Out of the labyrinth

the long version

Who hasn't feared the math Minotaur in its labyrinth of abstractions? Now, in Out of the Labyrinth, Robert and Ellen Kaplan--the founders of The Math Circle, the popular learning program begun at Harvard in 1994--reveal the secrets behind their highly successful approach, leading readers out of the labyrinth and into the joyous embrace of mathematics. Written with the same wit and clarity that made Robert Kaplan's The Nothing That Is an international best seller, Out of the Labyrinth offers an engaging and practical guide for parents and educators, and is a delight for anyone interested in sharing the pleasures of mathematics. The Kaplans argue that math should be taught as the highest form of intellectual play, an endeavor to be explored and enjoyed by children (or adults) of any age. In their revolutionary view, talent is a myth: students relish accessible mysteries and their understanding blossoms in pursuing them. Out of the Labyrinth will let students, parents, teachers--anyone--wrestle with the angles of math and delight in the revelations.