What's Next 22. Your Money 25 Inductive Math.
Problem solving is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
In the case of textbook problems, all the pieces are present. Most just need to be fitted together following the clues. In the case of real world problems, there may be missing pieces or extra pieces, and no guarantee that the solution can be done. If your interest is in solving algebra word problems at the high school level, I would recommend learning how to solve linear equations in several unknowns in an effortless fashion. High school students who can solve linear equations in one unknown are often given word problems where extra variables have to be eliminated to formulate a single equation in one unknown quantity to solve.