Ever wish you'd paid more attention in math class? From third grade to senior year of high school, it went in one ear and out the other, didn't it?

But now you're staring at the new washer and dryer, trying to figure out the percentage of sales tax on the purchase price. You multiply something by something, right? Or you're scratching your head, wondering how to compute the odds that your football team will take next Sunday's game. You're pretty sure that involved ratios. The problem is, you can't quite remember.

Here you get an adult refresher and real-life context—with examples ranging from how to figure out how many shingles it takes to re-roof the garage to the formula for resizing Mom's tomato sauce recipe for your entire family.

Forget higher calculus—you just need an open mind. And with this practical guide, math can stop being scary and start being useful.