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The Abacus: The World's First Computing System: Where it Comes From, How it Works, and How to Use it to Perform Mathermatical Feats Great and Smallx$6.98
  (11 reviews)
Best Price: $6.98
The abacus is as useful and effecient a machine today as it was when it was first created centures ago. Whether you're an expert in the latest computer technology or you're mastering arithmetic and word problems for the first time, it won't take long to learn the basics (and even the not-so-basics) of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing on this ingenious and fun-to-use mathematical tool.
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Customer Reviews
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poor and dated
By A1G8DZI2RDB6I9 on 2002-11-19
This book has some nice anecdotal information on the abacus. The one that comes with it is actually fairly nice. It is a Chinese 2/5 with 9 columns. This is not really enough for multiplication and division problems. Still it isn't a bad one. The algorithms for using it in the book are wrong. For instance you properly add and subtract going from left to right. You should actually do it this way on paper. Try it, it's easier than right to left. Yes they work but are not how to use it properly. If you want to really learn how to us it get Takashi Kojima's book, "Japanese Abacus: Its Use and Theory". This book will really teach you how and includes the standard tests for third and first degree certification. Understand that most modern use of the abacus is based on the 1/4 Japanese Soroban. You will never use both 5 count beads on the top, just one. And on the bottom you will use 4 of the 5 beads. You might get confused learning proper use with a Chinese Suan Pan(abacus). Still they are nice and some have larger beads easier to work than those on a Japanese Soroban. I use an abacus for teaching my first grade twins math. They are great for kids learning how to carry etc. When I was in highschool calculators were new and expensive. I used a Soroban with my slide rule. with some practice you can actually do some remarkable things with one even in the day of cheap calculators. For an alternative place for getting an abacus check out Tomoe Soroban on the internet.
Way too simple and short
By A3BLIL2PCWB3DC on 2000-06-28
If you thought you can buy this book and do arithmetic on the abacus, I'm sorry, but you're wrong. First, this book is WAY TOO SHORT to describe much. It's less than 1/2 inch thick and the size of each page is slightly bigger than that of a regular dictionary. Second, much of the sections don't relate to the abacus at all! There's one long chapte that talks about the binary system in computers and how you can use the abacus' top part to do binary arithmetic, which is basically pointless. Another chapter is a story about how a westerner gets amaze by the abacus, which is also useless. Out of the 140 pages, only about 70 pages teaches you how to use the abacus. Also, although I haven't confirmed it yet, I am not sure if the way the author describes to do multiplication and division is the correct way to use it. I'll have to check. His way makes it the same as doing everything out on paper.But still, look at what he teaches you: adding subtraction in detail, and some multiplication and division with doubted validity. He also takes like a bunch of pages describing adding and subtracting decimals. But that's unnecessary because it's the exact same thing with minor differences that he could have stated in a page and replaced with more information, like exponentiation. The included abacus has height about that of 1 floppy disk and width of that of 1 and 1/4 floppies. It might even be smaller. Plus, it's hard to move and isn't colored (just wood and plastic). In sum, this book is a total ripoff if you had wanted to do some cool stuff on the abacus. On the other hand, if you just wanted the book for casual purposes, maybe it's worth it. But the author's tone treats you like a moron that can't do arithmetic (he explains things like carrying and borrowing like you're in kindergarten and treats his multiplication and division methods, which are exact replicas from our normal paper ways, like the hardest things in the world)
Delightful--entertaining and informative
By A1JN9O30LY80QZ on 2001-01-31
I spent years mildly curious about the abacus--particularly, any time I saw film of schoolkids or shopkeepers in Asia producing inerrant sums and differences with their fingers all a blur. Then, I saw this book, bundled with a little wooden abacus, and decided I'd give this ancient calculator a try. I found the book an delight, with its friendly discussions of the history of the abacus, its variant forms from land to land (Chinese vs. Japanese, etc.), and, even its jolly little excursion into binary arithmetic on the abacus. Yes, I suppose it is a short book, and it doesn't spend a lot of pages on mathematical drill, but how many pages do you need? It's not like there's a complicated operating system or scripting language for this venerable tool...just the curious yet undeniable pleasure of sliding beads along sticks, just as people have been doing for centuries... I should also mention that the abacus makes a great conversation piece, sitting out on the top of your Pentium tower at work. "My new palmtop," I tell everyone who asks.
Fun for all ages!
By A236AFK4PWNXW9 on 1998-11-26
This book is excellent for learning basic information about the abacus. This book demonstrates at a late elementary school level. For those with prior experience and or knowledge related to the abacus, the best part is that an abacus is included! This book is very informational and useful. The abacus (Chinese version or 2/5 style) can be used for experimentation and demonstration- I used it on an overhead for a presentation to a large audience!
Good basic abacus book and good beginner's abacus
By on 1998-08-18
I bought this at a local bookstore and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's an entertaining read, often humorous. Dillon explains how to do the four basic functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) for decimal numbers and even includes a section on binary arithmetic! Most of the book focuses on the techniques for using an abacus, but it also covers some of the historical aspects of the development of mathematics. This book is best for older kids and adults since it can be kind of dry at times. While it includes instructions for building an abacus, the 9-column Chinese-style "5/2" abacus that comes with the book is very nice for beginners. Unfortunately, there are a number of things the book does not teach, such as finding roots. Still, it's well worth a look.
- A good introduction to this magical "machine"
By A1JFLR4GBBZ0TB on 2002-08-10
This book is an excellent introduction into how to use the abacus. I think some of other reviewers here missed the point of this particular text -- it wasn't meant to be the end-all official reference of how to use an abacus. It serves it's purpose well: If you've always been curious about the little device that can be as fast as a calculator (in some people's hands), this is a good, short, book to give you an overview of the basic usage of it. If you want to become an abacus expert, I'm sure you could find thicker more expensive books that would suit you better.
In addition to lessons on how to do basic math, the monotony of the exercise chapters are broken up by a sprinkling of history, story, and lore behind the development and use of the abacus.
Overall, this is a good, brief, book which can answer the question, "How does that thing work?" Best of all, it's short enough that you could read it in an hour or two.As a side note, the abacus it comes bundled with is also good for this introductory purpose. It's small, and unless you have tiny fingers, you'll probably bump beads unintenionally -- but for the price, it's good enough to satisfy your curiosity.
- Really neat!
By on 1998-02-21
This is a really great book for explaining the basics of the abacus (soroban). It comes with an actual abacus so you can start practicing using it. This is a must if you a person who really loves Math... Plus it is really fun to use!
- Intro to the Abacus
By A2Z7V8LSJ20N0S on 1998-01-02
This is a good beginners introduction to the abacus. It is too wordy for young children and will require an adult to explain. It gave me enough detail to understand the basics and start using the abacus after about 15 minutes.
- Spectacular Abaci
By on 2006-01-08
This book is an excellent resource for kids that are struggling with math. Math becomes fun, and even competetive. The abacus, though somewhat primitive in the eyes of a novice, or to someone that has never seen one in action, is an excellent tool for helping children to understand and perform great mathematical feats. This book is a step by step, easy to understand guide to the ancient technique of the abacus, and I strongly encourage any parent with a struggling child to purchase one.
- The Abacus: The World's First Computer System + Abacus
By ATP1B0WSJTU2K on 2006-11-03
The text is poorly written and too much text is spent on explaining ancient counting devices and very little text explaining the abacus. The amount of time spent explaining the use of the abacus itself could be considered an 'epilogue' in back of the book and is completely in error with very poor examples for its operation. It is a shame that this book is still on the market. I do NOT recommend this paperback in spite of the free -- somewhat small -- abacus.
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