Who is Fred?
one answer

     In one of the Life of Fred books, Fred Gauss was born on the western slopes of the Siberian mountains.  By the end of the twenty-five books, he is six years old.     

     In his everyday life he first encounters the needfor each new part of mathematics, and then comes the mathematics. 

     Never again will students have to ask their perennial question: “When are we ever gonna use this stuff?”

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Who is Fred?
a second answer

     Stan became a full-time high school teacher the month he turned 22.   In his first semester of teaching,   Stan drew Fred on the blackboard.

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It was just a brief appearance: Fred was going fishing. 

     Then Fred appeared in other examples, and soon became a regular part of the classroom experience.  One student in metal shop made a Fred Gauss belt buckle and gave it to Stan.

     When Stan switched to college teaching, Fred came along with him.  Fred's biography continued to develop.

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​Ten years later, he moved to Reno. There he began writing the Life of Fred series. Two hours each day, starting at 4 a.m., Stan and Fred work together on the next book.