I didn't hate math as a kid. Really. It's just that I wasn't nearly as comfortable with it as I was with the English and writing stuff. When I had good teachers (8th grade, 9th grade, 12th grade), I actually enjoyed math — and could pretty much breeze through it. All told, I plugged my way through a pinnacle of Calculus II in my freshman year of college. That's worth something, right?

But now that I have this sick interest in all things financial (I hope you'll excuse my use of the term, JLP), the math stuff is WAY more fun to me now. And tangible. And worthwhile. Plus spreadsheets add a whole new and nifty dimension, as dorks like me can tinker with numbers and dollar signs at will.

Which is why, when my wife showed me this "class" offered at Barnes & Noble.com, I couldn't resist signing up.

I got the recommended book (Everyday Math for Everyday Life) today, and it looks pretty interesting. A large section of the book details math of the financial sort, so I'm practically giddy. I'll just read real fast and get there in a hurry. (I have other books on financial math and the time value of money, so chances are I won't learn anything new here. But it's a NEW book, and it talks about money, and these days that's enough to make me giddy. Such a life I lead, huh?)

Just thought I'd throw this out there in case anyone else feels a wee bit of a "deficiency" in their math skills as time rolls on. This book looks like a great refresher, and it ain't your ordinary math textbook — that's for sure.