Unknown Quantity
The Real and Imaginary History of Algebra
By John Derbyshire (He was a National Review contributor!)
If you are an Algebraphobe as my wife was it will change your perspective on the subject. It changed my wife's view, her comment was “That's what algebra is...its English grammar”. My reaction was a mental “Well Duh!”!
Not much of a selling point for the grammar-phobes among us. :o>
From what I've observed, many people (myself included) have far more difficulty with the "verbal thinking" side of the educational equation than with the mathematical side. It's the rare person who excels equally at both. It may have something to do with being wired to think more in pictures and symbols than in language. The ability to become a skillful verbal communicator requires a particular type of mental wiring that not everyone is born with.