I think it is strange that out of everything that George Polya did for the study of mathematics, the authors of this book bring up the fact that he never learned to drive a car. I know that they just meant to put it in as an interesting little tid-bit about his life, but it is such a great example of how we as Americans expect people of another culture to want the same things as we do. Especially if they are, in the western traditional sense of the word, "well" educated. He seems to be, from this excerpt, an interesting character. He was a good public speaker, could teach ideas and concepts well to others, and also a thought provoking entrepreneur. Just the right combination for anyone hoping to change ideas or shape new ones.
             I loved the excerpt from Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics, 1989(National Council of Teachers of Mathematics). I plan on going into teaching and completely agree that the study of mathematics is based on problem solving and that learning how to work through problems and understanding them is more important then memorizing formulas or times tables. With the public wanting an account of what the students of this nation are learning, standardized tests are being instated to track the progress of schools curriculum. But an important part of the education that these tests cannot track, is the enrichment by teachers to create self motivated learners, problem solvers, and students that interact in a healthy and beneficial way with society.
             I wanted to comment on one of the questions in chapter 1.3. It states that one of the authors of the book will be x years in the year x^2. I will be 45 years old in the year 2025, which also means that the amount of years I have been alive will be the square of the year I am that age in.
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