Outsmarting the SAT,   ISBN:9781580089272

Customer Rating: 

I noticed that none of the 10 reviewers had reviewed any other books.
It makes me wonder if any of these reviews are true.......

Customer Rating: 

About a year ago, I happened to meet Elizabeth King on Twitter, one of my favorite social networking sites. As I got to know her and realized that she wrote the book OUTSMARTING the SAT, I rushed out to buy a copy for my son. I have to say that it was one of thee best investments I have made all year! My son Brandon, who is not the most avid reader on the block, not only picked up the book and read it, he devoured it in days! And, he actually enjoyed it!
Wanting not to be left out, I decided to see what all the fuss was about. After all, no one likes to be left out, even if this is an SAT prep book! Once I got to page two, I knew why. Elizabeth has managed to write a book that not only teaches you how to do well, but somehow she's managed to capture her personality into what could otherwise have been a tedious read. Again, this is an SAT prep book! Her wit, humor and common sense jump off each page, as if she was right next to you, and while you're laughing, you're learning. And she's there at each turn of the page to cheer you on. You can just hear her saying, "you can do it!" It is a form of sheer trickery, a magical book that we just couldn't put down.
I highly recommend this read to any student who wants to do well on the SAT. My son Brandon once feared this exam, but is now almost giddy in anticipation for it. Crazy kid.

Customer Rating: 

This exam prep guide features everything my kids need to succeed and get the best possible outcome on their standardized tests. Miss. King has developed this wonderful guide to appeal to the insatiable and pliable minds of the young. Bravo!

Customer Rating: 

I'm continuing to recommend Elizabeth King's "Outsmarting the SAT" to everyone I know with school aged children. Reading the book takes the intimidation out of knowing my homeschooled children will be facing the test in future years. I finished Elizabeth's book with the confidence that with a little more algebra, geometry and some coaching in writing, my soon to be 9th grader will do just fine when it's time to take the SAT. I found the book an enjoyment to read, and am pleased knowing it will serve me well as the main resource for SAT prep for my children.

Customer Rating: 

After finishing grad school at Brown, I needed a bit of extra cash, so I applied to teach SAT prep at a national tutoring company. I discovered that not only did I need to retake the SAT to qualify, I needed to score in the 90th percentile. I also discovered, that, while the language and writing sections weren't a problem, I hadn't touched some of the math subjects since high school. I've found this book to be the most complete, comprehensive resource available to grasp the content and format of the SAT. Unlike other test prep books that mostly teach "tips" or "cheats" to inflate the final score, Outsmarting the SAT focuses on actual skills. Since I'm going to be studying anyway, I'd prefer to become proficient in the subjects SAT actually tests, rather than cutting corners to beat a formula.

Ms. King's explanations are thoughtful and concise, with the encouraging, conversational tone of an expert tutor. She never talks down to the reader, or succumbs to the belittling misconception that students need to be entertained with fluff to trick them into learning. I also appreciate the fact that her process of working out math problems is all handwritten, just like it would be if we were working on them together at my kitchen table.

I've been working with the book for only a few weeks, and I have yet to retake the test, but already I understand many concepts better than I did after a year of Algebra II in high school. Ms. King is simply an excellent, excellent teacher, and I'd recommend this book to anyone who needs a comprehensive review--or even a reintroduction--to any of the skills tested on the SAT.