Mathematics, queen and servant of science

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… general idea of what most of them are about. If you want to learn a bit ABOUT math it really isn't that hard, there are lots of good books, I suggest Davis and Hersh's "The Mathematical Experience" and Eric T Bell's "Mathematics: Queen and Servant of Science" to start. The problem with the Web is that most pieces are too short (for good reason, given the constraints) or too technical for basic learning.

… is Swokowski's "Algebra and Trigonometry with Analytic Geometry" which is clear, concise, and has lots of problems. If you want to learn ABOUT math, Davis and Hersch's "The Mathematical Experience" is a fairly easy read about philosophy of math, how it is used, and a bit about studying math. Eric Temple Bell's "Mathematics: Queen and Servant of Science" is a bit dated but an excellent history of math for someone interested in learning to do advanced math; the author's a bit biased towards algebra over analysis, number theory, and geometry, but not excessively so. Its biggest lack is only one short chapter on probability and statistics. This is not a particularly easy read since it covers things in some depth, but I think it is worth the effort.