The American Mathematics Competition (AMC) series is a group of contests that judge students’ mathematical abilities in the form of a timed test. The AMC 8 is the introductory level competition in this series and is taken by tens of thousands of students every year in grades 8 and below. Students are given 40 minutes to complete the 25 question test. Every right answer receives 1 point and there is no penalty for wrong or missing answers, so the maximum possible score is 25/25. While all AMC 8 problems can be solved without any knowledge of trigonometry, calculus, or more advanced high school mathematics, they can be tantalizingly difficult to attempt without much prior experience and can take many years to master because problems often have complex wording and test the knowledge of mathematical concepts that are not covered in the school curriculum. This book is meant to teach the skills necessary to solve mostly any problem on the AMC 8. However, our goal is to not only teach you how to perfect the AMC 8, but we also want you to learn and understand the topics presented as if you were in a classroom setting. Above all, the first and foremost goal is for you to have a good time learning math! The units that will be covered in this book are the following: - Test Taking Strategies for the AMC 8 - Number Sense in the AMC 8 - Number Theory in the AMC 8 - Algebra in the AMC 8 - Counting and Probability in the AMC 8 - Geometry in the AMC 8 - Advanced Competition Tricks for the AMC 8

Wow! This is a powerful book that addresses a long-standing elephant in the mathematics room. Many people learning math ask ``Why is math so hard for me while everyone else understands it?'' and ``Am I good enough to succeed in math?'' In answering these questions the book shares personal stories from many now-accomplished mathematicians affirming that ``You are not alone; math is hard for everyone'' and ``Yes; you are good enough.'' Along the way the book addresses other issues such as biases and prejudices that mathematicians encounter, and it provides inspiration and emotional support for mathematicians ranging from the experienced professor to the struggling mathematics student. --Michael Dorff, MAA President This book is a remarkable collection of personal reflections on what it means to be, and to become, a mathematician. Each story reveals a unique and refreshing understanding of the barriers erected by our cultural focus on ``math is hard.'' Indeed, mathematics is hard, and so are many other things--as Stephen Kennedy points out in his cogent introduction. This collection of essays offers inspiration to students of mathematics and to mathematicians at every career stage. --Jill Pipher, AMS President This book is published in cooperation with the Mathematical Association of America.