TOPICS:

• My Math and Science Background
• No Muss, No Fuss Trig. A memory aid for basic trigonometry
• More Trig Visualizing some of the more common trig values
• Manual Square Roots: What to do when your calculator batteries die.
• The Perpetual Calendar : How it's calculated.
• Spectral Classes of Stars
• 2 = 1? Or how our math system would collapse into uselessness if it weren't for one very important rule
• 5 = -1? Another example of the dangers of Algebra gone awry.
• Statistics Don't Lie; People Do! How to spot the liars, cheats, and researchers ignorant of how statistics should properly be used.
• Deciphering Stats Reporting How to tell whether you should believe reported research results . . . or not.

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USEFUL BOOKS:

(double click the title link if you want to buy the book from Amazon.Com)

Mathematics

• Boyer, Carl B. A History of Mathematics. Second Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1991. ISBN: 0-471-54397-7. [Very easy-to-read book. Has a nifty chronological table which tracks various mathematicians and important mathematical developments. Recommended]
• Cutler, Ann; McShane, Rudolph. The Trachtenberg Speed System of Basic Mathematics. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1983. ISBN: 0313232008. [a very speedy way of doing math in your head is presented in this book (imagine doing the square root of a number in your head as fast as you can do the calculation on a calculator . . . or even faster). The system itself is taught to children in Switzerland. Very interesting; and very alien to how we learn math here in the U.S. A worthwhile read with lots of good examples.]
• Hogben, Lancelot. Mathematics in the Making. New York: Galahad Books. 1960. ISBN: 0883651882. [Another very easy-to-read book on the historical development of mathematics. Has lots of diagrams and pictures . . . and some puzzles. Explanations are very good. Highly recommended.]
• Smith, D.E. History of Mathematics: Volume I. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1958. ISBN: 0-486-20429-4. [Covers the history of mathematics from ancient Greece and the Orient until the late 9th Century. Lots of biographic material on persons who´ve contributed to development of math.]
• Smith, D.E. History of Mathematics: Volume II. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1958. ISBN: 0-486-20430-8. [Covers the evolution of mathematical techniques: e.g., arithmetic, geometry, trig, calculating devices, algebra, calculus, etc. Contains problems, constructions, recreations, and applications which are explained and illustrated.]

Meteorology (the weather)
 

• Weisberg, Joseph S. Meteorology: The Earth and Its Weather, 2nd Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1981. ISBN: 0-395-29516-5.
• Williams, Jack. The Weather Book: An Easy to Understand Guide to the USA's Weather, 2nd Edition. New York: Random House. 1997. ISBN:0-679-77665-6. [an excellent book on weather, complete with marvelous pictures and diagrams similar to those you'd expect from USA Today]

Nanotechnology
 

• Crandall, BC; Lewis, James. Nanotechnology Research and Perspectives.  MIT Press. 1992. ISBN unavailable.
• Drexler, K. Eric. Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology. New York: Anchor Books, Doubleday. 1986. ISBN:0-385-19973-2
• Drexler, K. Eric.Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation. New York: John Wiley Interscience. 1992. ISBN:0-471-57518-6. [WARNING: Highly technical book, but it does discuss what's feasible and what's likely to be problematic with this emerging technology.]
• Drexler, K. Eric. Unbounding the Future: The Nanotechnology Revolution. New York: Quill, William Morrow Company. 1991. ISBN:0-688-12573-5.[one of  the clearest, easiest to read books on the subject for a layman; excellent book on nanotech and its possible ramifications]
• Krummenacker, Markus; Lewis, James. Prospects in Nanotechnology: Toward Molecular Manufacturing. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1995. ISBN:0-471-30914-1.
• Lampton, Christopher. Nanotechnology Playhouse.  Waite. 1993. ISBN: 1878739336.
• Regis, Ed. NANO: The Emerging Science of Nanotechnology   New York: Little, Brown. 1995. ISBN:0-316-73852-2.

Statistics
 

Note: some of these books may be out-of-print or out in a new edition. If you can find them, though, they´re worth having in your library.

• Belsey, David A.; Kuh, Edwin; Welsch, Roy E. Regression Diagnostics. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1980. ISBN: 0-471-05856-4. [The definitive text on coping with collinearity. Explains various collinearity diagnostics clearly and succinctly. Also covers the determination of "influential data" and outliers and discusses methods for dealing with them. Highly recommended for anyone who works with Multiple Linear Regressions regularly.]
• Draper, N.R.; Smith, H. Applied Regression Analysis. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1981. ISBN: 0-471-02995-5. [The Bible of Multiple Regression--everything you ever wanted to know about Regression, including residual analysis, determination of the "best" regression equation, etc. Covers both linear and non-linear regression techniques. Highly recommended for anyone who works with regression regularly.]
• Hollander, Myles; Wolfe, Douglas A. Nonparametric Statistical Methods, 2nd Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1999. ISBN: 0-4711-90454-4. [As comprehensive as the Siegel text below with more detail and examples. Recommended for those who regularly work with nonparametrics.]
• Huff, Darrell. How to Lie with Statistics. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 1993. ISBN: 0393310728. [A classic, recently reissued. A wonderful book for the layman dealing with how to identify flawed statistical reporting in the media and elsewhere.]
• Lehmann, E.I. Nonparametrics: Statistical Methods Based on Ranks. San Francisco: Holden-Day, Inc. 1975. ISBN: 0-8162-4996-6. [A comprehensive textbook on the subject. Useful, but harder for the practitioner to work with.]
• Siegel, Sidney. Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. 1956. ISBN: 07-057348-4. [This is a non-parametric "cookbook" for nonparametric techniques. Explains the rationale and function of each test as well as the method for performing each test, its use with small samples and large, and its power-efficiency. A must for statistical practitioners who rely on nonparametrics, particularly those who do a lot of small sample analysis.]

Statistics for the Less Mathematically Inclined--more readable, easier to understand for most people:

• Bluman, Alan G. A Brief Version: Elementary Statistics, A Step by Step Approach. New York. NY: McGraw-Hill. 2008. ISBN: 978-0-07-328341-X. [An excellent book for those of you who have some adeptness with basic Algebra. The book covers core statistical techniques and stresses real world uses and problems. Lots of pictures, diagrams, and case studies. Very Highly Recommended]
• Larson, Ron; Farber, Betsy. Elementary Statistics: Picturing the World, 3 ed.. Upper Saddlle River, NJ. 2006. ISBN: 0-13-148317-X [Another excellent book for those of you who have some adeptness with basic Algebra. This book covers a little more than the Bluman book; but the presentation isn't as glossy. Has lots of good case studies and problems. Very Highly Recommended.]

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USEFUL WWW LINKS:

Math

• Martindale's Calculators On-Line Center [Presents many different kinds of calculators (e.g., for problems related to Agriculture, Auto, Trucks, Motorcycles, Blackjack, Craps, Horse Racing, Odds & Percentages, Communications, and many others)]

Nanotechnology

• Center for Responsible Nanotechnology
• Foresight Institute [K. Eric Drexler's site, find out about nanotech developments and link to other nanotech sites]
• IBM's Nanotechnology Site [IBM is one of the leaders in nanotech research]
• Ralph Merkle's Nanotechnology site [basic nanotech site with lots of links]
• Mitre Corp. [electronics-related nanofabrication]
• Nanotech Planet [interesting site dealing with business applications of nanotech as well as tracking current nanotech research]
• National Nanotechnology Initiative [The US agenda is presented here]
• NASA Nanotechnology Site
• Sci Nanotech Archives [messages archived from the usenet's sci nanotech newsgroup ]
• Science Daily's Nanotechnology News [keep up on developments via this site]

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