Re-learn the math I forgot from school, and learn how to do math I never learned in the past

I thought that this would be one of my priorities for a while, but then I got caught up in other projects and all that… So I’ll have to postpone this goal semi-indefinitely. I do want to make some progress on this before I start college, though. So I’ll leave it on my list as a reminder. :)

My boyfriend let me borrow this book for a while—he got about halfway through it before he got caught up in other things, but he really liked it.

So far I like it, too, even though it was written in 1942. But that actually adds to it, since he talks about adding machines and other old stuff. It’s fun! :)

It covers stuff from arithmetic to calculus, with some interesting math history thrown in. This isn’t a math textbook, though; it’s written in a conversational tone, explaining math in a simple and approachable way. I don’t know how thorough it is, but so far it looks like an excellent overview/introduction to math.

I know it can be interesting, but there was no way I’d be able to enjoy math while I learned it in school.

Before I even start learning math, I’m reading about math in general—just a little refresher course. I’ll be writing an introduction to math on my blog soon (see my profile), and I want to explore the reasons why people don’t like it.

So, to anyone reading: have you ever hated or feared math? If so, why?

Also, do you have any suggestions for how I should go about learning math on my own?