Reason for Math is a series that challenges the conventional wisdom in math education and redefines the curriculum. The chapter 'Gauss's Addition' is from Volume 1, The Language of Math, which takes us on this first step into mathematical thinking. This chapter depicts how, as a young student, Carl Frederich Gauss was able to find an instant solution to what was intended to be long, boring classwork. By examining how he was able to see the task from a novel perspective, we can begin to appreciate how true mathematical thinking isn't wrote number crunching, but the ability to creatively manipulate patterns in quantities.
—Anonymous