Louis Bookbinder

Tutor/Teacher

4081 Middlefield Rd
Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-494-1589
(for math help, cell # 650-575-3034)

photo of Louis Bookbinder

The Past

Born during WWII in Spokane, Washington. Been in the San Francisco Bay Area most of my life (I LOVE this place!) and now live in Palo Alto. Public school in San Mateo. BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley. 5.5 years in the USAF as a commissioned officer, navigating B52s over Viet Nam. Married Donna in 1973. 4 years and bits and pieces of grad school at SFState, Cal State Hayward, Foothill College, and San Jose State University. I came to Stanford (to work) in 1981. We had a daughter, Lyra, in 1982.

Once a software developer, now a teacher, private math tutor and handyman. I have been a stock clerk, a busboy, a dishwasher, a shoe salesman, a house cleaner, a data-entry person, a handyman, a gardener, a lab rat, a telemarketer, a tool salesperson, a tutor, a teacher, and a computer jockey. Jack-of-all-trades, master of none.

Professional Interests

Students - a Haiku

We think we have learned
How best to teach children, yet
They are teaching us.

Current Title: maths tutor/teacher (?)

I was a software developer/programmer/systems engineer for half of my working life.

Then I changed careers. Look at my rèsumè For three years I studied Secondary Education at San Jose State. I did student teaching at Gunn HS in Palo Alto. I did another semester at Homestead High in Cupertino. I was riding my bike to Gunn, but to Homestead I had to take the car. Bummer. After a small mixup about one class and a quickie on-line course through National University, I obtained my credential in September 2004.

18 January 2005 - I was offered a full-time teaching job at Sequoia High School in Redwood City. In June, that brief stint at Sequoia was over. It was both much harder, and more inspiring than I imagined. I then taught summer school at Carlmont (same district).

Aug 2005 - I got a job the last day before school! Not enough prep time to actually do first day of classes (and I had a previous appointment) but the next day started teaching full time in Junior High math in a school in east San Jose - August Boeger. It was rough. I loved the kids but they were a challenge. My biggest complaint was the 15 hr days I put in. And weekends. And because of the long commute, I had an expensive accident in rush hour one day. I HATE commuting. Then on 10 February 06, my classes were given to a new teacher. In June my tenure as a regular teacher ended. The entire next year I worked as a substitute teacher.

In 2007 I started again as a sub, still looking for a job - several interviews - then in November my "little sister" Elaine told me about an opening in Sacramento, so I applied, interviewed, and got the job at Hiram Johnson HS. A disaster! I ended up with an awful lot of kids who decided there was nothing they could do to pass the class by the time I got to them, and like all self-fulfilling prophecies...... I had 2 double classes (a class and a tutoring - all on the same subject) and one single class, all on Algebra 1. The single class was a failure - I had 2 pass from more than 30 to start (but many dropped out - some actually transferred out but most kept coming but did no math). And all year long kids would be dropped and new ones added and one or two I NEVER saw in class! Half the kids in my period 1-2 passed, a third of my 5-6 class. This last one was pure hell - even the best kids didn't really want to do math. But that year is over. Despite the lousy experience at Hiram Johnson, I somewhat enjoyed living with Elaine in Sacramento. But I enjoy more living in Palo Alto.

I think I have decided to semi-retire. Teaching full time is too much like regularly shooting myself in the foot. And from the results of 2008, I no longer feel I am very good at this. Tutoring, sure. Substituting, no problem. Now I just have to worry about money.

Personal Interests

.I square dance. I joyfully share my life with my wife, Donna (right), and my daughter, Lyra. (Lyra graduated from UCLA Dec 06) right arrow

We have two cats to keep life interesting. I enjoy beer, popcorn, chocolate, cookies of any kind, asparagus and just about anything else (but now have to be careful of my blood sugar! By cutting out almost ALL desserts, I lost 20 lbs!). I collect stamps (if you see an interesting one, any country, save it for me!). I listen to classical music, and rock and newer stuff, too. I read Science Fiction and a lot of math & science. I solve puzzles. I run 2-3 times a week, and bicycle when I can. In the spring I hunt wildflowers. I garden vegetables and flowers and have taken a ton of gravel out of my yard in the process. I make lousy puns.

Laws of life (an on-going creation):

We are all in this together.
Nobody gets out alive
You can't expect others to give you what you won't give them (Golden Rule)
Cosmic Justice? Sorry, that would be your department! Thou art god.
You better start laughing or you will have to start crying
Do your best - why settle for less?
You are in charge of your own happiness. Your mom was just there until you learned this for yourself.
In most endeavors, you have only failed when you give up.
Murphy's Law (if anything Can go wrong, it Will!)
TANSTAAFL (There Aint No Such Thing As A Free Lunch)
90% of EVERYTHING is crap. That leaves enough good parts to enjoy the day. Offer expires at midnight.
Everything is subject to change.

Donna and Lyra in Berkeley

Please look at my Math Puzzle of the week.
(1st puzzle this year, 1st puzzle ever)AND some
Math slideshows new!

Political swear-words

Republicans are a scream. Many of them haven't a clue how the real world works and it is hilarious when they pontificate on our uncertain economic times as though the old homilies of the past are good for all times. Nuts.

Point 1: "Tax and Spend" Democrats. Yes, indeed, Democrats spend money! And then they have the effrontery to tax the citizens to pay for it. Now Republicans, instead... spend money! And then they wreck the economy with wars and deregulation and then give us tax cuts and astronomical deficits! Big difference! Democrats make everyone pay for feeding at the trough, Republicans make future generations pay for it. In triplicate. Cool, huh?

Yeah, politicians are to blame for spending us into bankruptcy, and they (of any party) should be ashamed. I agree. But you can't show me ANY data which says Republicans spend more carefully and frugally than Democrats. Big spending is part of the game! I would much prefer that whoever spends that much money turn around and charge the beneficiaries with the taxes to pay for it. Instead, Republicans seem to think that if you make tax cuts instead (and sorta ignore the deficit elephant sitting in the living-room) everything is now OK.

Sure it is, for those who most benefit from the tax cuts. Aint me, babe!

Whatever happened to "fiscal responsibility", so much touted by Republicans?

Point 2: Here is the ugly word (cover your eyes if it hurts them): SOCIALISM. Ever since Pres. Obama's election, the GOP leadership has been screaming this term at the top of its collected lungs.

GOP, you don't know socialism from your rear end.

I will absolutely agree that this administration strongly supports many "welfare" programs where the federal government takes over many of the activities (banking, insurance for two) formerly left to the free market. Regrettable, true. But these two institutions (among others) are currently moribund. The long-term regulatory climate (most prominantly promoted by our dear, departed ex-president Reagan (the acting president)) is mostly to blame. So what are we supposed to do? The Republicans would have you believe that all we have to do is bail out the banks and insurance conglomerates (over and over) and everything will be hunky dory. Markets remain free, and all sins are forgiven.

Balderdash.

In 1932 a Democratic President came into office amid the same economic chaos as what is happening now. He moved quickly to regulate banks (and insurance companies and many other "free market" institutions) to make them work again and, most importantly, to restore public confidence in them. Immediately, Republicans branded him "Communist" (the cold war version of "Socialist"). But he saved the country. He gave people jobs and restored confidence, and lead us to a new era of prosperity (and organized us to win a World War on the side).

YES, DAMN RIGHT this is socialist! You Betchum! When the government fails the majority of the people who elect it, it is not doing its job! Government has one primary mission: to protect the vast majority of its people from the ravages of those with abnormally exaggerated power and influence - like corporations and financiers. Sure, we NEED corporations and financiers in the modern world, but we also NEED to keep them in check. The "anti-socialists" tell us we don't. In light of the economic woes of the last year, you tell me. Do we need regulation, or not? It's socialist, remember! Do we need universal health care, or not? Another socialist program. ANYTHING for the common good at the expense of free (unbridled) enterprise is socialist. Maybe it is about time we gave up this knee-jerk reaction to this word and went ahead and did the things we need to do to "promote the general welfare".

And until the Republicans get off this old catch-word hobby-horse, I strongly suspect they will become more and more marginalized in the eyes of all the Americans who work so hard for a living and currently fear for their lives from this recession, depression, or whatever it is.

(Disclaimer: I have worked with many Republicans, and most are nice, intelligent people. But the Party Mouthpieces seem to be of the type described here. I hope all you Republicans will look at what the Mouthpieces are trying to claim you believe. If you don't believe this nonsense, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! ) 03/09

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