The Math Myth and Other STEM Delusions – Book Review

Riveting, compelling, and tantalizing are but a few of the words I would use to describe The Math Myth and Other STEM delusions. I might follow them up with ingenious, stimulating, intriguing, fascinating, irresistible – all fitting adjectives for one of the best books I have read in a long time (I read it twice – back to back – that’s how interesting I found it to be). Andrew Hacker has written a masterpiece that tackles the prevailing thought that not only does mathematics reign supreme but that it is a discipline that sits atop the mountain of improving every facet of our lives – just from the study of it.

There is a wealth of information in this book, and definitely worth the read

Throughout the book he asserts the study of mathematics is important – vital, even – but a different perspective is necessary and needed if we are to fully appreciate all that it has to offer. And what is the reason this is relevant today? He writes, “…our insistence on heedless and needless mathematics requirements”  is “an academic reason our efforts at universal education fall so conspicuously short.”

Anyone who has read just about anything I have posted can readily identify my disdain with the indoctrination our current culture so insistently pushes: you have to go to college to get a good job. Andrew Hacker, however, writes from a different, if not augmenting position: higher mathematics, in many degree fields, is unnecessary and ostentatious. He asserts that “America’s educational highway is littered with dropouts at every mile, a human roadkill that doesn’t have to happen.” The reason for this? Required mathematics where they are not necessary; a stumbling block created by mathematical zealots who create a “mathematics morass” many find themselves inundated in.

Indeed, I am willing to admit higher mathematics has a purpose; however nebulous it may appear to many in the lower stratosphere at times. Academia will tell you mathematics is the gateway to all things; asserting “a person who has studied mathematics should be able to live more intelligently than one who has not.” Mr. Hacker has delved into the statistical analysis, attempting to make sense of this quagmire that is convoluted with polemic. Emerging from the other side of this, he has discovered that “mathematics demands a distinctive kind of thought,” and “mathematics is the only endeavor I know of that claims to bring universal mastery.”

Lest one forgets, he writes “I readily grant that mastering mathematics calls for special powers of reasoning,” along with “…yes, I honor mathematics as an awesome intellectual enterprise,” and even clearly states “in no way is this book anti-mathematics.” He enjoys mathematics, and respects the discipline, but also realizes that there is room to challenge the status quo which is obligatory and inexorable.

 

Select Quotes

Interesting noteworthy portions of the book

Below you will find some of the underlined sections I found amusing, honest, educational, or interesting:

“Among our era’s delusions are the powers ascribed to mathematics, spurred by a desperate faith in skills abbreviated by the STEM acronym….More consequential, these illusions and delusions are already taking a heavy toll on this country, most markedly on the humane spirit that has made America exciting and unique.” – Chapter 1, p.3

“So why now mathematics? My answer is that I’ve found it an absorbing example of how a society can cling to policies and practices that serve no rational purpose. They persist because they become embedded, usually bolstered by those who benefit. Nor are the issues entirely academic. Making mathematics a barrier ends up suppressing opportunities, stifling creativity, and denying society a wealth of varied talents.” – Chapter 1, p.4

“Rather, it is about mathematics, as an ideology, and industry, even a secular religion.” – Chapter 1, p.4

“Currently, one in five of our young people does not finish high school.” – Chapter 1, p.5

“Even if most American adults once studied algebra, geometry, and phases of calculus, it hasn’t enhanced their numerical competence. What’s needed is what I’ll be calling adult arithmetic, or what John Allen Paulos has termed numeracy.” – Chapter 1, p.8

“Still, I worry when we’re told that mathematics’ special mode of reasoning should take precedence in analytic endeavors. As when a University of California professor asserts that in court new world ‘math skills are more important than literary skills.’ I use numbers more than most people, but I find this assertion to be ominous.” – Chapter 1, p.11

“But the pass rate for mathematics is the lowest of all departments and disciplines.” – Chapter 2, p.15

“Another study, this time by the National Center on Education and the Economy, found that ‘many community college students are denied a certificate or diploma, because they have failed in a mathematics course irrelevant to the work these students plan to do or the courses they need to take.’ Mark Tucker, the report’s principal author, believes that algebra ‘is being used much as Latin was used a century ago, as a screen to keep the unwanted out of college.'” – Chapter 2, p.20

“Lynn Arthur Steen is a rare mathematics professor willing to say this candidly. ‘What prospective employees lack is not calculus or college algebra,’ he points out, ‘but more basic quantitative skills that could be taught in high school.” – Chapter 2, p.21

“Companies used to take for granted that they would sponsor in-house training programs, which could extend for several months, if not longer. If they were costly, they were regarded as investments.” – Chapter 3, p.37

(Incidentally, research indicates this was the norm for many companies. That it was viewed as an investment is evident by the conversation that occurred between two managers – which has been around for decades now. The first says, “What if we train them and they leave?” The second manager replied, “What if we don’t train them and they stay?”) 

This may be one of the mantras quipped today, but it was born out of historical approaches and practical implications.

“Lynn Arthur Steen of St. Olaf’s College has an answer: ‘Mathematics teachers simply do not know much about how mathematics is used by people other than mathematicians.'” – Chapter 3,  p.40

“Mathematical reasoning in workplaces differs markedly from school mathematics,’ he informed me. In fact, the algorithms taught in school are often not the computational methods of choice for workers.’ Not the least reason for this, he added, is that ‘very few teachers have any idea what goes on in the real world.'” – Chapter 3, p.42

“After they finished, I asked them, ‘What mathematics do you actually use?’ They sheepishly responded, ‘None.’ So I asked, ‘Why do you specify mathematics in your hiring?’ They told me it was a ‘convenient filter’ to whittle down the number of applicants they’d have to interview.'” – Chapter 4,  p.50 (This was another professor he was quoting). *

“Sunil Kumar, who heads mechanical and aerospace engineering at New York University’s Polytechnic Institute, told me that 90 percent of the tasks in his two fields no longer call for mathematics. At Consolidated Edison, the gas and electric utility for most of metropolitan New York, I met with Paul Miroulis, Peter Van Olinda, and Kenneth Chu. After putting their heads together, they judged that of the company’s six hundred electrical and civil engineers, probably no more than eighty used mathematics in their jobs.” – Chapter 4, p.52

“Unlike many of her colleagues, she [Julie Gainsburg] believes teachers should know how their subjects are used in the outside world. To this end, she spent several weeks observing engineers who were supervising construction of a nearby apartment complex. At one point, she peered over their shoulders, as they were confirming that some trusses would bear a building’s weight. What struck her as an educator was how ‘the emphasis for engineers differs dramatically from school courses.’ She adds: ‘ ALgebra usually offers a heavy dose of complicated algebraic manipulation. In contrast, the manipulation I observed in structural engineering work was always simple, involving only one of a few basic operations.’ At most, virtually all they used was multiplication and division.” – Chapter 5, p.53

“The vast majority of engineers, he [David Edwards] says, use ‘only eighth-grade mathematics.'” – Chapter 5, p.53

“I asked Mitzi Montoya, while she was dean of engineering at Arizona State University, whether her students really need to take calculus and algebra. Her response was straightforward: ‘If you go out and look at what engineers use, it’s not calculus or differential equations,’ she told me. ‘Even if you go into a big company that’s building sophisticated rockets, you would still only find a very small percentage that rate doing mathematical analysis.’ She went on to say that engineering is highly quantitative, and her students needed to know how numbers function in the real world.” – Chapter 5, p.53, 54

“No one I know will contend that immersion in anthropology will make you an expert astronomer. Or that setting swimming records will take you to the top in Lacrosse. Mathematics is the only endeavor I know that claims to bring universal mastery.” – Chapter 6. p.83

“In a word, they have a cause, founded on the supposition that their realm reveals the human mind at its finest. Among some mandarins, mathematics is a secular ideology; for others, it is a cerebral theology.” – Chapter 7, p.98

“Indeed, departments of mathematics end up teaching well over half of the students who pass through our colleges. No other field – not history or philosophy or chemistry – has such a chance to display its wares to such a wide swath of students.” – Chapter 7, p.107

“We misrepresent reality and inflict a lot of damage if we say that some people are ‘more intelligent’ than others. Gardner posited there are ‘multiple intelligences.’ It doesn’t matter whether we call them talents or aptitudes, abilities or gifts. It’s instructive that we don’t ordinarily describe accomplished poets or sculptors or chefs as ‘intelligent,’ if only because they draw on more than their minds.” – Chapter 10, p.150

“Another troubling truth is that America’s public is neither as informed nor as incisive as citizens in many comparable countries. More attention to quantitative acumen would be a fruitful first step.” – Chapter 12, p.204

*Interesting to note this sounds an awful like real-world hazing; done not only through college classes themselves but also accomplished in the workforce when college devotees ascend to positions of power. I have written two different articles about this practice: college classes within a degree field and what I call America’s ultimate hazing experience: the college degree.

The above is but the tip of the iceberg. While I was reading the book I was concerned I may underline so much of it I would seem to plagiarize the book up here. To that end, I have deliberately limited the amount I’m posting here in this section. I could have easily written a 4,000-word post on the quotes I underlined in the book alone. I will be using this book as a reference and starting point for MANY posts and a LONG time to come.

 

Reactions to The Math Myth

The book ignited some heated pushback

This book was met with some powerful pushback, much like his New York Times op-ed piece, as one would expect – notably from those in the mathematical arena. It would seem labeling them “mandarins” does him little good. Nonetheless, the research, data, informational bits coming from power players, frank admissions from those in the mathematical academia hierarchy, as well as scores of personal testimony from those who fell victim to required higher mathematics builds a compelling and eye-opening case for revamping our approach to math altogether. I, for one, second his call for revision and revamping to address the actual needs of those in the workforce. What might we be capable of if we actually educated people for their respective fields and not the stoic approach we are currently under? What could personalized education achieve were we to reinvent the wheel – because it needs to be completely revamped? A one size for all educational experience is not only inefficient but also hinders people, robbing us of the contributions of millions shut out because they failed a nugatory mathematical hurdle.

So said Andrew Hacker in his New York Times op-ed piece, when he wrote, “Mathematics is used as a hoop, a badge, a totem to impress outsiders and elevate a profession’s status.”

Additionally, he quipped, “It’s not hard to understand why Caltech and M.I.T. want everyone to be proficient in mathematics. But it’s not easy to see why potential poets and philosophers face a lofty mathematics bar.”

Initially, I had only intended to link the New York Times piece, but alas, I couldn’t resist; they turned out to be really good quotes, and this was the perfect place for them. And, for my part, I’m convinced he dropped the op-ed piece to not only signal his intention to publish more substantive material but also run an experiment; namely, what response could he elicit from it? As it turns out, some of the responses he received did indeed make it into the book. It would seem as though Andrew Hacker could add distinguished fisherman to his resume, having trolled those in the mathematical lofts for rich responses.

Now, to be fair, Mr. Hacker doesn’t merely bring to light the many problems associated with the ridged and systemic operating system, nor does he call for the “dumbing down” of the education system (which, like it or not, HAS, in fact, happened to allow for the massive influx of students to attend college); instead, he also proposes solutions which serve more purpose than simply elevating those in the mathematical departments. He writes, “What’s needed is what I’ll be calling adult arithmetic, or what John Allen Paulos has termed numeracy,” discusses the possibility of creating “courses in statistics or quantitative reasoning in lieu of conventional mathematics,” and Chapter 12 is titled “Numeracy 101,” where he discusses, among other things, his teaching Mathematics 110 at his home college. In an age where so many voices declare what is the problem, Andrew Hacker has espoused thoughtful solutions.

Closing Thoughts

Wrapping it all up

This book, while not a catalyst for change in the country’s educational approach, should be. Andrew Hacker brings to light many of the problems we have, created by the talking heads and their affinity for higher math. Attempting to shore up mathematical skills has inadvertently created a troll under the bridge to success in academia – which has fooled the world into thinking it holds the keys to success. Indeed, if we wish to be a nation on the rise in education and training, might we be better off with more specific and intentional classes we will use? Going even further, shouldn’t we remove needless hurdles that millions find unusable for the remainder of their carers? Andrew Hacker believes so – and so do I.