Countdown
After reading countdown, I was and was not aware of how tough Math could be at a young age but at competition level, it is very cutthroat in a sense that the smartest kids are pitted against each other with a prize at stake. This was honestly my first time hearing about the International Mathematical Olympiad and after reading about it i see why the US is behind on some academics in particularly math. I think one factor as to why Americans were not aware of the Olympiad is because of our current state of affairs today. Due to conflict with other countries, I believe that competing and winning in such competition could be troublesome for the US. Also I think that Americans usually viewed this competition as not important or just like the Spelling Bee, it is enlightening to watch but it is not something that will keep my attention for more than an hour or two. Americans like sports and competitions that are physically exciting to watch and or they like to be entertained and not educated...