A textbook for a one-semester course for students with absolutely no college mathematics, only a passing familiarity with basic mathematical results from high school such as the quadratic formula and Pythagoras' theorem. Penner's (mathematics and physics, U. of Southern California) goal is to teach how to discover, prove, and check mathematics and how to write down proofs. This involves not only the discovery and exposition of proofs, but also learning the basic constructions and vocabulary of mathematics. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)