes. The mini circular version has exclusively 27 cards which are all solid.
I also ain SET Dice (affiliate link).
If you lot are non familiar amongst SET, it is a bill of fare game that tin live played lone or amongst a grouping that relies on blueprint recognition. Here's the basic rules courtesy of the SET company.
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| Read the balance of the rules here: http://www.setgame.com/sites/default/files/instructions/SET%20INSTRUCTIONS%20-%20ENGLISH.pdf |
Though I directly dearest the game of SET, this has non ever been so. I hollo upwardly reading spider web log posts mentioning SET for years. The SET website has a daily SET game on their website that I attempted 1 day. I could non figure it out for the life of me which made me experience similar perhaps I wasn't really cutting out to live a math teacher!
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| Link to Daily Set Puzzle: http://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle |
Thankfully, when I went to the SET session at Math Teachers' Circle, I was seated amongst a few ladies who already knew how to play the game. They were SUPER patient amongst me as well as permit me brand mistakes as well as larn from them. Once I figured out the rules for the game, I realized it was really FUN!
I was eager to portion the game amongst my students in 1 trial I knew how it worked! In my ain classroom, I receive got industrial plant life this animated, interactive tutorial super effective for introducing students to the game.
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| Link to Interactive Tutorial: http://www.setgame.com/sites/default/files/tutorials/tutorial/SetTutorial.swf |
After going through this tutorial amongst my students, I prefer to permit them operate through the daily laid puzzle from The New York Times. This is DIFFERENT from the daily laid puzzle on the SET company's website. What I LOVE virtually the New York Times version is that it comes inwards dissimilar levels which is groovy for students who are nevertheless a fleck confused virtually how the game works.
Here's an instance of Basic Level 1. As you lot tin see, all of the cards are already the same color.
And, here's an instance of Advanced Level 1.
I receive got had some students locomote super obsessed amongst the SET game! One year, I had a pupil beg to convey a deck dwelling family over the weekend so she could play amongst her mom.
What I dearest virtually The Joy of SET book (affiliate link) is that it is written inwards such a means that it tin live read as well as enjoyed past times both SET enthusiasts as well as someone that has never played SET before. The outset chapters of the mass learn you lot how to play the game inwards a step-by-step manner. I absolute dearest the writing trend of this book. When I foremost flipped through the book, I saw lots of math that was reminiscent of my undergraduate math textbooks. My husband (also a math teacher) flipped through the mass every bit well, as well as he was surprised to get upwardly of topics he hadn't thought virtually since uni. However, when I started reading from the BEGINNING, I realized it doesn't read similar a textbook at all.
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| Example of Colored Illustrations |
The mass is chock total of colored illustrations, fun conversations betwixt fictional characters (whose names conveniently start out amongst S, E, as well as T!), as well as the most amusing footnotes I've ever came across inwards a book! As I was reading the book, I kept making my hubby recess his youtube video he was watching to read him footnote later on footnotes. Luckily, they were funny plenty to brand him chuckle, so he didn't acquire every bit good aggravated at me for interrupting his videos.
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| Humorous footnotes similar this are peppered throughout the entire book! |
Here's an instance of this passion from the preface:
"Another of import goal nosotros receive got is for people to realize that mathematics is everywhere, as well as if you lot hold back for it, you'll respect that mathematics tin tending you lot empathise the world. Mathematics, fundamentally, is virtually patterns, as well as patterns are all around us. Nearly everyone tin create math, simply every bit nearly everyone tin read as well as write. We hope that, inwards actively reading this book, you lot volition confidently consider yourself a "math person," regardless of your mathematical background."
The mass is written inwards 2 parts. The foremost one-half of the mass is intended to live accessible to ANYONE amongst an involvement inwards the game. You don't demand a math flat to empathise whatever of the concepts. In fact, I industrial plant life myself making notes virtually how the authors explained some basic math concepts so I tin purpose the same explanations amongst my high schoolhouse students. The 2nd one-half of the mass is written inwards a means that it should nevertheless live accessible to anyone, but those amongst an advanced math background volition sure acquire to a greater extent than from the reading. This 2nd one-half of the mass is total of the messy math problems that caught my optic when I foremost flipped through the book.
Another matter I loved virtually reading this mass is that it encourages exploration. The authors desire you lot to read a few pages as well as then lay downwardly the mass as well as play a game of SET to experience what you've been reading about. The mass asks questions as well as encourages you lot to enquire your ain questions.
Even though I've played SET quite a fleck as well as attended 2 presentations on SET, I nevertheless industrial plant life myself learning so much piece reading this book. For example, here's a fact I was super-shocked by. At the outset of the game of SET, shuffle the deck. Pull out 1 bill of fare at random as well as lay it away without looking at it. Play the balance of the game every bit normal. When you lot receive got industrial plant life every bit many sets every bit possible, hold back at the remaining cards. You volition live able to tell precisely which bill of fare you lot pulled out at the beginning. How crazy is that?!?!? I nevertheless haven't wrapped my hear around that 1 yet. I intentionally haven't read the solution inwards the mass because I desire to figure it out myself. When I showed this puzzle to my husband, he was able to figure out how to create it inwards less than a minute. This is simply crazy to me!
I also learned virtually the history of the game of SET past times reading this book. Did you lot know that SET was invented inwards 1074 past times Marsha Falco? Marsha was a population geneticist who was studying epilepsy inwards German linguistic communication shepherd dogs. She made a bill of fare amongst symbols for each domestic dog to stand upwardly for its diverse genes. Looking at these cards inspired her to brand a bill of fare game that involved the same blueprint recognition. Isn't that awesome?
It was super-fun to revisit the thought of points, lines, as well as planes inwards the game of SET which I hadn't though virtually since 2014's Math Teachers' Circle Summer Immersion Workshop.
As you lot read through the book, you lot are encouraged to think through solutions on your ain earlier the authors render their ain solutions. When I was reading a department on modular arithmetic, the authors warned me to "avert [my] eyes" until I figured out the work on my own. If it wasn't for this warning, I probable would receive got kept reading. Because of the warning, I industrial plant life a solution on my own, as well as I was shocked at how dissimilar my solution was from the 1 inwards the text. I got the exact same answer, but I got at that spot inwards a completely dissimilar way. I wouldn't receive got been able to receive got that experience if I had simply kept reading.
I hold back forrad to trying out the exercises as well as projects provided at the destination of each chapter. Really as well as truly, at that spot is plenty math inwards this mass to locomote along you lot busy for a lifetime!
The championship of this mass is "The Joy of SET," as well as I receive got to tell that this mass is genuinely a "joy" to read as well as operate through. I've learned so much already, as well as I hold back forrad to learning to a greater extent than every bit I tackle the challenges this mass provides.
Here are a few categories of people who I would recommend this mass to:
* Lovers of the SET Game
* Math teachers who immature lady the rigors of college-level math who would similar to revisit concepts they may non receive got though virtually inwards quite a while
* Math teachers who would dearest to growth their work solving skills as well as math knowledge past times working through interesting math problems
I definitely recommend this book. If you lot would similar to preview the mass earlier you lot buy it, Amazon has quite a big chunk of the mass available to flip through on their website!
H5N1 especial give thank you lot you to Princeton University Press for sending me a costless re-create of this mass to review! All of the opinions inwards this postal service are my own.
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