Summary Of Overcoming Anxiety

For the mathematical literature project, I chose to read Overcoming Math Anxiety, by Sheila Tobias. Before reading Overcoming Math Anxiety, I had never read a book on the subject of math before. This wasn’t because I don’t like reading; in fact, the truth is quite the opposite. Rather, I had never read a math book because I know I am quickly frustrated by mathematical concepts. Or, to put it more bluntly, because I don’t much care for most math subjects. I have never had reason to read such a book because that subject goes against my interests. I did not believe that I would ever understand what a “math book” might have to say. So, having received this assignment, I began scanning a list of math books, searching for a title that seemed to
promise easy, simple math. I was dismayed by what I saw initially, scared by the complex titles on chaos theory and calculus. But as my eyes brushed over the list, they were caught by one title, “Overcoming Math Anxiety’”. Humored by the ironical concept of choosing a book on math anxiety because of my own math anxiety, I decided to investigate further. I found that it was this book that had coined the term math anxiety and that it was this book that had sparked a change in education that I had felt during my own childhood. Inspired by the apparent change this book had caused, I decided to read it in hopes of better understanding and combatting my own math anxiety.