Book Description
Stewart's CALCULUS: EARLY TRANSCENDENTALS, Fifth Edition has the mathematical precision, accuracy, clarity of exposition and outstanding examples and problem sets that have characterized the first four editions. Stewart retains the focus on problem solving and the pedagogical system that has made the book a favorite of students and instructors in a wide variety of colleges and universities throughout the world. The structure of CALCULUS: EARLY TRANSCENDENTALS, Fifth Edition, remains largely unchanged, the sole exception being that the review of inverse trigonometric functions has been moved from an appendix to Section 1.6. Stewart has made hundreds of small improvements: new examples, additional steps in existing examples, updating of data in existing examples and exercises, new phrases and margin notes to clarify the exposition, references to other sources and web sites, redrawn art, and references to the TEC CD (Tools for Enriching Calculus). These refinements ensure that students and instructors using this text are using the best resource available. The number of pages in the book, however, remains unchanged from the 4th edition. This edition is complemented with and expanded array of supplementary material for both students and instructors. These best-selling texts differ from CALCULUS, Fifth Edition in that the exponential and logarithmic functions are covered earlier. In the Fifth Edition of CALCULUS, EARLY TRANSCENDENTALS these functions are introduced in the first chapter and their limits and derivatives are found in Chapters 2 and 3 at the same time as polynomials and other elementary functions.
Customer Reviews:
Ordering was off.......2007-09-22
I ordered this book a month before classes started but it didn't arrive until about 2 weeks after classes started. If you are looking to get it order it early.
Other than that is in perfect condition and I am not having any issues with it.
best.......2007-09-05
i ordered it and got it in a very good condition and in time. customer service is awesome. my blessings. keep up the good work.
the greatest calclulus text ever written ,...EVER.......2007-07-26
How can anyone possible B*tch at such an amazing book. Clear, insightful, helpful, relevant etc...etc.... don't forget that the author threw in proofs for anyone who wants to be math major. O did I mention how f-in clear this text is. Here's the deal, people who don't like this book fall into two categories: wannabe engineers who hate the fact that they have to take calculus in the first place and math majors/mathematicians who say that not enough theory is covered, well duh that's why the course called "advanced calculus" was invented. Let's face the fact's fokes, there is a reason why community colleges and ivy league schools alike use this text because its student friendly and is designed with COMMEN sense, something I might add is lacking in the mathematical community but definitely not lacking in this book.
P.S. Thanks DR.S I love math because of you
PDF Version that's For Sale.......2007-05-09
I just want to let people know that in the used section, the PDF version that is for sale is probably a copyright infringement, but not only that, if you do a search for 'calculus james stewart pdf' on google, you'll most probably find a link to said PDF. Don't get duped.
Comprehensive look at Calculus.......2007-02-17
So far, only four chapters into the text, Calculus: Early Transcendentals appears to be a well-rounded introduction to Calculus. The text is arranged in a familiar manner where information can be readily found. The only bad thing I have to say about it thus far is that it doesn't always explain steps in its example problems in as much detail as I would sometimes like.
Book Description
Stewart's CALCULUS, Fifth Edition has the mathematical precision, accuracy, clarity of exposition and outstanding examples and problem sets that have characterized the first four editions. Stewart retains the focus on problem solving and the pedagogical system that has made the book a favorite of students and instructors in a wide variety of colleges and universities throughout the world. In this Fifth Edition, he has made hundreds of small improvements: new examples, additional steps in existing examples, updating of data in existing examples and exercises, new phrases and margin notes to clarify the exposition, references to other sources and web sites, redrawn art, and references to the TEC CD (Tools for Enriching Calculus). These refinements ensure that students and instructors have the best materials available. The number of pages in the book, however, remains unchanged from the 4th edition. Further support for students and instructors is now available through a vast array of supplementary material.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2007-10-05
Even though I found out I didnt need it, this book is still in great shape! I might even be able to sell it back to my bookstore!
GREAT book for self study.......2007-07-19
I am thrilled with this book. I think all the bad reviews are from kids who have to take this subject in college who's hearts aren't really in it. To be honest, I can't believe all the negative stuff people are saying about this book!! It is really quite easy to read. Some parts are more difficult to understand, but hey: That's to be expected when studying Calculus! If you are persistent, you will suceed. And Stewart's makes learning the difficult concepts as easy as possible. If you like math, (even it you aren't that good at it), you very likely will LOVE this book. It's a dream. If you don't like math, or don't want to learn calculus, you will probably hate it. I am a previously home-schooled 20 year old and I started studying calculus when I was 16, using Saxon's Calculus textbook. It was a great intro to this text, which reads at a higher level. I enjoyed calculus so much that I am self-studing this book just for the fun of it.
Bottom line: GET THIS BOOK! If you like math, you will love this book!
It doesn't matter what people think, if you need to buy it..........2007-07-09
If your instructor assigns the class this textbook, then you have to get it.
It doesn't matter what people think about it, you just have to get it.
I just searched around and found a torrent. Paid zero. I would recommend that to everyone else, also, search for the solutions manual with evens and odds.
commercial or academic?.......2007-06-22
Teaching math for engineering students is what I did for the past 35 years and still do. This book is heavy (~3.5 kg), expensive and my students find it very frustrating!!. Their english (mine too) is at most their second language and it is very painful and agonizing for them to go through it page after page to get an idea that can be gotten in much fewer statements. I think this book is commercially written rather than academically.
Bad Calc Book.......2007-06-15
This book is awful, plain and simple. It is hard to understand, and not very helpful.
Book Description
This latest edition in the highly respected Swokowski/Cole precalculus series retains the elements that have made it so popular with instructors and students alike: its exposition is clear, the time-tested exercise sets feature a variety of applications, its uncluttered layout is appealing, and the difficulty level of problems is appropriate and consistent. Mathematically sound, ALGEBRA AND TRIGONOMETRY WITH ANALYTIC GEOMETRY, Eleventh Edition, effectively prepares students for further courses in mathematics through its excellent, time-tested problem sets. This edition has been improved in many respects, including the addition of technology inserts with specific keystrokes for the TI-83 Plus and the TI-86, ideal for students who are working with a calculator for the first time. The design of the text makes the technology inserts easily identifiable, so if a professor prefers to skip these sections it is simple to do so.
Book Description
As the best-seller in its field, Precalculus, 5/e, offers both instructors and students a more solid, comprehensive, and flexible program than ever before. Designed for the one- or two-term precalculus course, the text opens with moderate algebra review and introduces trigonometry first with a unit circle approach and then with the right triangle.
For a complete listing of features, see Larson/Hostetler, College Algebra, 5/e.
Customer Reviews:
Popular yet ordinary book!.......2006-09-26
Richard Feynman, one of America's greatest physicists, once said most of the popular textbooks (on physics) were somewhat mediocre. Larson has written one that is much better than the rest. everything is explained clearly. However, I would recommend those who are aspired for an austere treatment of elementary mathematics, ie, pre-calculus and beginning calculus, to go for the book High-school mathematics by some Russian mathematicians. ISBN: 5030010114 This series is just so comprehensive with lucid explanations that every high school math teacher should take a look at it. It's both fun and benefitial to read books on math translated from another language.
Piece of Sh**!.......2006-01-26
I have this book sadly for one of my classes.
It gives the answers to all the odd problems, but doesn't show how that answer was obtained. So basically its just gives answers with no steps showing how.
It gives problems for you to do, without showing you how. I guess your suppose to be a genius and magically figure it out.
There are a good bit of problems that the do show you how to do (to be fair), but I still think that's total BS.
I'm failing my class and I looked to the book for reference, and it did no good. I'm going to have to drop it.
A gem. But beware of Amazon bugs!.......2004-11-24
I reported them to Amazon months ago - nothing's changed.
There are two different books on amazon.com:
BOOK 1: "Precalculus 5/e" by Larson & Hostetler (search for 0618052852 on amazon.com). It has a very good supplement - "Study and Solutions Guide" by Dianna Zook (0618072713).
Both books were published by Houghton Mifflin Company, which has nice resource site http://college.hmco.com/mathematics/students/.
I have no affiliation with this publisher. From the pull-down "Precalculus" window Select Title "Precalculus 5/e Larson/Hostetler ((c)2001)". You'll be very pleased with the links you find there. If you seriously want to ace Precalculus - get both - "Precalculus" and "Study...".
BOOK 2: "Precalculus Functions and Graphs: A Graphing Approach/Precalculus With Limits: A Graphing Approach (Student Study Guide)" by Larson (0618074104).
Here's one bug:
Somehow reviews posted for BOOK 1 got mirrored onto BOOK 2 or vice versa (compare books' reviews).
Another bug:
Book 2 in reality has a title "Study and Solution Guide" and its authors are Bruce Edwards and Dianna Zook (not Larson). Compare it with "Study and Solutions Guide for Precalculus Functions and Graphs : A Graphing Approach and: Precalculus With Limits : A Graphing Approach" (0669417297), which is older: 2/e, (c)1997.
Book 2 gives solutions to odd-numbered excersizes and to all Chapter Practice Tests and to Chapter and Cumulative Tests in both "Precalculus Functions and Graphs...3/e" (0618052909) and "Precalculus with Limits...3/e" (0618052917).
Those two books were published in 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company. On http://college.hmco.com/mathematics/students/ from the pull-down "Precalculus" window select either of their titles. Click on "Purchase this Product or Study Aides" and you'll see the whole learning package which includes aforementioned "Study and Solution Guide" ISBN: (0-618-07410-4) (for some reason Bruce Edwards is dropped and only Dianna Zook is listed as author; apparently, amazon.com doesn't hold monopoly on making mistakes).
Make sure you are reading reviews relevant to the book you consider buying.
Very good if you follow the #1 rule for math & sci success.......2004-02-17
This book consists of about 10 chapters.
(your precalc professor will probably only cover 8 of them).
Each chapter consists of about five or six topic sections.
Each section contains about 5 pages of reading and another 2 pages with review questions (approximately 90-120+ questions).
I initially bought the fifth edition and weeks later upgraded to the 6th. I see only two differences between the old and new edition. The prerequisite chapter (covering review material from previous math class) is located in the front of the 5th edition, but in the back of the 6th edition. As for the five pages of reading material per section, I found them to be exactly the same (as far as I could tell). However the review questions in the back have a somewhat different order. In my opinion, about 90% of the review question (the examples that professors assign for homework) are present in both edition. However, in the sixth edition, some of the questions are in slightly mixed order. What this means to people buying the fifth edition, is that after each math class, you'll need to compare and match the review questions in your book with those of your fellow classmate's sixth edition text. Personally I don't believe that it's worth the effort to buy the old edition, since you can find the new sixth edition ... on Amazon.com, ..., etc.
Something I strongly recommend is purchasing the solutions guide. The titles are Study and Solutions Guide by Dianna Zook, but the title is misleading. It is ONLY a solutions guide, with answers for the odd-numbered questions broken down into four steps. The text book only supplies the odd-numbered answers without being broken down into steps. ... Just keep in mind that the sixth edition textbook and solutions guide has a publish date of 2003 or 2004. The fifth edition textbook and solutions guide has a 2000 publish date.
6th edtion TEXTBOOK ISBN 0618314342
6th edition SOLUTIONS guide ISBN 0618314377
5th edition TEXTBOOK ISBN 0618052852
5th edition SOLUTIONS guide ISBN 0618072713
Another suggestion, if you're purchasing this book used, is to buy the instructor's edition version (ISBN 0618314369). I say used because the publisher doesn't allow the sales of these books to non-educators, so you'll have to purchase them from amazon's used section, ..., etc. The only difference between the standard and instructor's edition is that the standard student edition has the odd-numbered answers and the instructor's has the odd and EVEN-numbered answers. Unfortunately these answers are only answers and not broken down solutions. You'll have to buy the solutions guide to have those and even then you'll only get the odd-numbered broken down solutions.
As for the #1 rule of math and science courses:
It's a well accepted rule of thumb that a student should study 2 hours per week for every 1 hour in class. For example if you're taking a four credit hour precalculus course, you should be studying an additional eight hours per week on top of the four in class. For those of you who work and don't have that kind of time, I would recommend that you study at least 1 hour per week per hour you're in class. That means you'd be in class four hours per week and would study another four outside class. Trust me, if you don't do this, you won't pass! Another note about this book, don't let the reading discourage you; a lot of this text reads as if speaking to a mathematician, not a lonely undergraduate student. Even if you don't understand all the theorems thrown at you (trust me you won't) continue reading and MOST IMPORTANT: do the review quesions. At least do the review questions that your teacher assigns, but if you can do them all or at least the odd-numbered ones, it would serve you well to do so.
If you haven't looked at a math book for over five years, might I recommend that you purchase a math video tape tutorial. It won't substitute for going to class or buying the text book, but it's a great introduction and was very helpful to me in calculus. On Amazon.com just type "Standard Deviants pre-calculus" (free shipping over $25 is good incentive to buy from here) or go directly to company's website if you want descriptions of what these VHS / DVD discs are about. Word of caution, buy "standard deviants" NOT "standard deviants school" which are much bigger volumes geared toward school learning environments.
...
Good luck,
Rob
Precalculus.......2003-07-09
I think that the book is very good.
Book Description
Stewart's CALCULUS: CONCEPTS AND CONTEXTS, Third Edition offers a streamlined approach to teaching calculus, focusing on major concepts and supporting those with precise definitions, patient explanations, and carefully graded problems. CALCULUS: CONCEPTS AND CONTEXTS is highly regarded because it has successfully brought peace to departments that were split between reform and traditional approaches to teaching calculus. Not only does the text help reconcile the two schools of thought by skillfully merging the best of traditional calculus with the best of the reform movement, it does so with innovation and meticulous accuracy.
Customer Reviews:
Poor.......2006-10-25
I taught this class with this book several times, and it makes the material more difficult. It is one of the poorest textbooks available for this class.
It's actually worth the huge price tag.......2006-07-06
I was turned on to Stewart through his excellent multivariable calculus text. Having been so impressed by that book I decided to fork out the bucks for the this text. Yea - I know - the material in this text is a pre-requisite to the other but I own a kazillion mathematics books and at this point in my life, I've been through various levels of Calc so many times that order is irrelevent. Anyway, for me, this book is really worth the huge price tag. I frequently open it up and read it for pleasure. Sick, huh? But it's that good! Stewart is great at chosing examples to work out fully for your eddification. He also is great at selecting interesting and illustrative problems that aren't presumptuous of the student's abilities at clairvoyance (unlike some other textbook authors I could mention). Lastly, the everything about this book reeks of quality: from the mathematical content (btw - it has excellent graphics!) and Stewart's obvious underlying teaching abilities to the physical characteristics of the binding and page materials. The book is a jewell.
Well, I could go on but you probably get the idea. I wish J. Stewart would do a textbook of similar quality on Linear Algebra or better yet, Differential Geometry! That would really destroy the myth that money can't buy happiness.
Good Calculus Book.......2005-09-22
I've learned calculus long time ago, but recently I need it to read a financial book. This book worked for me. I am surprised to know that calculus is easy due to the book's step by step explanation. This book is good not only for readers who learn calculus for the first time but also for poeple who have some experiences. Depneding on your level and purpose, you can read this book like a novel or do all exercises. Only problem I can think of is that this book may not be suitable for people who need to learn pure mathmatics because definitions are not so strict.
good.......2005-09-19
I received my item wihtin a week of my purchase. I recommed to buy books from this seller
Book Description
New co-authors--Irl Bivens and Stephen Davis--from Davidson College; both distinguished educators and writers.
* More emphasis on graphing calculators in exercises and examples, including CAS capabilities of graphing calculators.
* More problems using tabular data and more emphasis on mathematical modeling.
Customer Reviews:
Used to be a good book..........2006-01-29
I used the 6th edition for a lot of the begining studying on many calculus subjects. While this book is easy, it still teaches you the stuff. You understand the material, not just get these mechanical processes to apply to the freakishly hard problems that you get. I would suggest looking for the 6th edition though...
The 7th edition isn't very good at all, one of my professors had an extra copy of this book so I got it... and well.. It wasn't very good... Look around in your local used book store for the 6th edition... That's what I recomend as a student.
superb.......2005-04-29
This is big, heavy, hardbound freshman text that will take you very slowly but completely into single-variable calculus. It also contains an exhaustive section on analytic geometry.
If you have sloughed off through algebra and trigonometry, or if you are coming to calculus after a long hiatus, this is the book to get.
This is because instead of launching directly into integration, the book's first couple of chapters (long chapters, too) are a careful review of just the principles you'll need from alegbra to get going.
There are even appendices at the end of the book covering various math ideas needed for the study of calculus (e.g., trigonometry), so you can be sure that if you're coming into calculus getting weak in the knees, this book has all the information you need.
In fact, I might be so bold as to point out that a determined student could conceivably skip from a study of elementary algebra directly to calculus because the book is laid out this way.
Also, the book's language is very simple, so if, for example, English is not your first language, this is a good choice for you. Complicated language and difficult cultural points are kept to a minimum.
Having said all that, I should point out that this book is not one for self-learners. This is because, as with any book for children, the answers to the problem sets are not included.
True, the publishers also offer a "students' solutions manual," in which the solutions the text's odd-numbered exercises are worked out ad nauseam, but that comes extra.
Not Happy with 7th........2003-03-11
I loved 6th. ed. But I'm not happy with the 7th. Bivens and Davis have clearly taken over and ruined a great textbook. I'm looking for another textbook the next time around. The other teachers at my college seem to agree.
:) Jc
Excellent Book on a Difficult Subject.......2002-10-25
When my copy of Stewart fell apart awhile back, I decided to order this to replace it, since it was one recommended by CAS/SOA for Exam 1. I am not disappointed. This has more graphs and pictures than Stewart to help explain some of the fundamentals better. While the content and the layout are pretty much the same as other Calculus books, I particularly liked the writing style of the authors, who eplained things well without being really technical. If you are looking for a Calculus text that helps you solve the problems then I think this one is for you. There is a fair amount of rigor (i.e. proofs and theory) here, but no more than other texts. If you are looking for more of the theory behind the applications, I would try Apostol's 2 volume set which is much more rigorous. If you are looking for a text to study Exam 1, then this is the one for you.
Really baddddd, joke stuff,super baaaad........2002-10-04
Don't buy this book, this book is the design for students who don't know math particularly calculus. This book is designed not for beginner or advanced but is designed for mickey mouse. The content is totally horrible just joke stuff that you can answer very briefly without doing any writing in paper/computation. If you want be a mathematician don't even start using this book. You'll be in trouble in the future.
Customer Reviews:
Inadequate for all purposes.......2007-10-08
This book's target audience is a little unclear. Ostensibly, this is a somewhat more rigorous treatment of multivariable calculus than a typical second-year sequence, but in fact this book is absolutely deficient as an analytical text. There are very few proofs in the book--the proofs of most theorems are relegated to an "internet supplement"--and the ones that are included are at far too low a level and fail to do what the theorems of a good text ought to do: gradually and methodically develop the topic. In some cases, such as the implicit function theorem, the statement of the theorem is just plain convoluted, apparently because the authors attempted to strike some kind of balance between being mathematically correct and working within the comfort zone of students coming out of low-level math courses.
Furthermore, nothing in the book is taught at an appropriate level of generality. For example, many "proofs" involve low-level calculations of dot products when it would be far more elegant, not to mention mathematically preferable, to use the general properties of inner product spaces instead. Many theorems and formulas are stated only for cases in which the domain is in two or three dimensions rather than working in n-dimensional vector spaces, and the complex field is essentially absent from the entire work.
So, since the book is not an analytical treatment, is it useful as a "standard" multivariable text? No. It's extremely difficult to learn the material for the first time from this book because there are numerous unexplained leaps, and examples are scarce. The exercises are useless for developing one's understanding; as other reviewers correctly noted, they frequently involve only a brief calculus setup followed by needlessly contorted algebraic operations, and students are likely to second-guess themselves when they arrive at (correct) answers that are so complicated they look wrong.
Part of the problem is that Marsden and Tromba's text is far shorter than the bulky book makes it appear. The margins, type, and spacing are outrageously generous; many pages are devoted to cute but unnecessary and often irrelevant history essays; and the pictures and figures (whose colors are badly aligned) take up huge amounts of space on the page. There is a vast amount of wasted space that could have been occupied by proofs, examples, motivation for the development of the subject, etc. It's just not worth the price of a textbook to have something with so little useful material.
Rejoice if your university made you use it!.......2005-10-24
First of all, what is this book about? It's just your regular multivariable calculus stuff, what some would have as calculus 2 (others as calculus 3).
That being said, from the standpoint of someone forced to live the horrors of another calculus 2 book, where the explanations are simplified to the point of not making any real sense, this is a *much better* book, because at least it attempts to give more detailed explanations, instead of shoving definitions. However, they don't appear to be exceptional and, in fact, some stuff is, well, condensed. I liked the rigor in the notation - very important to get used to healthy habits.
I do think it falls a little short of the Essence-Which-a-Calculus-Text-Must-Have, which is to relate the stuff to Physics and applications in a strong way. To reach that goal without dumbing down the explanations and theorems, or making the mathematics so detached from the applications that you loose the connections between the abstractions is a balance that falls upon an author to achieve. After all, Calculus was invented because of Physics (on that note, I liked McCallum's et al. Multivariable Calculus, which was taylored precisely with that aspect as one of its goals - but it's less mathematically advanced).
My guess is that there has to be a great calculus book for undergraduates out there, somewhere. I'm not sure this is it (Vector Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Differential Forms: A Unified Approach, by Hubbard & Hubbard seems to be getting raving reviews).
It's also very nicely illustrated. As I looked more carefully, I came to realize great care was invested in crafting the illustrations - they are a notch higher in quality and really convey imporant information - you know, just the little details, or complexity, that really make a difference (but let's not get all hyped up about it - today, any modern book is - but this is book is very nice).
So, in a nutshell, although I can't vouch for the outstanding quality of the book, my message to those that complained about this being the textbook chosen at their alma mater is: rejoice! You've got a better book than I did!
Note: this review is about the 3rd edition; have only consulted the text (i.e., did not work through the whole book in a class).
Agree with K.Green.......2005-10-18
This is not a math nerd who learned calculus in middle school, nor a professor. This is just a lowly student that learned single variable calculus in 11/12th grade of High School. I found this book to be lacking in explanation and the examples in the text were not very helpful either.
Decent.......2005-09-26
After a couple of weeks of using this textbook, I am mostly happy with it. It does a good job of explaining the material, however, it is not very concise and takes a long discussion to make a point. It is longer than necessary and contains unnecessary features. Other than that, for the money it is a good deal, and thus the four stars.
Against the other reviewers.......2005-06-03
I've never seen the other book people have been referencing in their reviews of this one, but I honestly can't comprehend why people find this book so confusing. I was interested in calculus since age 13 and, though I found this book amazingly intricate and confusing at first glance, I was able to solve many of the problems in the book due to the explanations in it. Of course, I was reading the older version with ISBN 0716718561, but I still got what they were trying to explain.
Vector calculus isn't an easy subject for anyone to grasp, and this book puts a good majority of it in clear focus, even for very young math-nerds. Check it out.
Book Description
Scoring high on the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams is very different from earning straight A’s in school. We don’t try to teach you everything there is to know about calculus–only the strategies and information you’ll need to get your highest score. In Cracking the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams, we’ll teach you how to
·Use our preparation strategies and test-taking techniques to raise your score
·Focus on the topics most likely to appear on the test
·Test your knowledge with review questions for each calculus topic covered
This book includes 5 full-length practice AP Calculus AB & BC tests: 3 for AB and 2 for BC. All of our practice questions are just like those you’ll see on the actual exam, and we explain how to answer every question.
Customer Reviews:
ehh, it was all right.......2007-07-14
this book isnt the best to use if you're completely lost in calc and hoping to cram it at the last minute. i had a really good teacher for calc so did not have to rely on a prep book too much, but still i found this book helpful in just doing practice problems. for 2007, the practice frq they provide you in this book are nothing like the ones on the actual test. but i'd have to agree that this book is on the easy side, so beware.
A TREACHEROUS BOOK. Shame on you Princeton Review .......2007-06-15
Let me preface this by saying that I took the AP calculus test in the mid 1980's and now have helped my daughter with a self-study course on calculus in preparation for the 2007 test. After going through a total of 4 study guides, 2 textbooks, and the last 7 years of available free response questions from the actual AP test, I found this guide to be not only inadequate but also treacherous. It will instill a false confidence which will become glaringly obvious to you when taking the real test.
The AP calculus (AB or BC) has become considerably harder in the last 4 years. Like most other books, this book seems to have been developed for the test as administered in the 1990's. In order to pass, not only do you need to know your calculus - it is also mandatory that you know how to use your calculator in order to solve calculus problems. This book completely ignores this basic fact. Unlike other books (see my other reviews), there is no section on this important topic. The only reference is in the first pages when the book states that a calculator is allowed on certain parts of the test and that the Education Testing Service recommends a calculator. The fact is that a calculator and its proper usage are ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL in being able to solve some of the problems on the test (I also fault the testing service for not making it crystal clear that certain problems cannot be solved without the calculator). Princeton Review ought to know this simple fact which becomes obvious to anyone who has looked at the openly provided past free-response questions from the actual tests. For example, a question regarding volumes of revolution of an area between two curves has appeared on virtually every free-response section over the last 7 years. Each problem could not be solved without the use of a caculator in determing the points of intersection to use as your limits of integration. Rather than focusing on techniques of integration (which was a big deal for the earlier test in which calculators either weren't allowed or weren't capable), the emphasis has switched to integration via the calculator.
One last point of advice is that this book does not stress the concepts that are in turn stressed on the current tests - fundamental theorem of calculus, average value of a function by integration, and problems that depend on interpreting graphs and data points.
The book goes through each topic in calculus in a perfunctory manner that appears to have been adequate for the test I took in the 1980's, but not for the current exam.
When chosing a book, keep in mind that the test is no longer a simple can you integrate and take a derivative by hand type of exam. If you can solve the problems in this book, you may be prepared for the multiple choice non-calculator based parts, but you will NOT be prepared for the AP test as a whole.
absolutely fantastic.......2007-05-23
This book was amazing. I was really struggling in getting anything higher than a 3 on practice exams so I bought this book. It's true that the AB and BC materials are not separated, but it does include information noting which subjects are BC only. All you have to do is take note of that info and mark those sections BC yourself.
With the exception of two or three lessons, the lessons in the book were thorough and really helped me to understand the material better. The formatting was easy to follow as well and it didn't make me feel like I was doing a lot of work. I don't have my score back yet, but I can definitely say that this book helped. I'll definitely be using the rest of it for my BC exam next year.
Cracking the exams.......2007-05-16
I found this book to be helpful in some capacity. Although it covered all the necessary topics, I did not find it to be that in depth (it would probably help AB test takers more than BC). Some of the explanations made it more confusing than it was without the book. The practice tests were good, but did not provide explanations for the answers, which was a big downside. The essay questions provided in the practice section were so much easier than the actual test, so they didn't help either. Overall, a good basis for studying, but do NOT rely solely on this if you want to do well.
Dissapointing.......2007-05-12
This study book did not live up to the expectations set by other study books even by the same company. It was frought with grammatical, spelling, and factual errors. The explanations were confusing, and it offered little practical advice about how to actually take the exam well. If you need to study Calculus AB or BC for an AP exam, I strongly suggest that you try another company. This book was a dissapointment.
Book Description
Designed for the three-semester course for math and science majors, the Larson/Hostetler/Edwards series continues its tradition of success by being the first to offer both an Early Transcendental version as well as a new Calculus with Precalculus text. This was also the first calculus text to use computer-generated graphics (Third Edition), to include exercises involving the use of computers and graphing calculators (Fourth Edition), to be available in an interactive CD-ROM format (Fifth Edition), and to be offered as a complete, online calculus course (Sixth Edition). Every edition of the book has made the mastery of traditional calculus skills a priority, while embracing the best features of new technology and, when appropriate, calculus reform ideas. The Seventh Edition also expands its support package with an all-new set of text-specific videos.
- P.S. Problem-Solving Sections, an additional set of thought-provoking exercises added to the end of each chapter, require students to use a variety of problem-solving skills and provide a challenging arena for students to work with calculus concepts.
- Getting at the Concept Exercises added to each section exercise set check students' understanding of the basic concepts. Located midway through the exercise set, they are both boxed and titled for easy reference.
- Review Exercises at the end of each chapter have been reorganized to provide students with a more effective study tool. The exercises are now grouped and correlated by text section, enabling students to target concepts requiring review.
- The icon "IC" in the text identifies examples that appear in the Interactive Calculus 3.0 CD-ROM and Internet Calculus 2.0 web site with enhanced opportunities for exploration and visualization using the program itself and/or a Computer Algebra System.
- Think About It conceptual exercises require students to use their critical-thinking skills and help them develop an intuitive understanding of the underlying theory of the calculus.
- Modeling Data multi-part questions ask students to find and interpret mathematical models to fit real-life data, often through the use of a graphing utility.
- Section Projects, extended applications that appear at the end of selected exercise sets. may be used for individual, collaborative, or peer-assisted assignments.
- True or False? Exercises, included toward the end of many exercises sets, help students understand the logical structure of calculus and highlight concepts, common errors, and the correct statements of definitions and theorems.
- Motivating the Chapter sections opening each chapter present data-driven applications that explore the concepts to be covered in the context of a real-world setting.
Customer Reviews:
top notch and all inclusive book.......2007-01-12
practically free too
I am using this to study for the GRE and GMAT to prepare for grad school math
Decent text but by no means excellent........2005-09-14
This was the book I used in high school, and while it was certainly decent, it would not have been very useful without the aid of my excellent calculus teacher.
I have many of the same criticisms of this book as I do of the Stewart, although I do think this book does a slightly better job in the very beginning, for example, when introducing the limit, and also in that it leaves out some of the extraneous and confusing attempts at applications in the first chapter. I still think the book contains too many confusing applications from the second chapter onward. I do think the book would be improved by having a completely separate section covering the definition of the limit, however.
I like the prose in the examples. I like the presentation of some of the material from multivariable calculus. But again, this book is like a typical intro calc book--it's not rigorous enough, has too much brute force, too many applications, not enough mathematics, not enough creativity. This book doesn't cultivate the awe and wonder that should be present when a student learns calculus.
The best book of it's kind........2004-10-06
Every concept and example is explained with just the right amount of words and visual aids. The author has talent. The talent is his ability to pass the relevant information straight to the center of your brain, and the ability to bind the whole subject together.
In comparison, Stewart's Calculus book is just a compilation of information. With each new edition, Stewart adds more footnotes and side notes. The footnotes and side notes really only serve as a bandage to prevent the information of his book from falling apart.
While Larson is presenting us with a complete and beautiful product, Stewart is scrambling to keep his product at par.
Larson's book is the best all purpose high school and undergraduate book of it's kind. The website of the book is great and holds interesting additional information.
Some cons. The book is big heavy and expensive. Some key precalculus reviews are missing in the main book, however, they are available on the book's website.
The Best Calculus Book.......2004-09-06
This is the best Calculus book, or for that matter, one of the best text books I have ever studied. I transfered colleges and have had the opportunity to see other Calc books. This book (with the solution manual) explains the problems thoroghly and each problem section starts with the very easy, and the gradually moves into the challenging. It also works in real world applications to make your study of the subject much more interesting. I give the book an A+.
Refer to other editions 0618141804.......2004-06-23
Checkout the 7th edition without a CD. Slightly different listing. Copied below....
* Hardcover: 182 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 11.25 x 1.75 x 9.00
* Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company; 7th edition (July 1, 2001)
* ASIN: 0618141804
* In-Print Editions: Hardcover (7th Bk&Cdr) | Paperback (4th) | All Editions
* Average Customer Review: Based on 16 reviews. Write a review.
* Amazon.com Sales Rank: 857,204
(Publishers and authors: improve your sales)
Average customer rating:
- Clear and understandable.
- reviews for the 7th edition?
- well designed for self study
- Good book. Especially With Solution Manual.
- GREAT, WONDERFUL, SPECTACULAR
|
Precalculus (7th Edition)
Michael Sullivan
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
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Book Description
A proven motivator for readers of diverse mathematical backgrounds, this book explores mathematics within the context of real life using understandable, realistic applications consistent with the abilities of any reader. Graphing techniques are emphasized, including a thorough discussion of polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions and conics. Includes Case Studies; New design that utilizes multiple colors to enhance accessibility; Multiple source applications; Numerous graduated examples and exercises; Discussion, writing, and research problems; Important formulas, theorems, definitions, and objectives; and more. For anyone interested in precalculus.
Customer Reviews:
Clear and understandable........2006-05-28
At the beginning I was a bit worried about the way the book explains the material. It seemed too simple for a book dealing with more complex subjects in math such as functions, trigonometry and analytic geometry. Then again it could be said that this quality is the one that makes the book such a joy to read.
Not a single time did I felt lost or confused by the presentation. Most of the graphics and photos do supplement the explanation, and help the reader grasp the information better. One of the highlights, one that perhaps most people will miss, is the simple review questions at the beginning of each section. These little snippets of previous material force the reader to review those concepts that will be essential for further understanding.
Every new section in the book is short and clear; thus reducing the amount of explanation, but at the same time maintaining just enough so that the reader will not feel lost in the many formulas and derivations. If this book does not get "5 starts" from my review it is only because it could be more mathematically rigorous by presenting more proofs. But by not doing so it increases the clarity and easy presentation the book possesses - great book well worth the price.
reviews for the 7th edition?.......2006-01-19
why are the reviews for the 6th and 7th edition of this book the same? is there no difference between editions, such that reviews for the 6th should be kept for the 6th. the 7th edition might have changes that could cause some to review/change a viewpoint about its content. maybe at the core they are the same book/method, but it is overall a different book and the reviews should be kept edition specific.
it is my opinion that amazon will not post this as it obviously not a review, but it my contention that the 8 posted are not reviews of this edition, either. why are they posted?
well designed for self study.......2005-11-06
I taught 2 sections of precalculus with this book last spring. This book is well designed for self study. Examples are keyed to specific exercises so the student is directed to use a concept immediately after seeing it employed in a suitable exercise.
My one quibble with the book is the way trigonometry is introduced. It seems to be needlessly convoluted so if you are thinking of adopting it you should read the first two or three sections covering trig. I chose to supplement it with my own notes.
I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to supplement a high school precalculus course with a book that is stronger on theory vs. graphing calculator techniques. There are some very inadequate precalculus texts out there. If you are serious about mathematics and your school is using an approach that employs graphing calculators in a heavy way, you may want to use this book. In that case consider an older (cheaper) edition.
Update: Another reviewer comments that the 7th ed and the 6th ed may be significantly different. Well, they are not.
Good book. Especially With Solution Manual........2005-07-27
Bought the teachers edition and 2 solution manual books (1500+pages each) all for 63 bucks. BRAND NEW!
Anyways, this book I find to be a lot better than many many of the other math text books out there. What is nice about this book is the simple fact that it doesn't try as hard to fool you as the others. Other text books seem to be written by people that are really advanced and think, in a way, that we are as well. They sometimes don't realize that the stuff they put down into text books might be a lot harder to someone that doesn't have a firm gasp and understanding as they have.
I mean...don't you hate text books that give you examples and solutions, but all of the examples are of easy problems and the ones that you do want to know are not shown? In highschool, I didn't know weither to use my math text books to learn or use it as heating fuel for the winter nights. Listening to the teacher wasn't very helpful because he followed the pace of his more advance nerdy students and using the book to catch up helped as much as little if nothing.
This book, however, can actually teach you pretty much everything step by step, especially if you use it with the solutions manual which shows you step by step how the answers are achieved. For once, I'm learning more from the book than from the teacher. They should hire the book, it would be cheaper. I'm sure the book will grade us by a curve as well and be nicer to us. This whole summer semester I've been learning almost everything from the book, the teacher is just extra.
The way the book is made, its an accumalative (spelled wrongly I bet) kind of thing. You can learn it all if you go through it from a to z, beginnig to end. Of course you'll still need guidance here and there, but it is made so clearly that it gives you a peace of mind. Suddenly, the secret codes are being decoded.
A pretty looking book that'll probably cost you a bundle (USED in textbook store for $109!?) however is all worth it. Spend your money on something that is really worth it and get this, solutions manual about $35 more or less.
COLLEGE MATH: 1+1=3 (Learn it well young grasshopper, cause one day, we shall see which affects the other more)
GREAT, WONDERFUL, SPECTACULAR.......2004-08-17
THis book is fabulous. There are clear examples with step by step instruction. It has good applications in the real world and the problems are wonderful and challenging.
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