Review of Quantitative Reasoning: Tools for Today's Informed Citizen by A. Sevilla and K. Somers

Alicia Sevilla and Kay Somers, Quantitative Reasoning: Tools for Today’s Informed Citizen. (Emeryville CA: Key College Publishing, 2007). 626 pp. Softcover with Student CD. $79.95 (USA) ISBN 1-931914-90-1. http://www.keycollege.com/catalog/titles/quantitative_reasoning.htmlFrom charts and graphs (Topic 1) to decision making (Topic 21), Quantitative Reasoning offers a good selection of topics that students in a general education mathematics course and other individuals in our society should understand. Organizing the 21 chapters (topics) under the headings of numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, and statistical reasoning, Sevilla and Somers focus their chapters on examples and devote the last 224 pages to 21 Excel activities. Parallel graphic-calculator activities are on the Student CD, together with the data bank for the Excel activities. The strong orientation toward exercises and activities will assist instructors in making their course an engaging numeracy experience for their students; however, it also likely means that some instructors will find that some explanations are not as fully developed as they would like. With the selection, structure, exercises and activities provided by Sevilla and Somers, instructors can easily add supplemental material according to their own interests and priorities.