This text addresses the art of teaching mathematics while also providing specific aids and activities in arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and probability and statistics for use in the classroom. The authors pay close attention to the role, importance, methods, and techniques of motivation. They present ideas that will generate attention, interest, and surprise among students, and will thus foster creative thinking.

The material is based on talks given by Sobel and Maletsky at professional meetings, as well as the actual application of their ideas in undergraduate and graduate classes they taught. Additionally, many laboratory and discovery activities have been used by the authors in teaching junior and senior high school math classes.