Product Description

Tough Test Questions? Missed Lectures? Not Enough Time?

Fortunately for you, there's Schaum's.

More than 40 million students have trusted Schaum's to help them succeed in the classroom and on exams. Schaum's is the key to faster learning and higher grades in every subject. Each Outline presents all the essential course information in an easy-to-follow, topic-by-topic format. You also get hundreds of examples, solvedproblems, and practice exercises to test your skills.

This Schaum's Outline gives you

• 1,370 fully solved problems
• Complete review of all course fundamentals
• Clear, concise explanations of all Advanced Calculus concepts

Fully compatible with your classroom text, Schaum's highlights all the important facts you need to know. Use Schaum's to shorten your study time--and get your best test scores!

Topics include: Numbers; Sequences;Functions, Limits, and Continuity; Derivatives; Integrals; Partial Derivatives; Vectors; Applications of Partial Derivatives; Multiple Integrals; Line Integrals, Surface Integrals, and Integral Theorems; Infinite Series; Improper Integrals; Fourier Series; Fourier Integrals; Gamma and Beta Functions; and Functions of a Complex Variable

Schaum's Outlines--Problem Solved.

Product Description
Quick Calculus 2nd Edition A Self-Teaching Guide Calculus is essential for understanding subjects ranging from physics and chemistry to economics and ecology. Nevertheless, countless students and others who need quantitative skills limit their futures by avoiding this subject like the plague. Maybe that’s why the first edition of this self-teaching guide sold over 250,000 copies. Quick Calculus, Second Edition continues to teach the elementary techniques of differential and integral calculus quickly and painlessly. Your "calculus anxiety" will rapidly disappear as you work at your own pace on a series of carefully selected work problems. Each correct answer to a work problem leads to new material, while an incorrect response is followed by additional explanations and reviews. This updated edition incorporates the use of calculators and features more applications and examples. "…makes it possible for a person to delve into the mystery of calculus without being mystified." —Physics Teacher ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great format marred by terrible formula notation
This book starts strong with a great concept, but by the time you reach derivative rules (one of the more important chapters), the arcane notation used really gets in the way of understanding the lessons.

quick shipping
Quick shipping & it was the exact book we needed for my son's class.Couldn't find it anywhere else!

The quickest, and arguably best, introduction to the core of calculus - but containing an unexpectedly large number of errors.
This is, arguably, the best self-teaching primer for differential and integral calculus. This well-designed book allows readers to progress at their own pace without the need for classroom instruction. This work, written by two award winning physicists, one a nobel prize winner, is none-the-less applicable to non-scientists as well.

If your schedule only allows time for one book, this is it. Its really what its name implies.

The only caution is that earlier printings of the second edition contain a larger number of errors than expected. I counted well over 50 in my fourth printing of this edition.

I recently purchased a new copy of this work from Amazon. Fortunately, this later printing, the 21st, has corrected many of the errors present in my earlier copy.

In light of this, and the relatively low price for a new copy, a new rather than used copy is possibly the best choice. However, even in those printings where more errors than expected exist, this is perhaps the best introduction to calculus basics available.

Self teach calculus
After using this book for a tuorial i would not recomend it to anyone.There is no substitution for a text that explains the resons you aer doing what you are doing.This book walks you through problems as you progress.If you dont understand something you have nothing other than the problem you dont understand to work with.DONT USE THIS BOOK!

A classic still in print for good reasons
Like many of the other reviewers, this book was invaluable for me at an earlier time. It teaches in small, digestable bites, and provides reinforcement of what it teaches. A person MIGHT do as well with a conventional problem book, but only with a great deal of discipline. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes solutions to all odd-numbered text exercises in Chapters 1-11. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

AMust Have Solution Guide for Calculus Students!
I find this book helpful when I'm working on my Homeworks. It's a shame that it doesn't have solutions for even-numbered questions. However, when you're stuck and want to find out how to solve a certain problem, it's a go-to book.

Useful
Great for students who are interested in additional help outside the classroom. The manual provides step by step answers to the odd problems in the text book. If you are dedicated to achieving an A in the class, the manual will help a great deal!

CALCULUS
SOME OF THE ANSWERS ARE INCORRECT....SOMETIMES THE STEPS ARE NOT STRAIGHT FORWARD....IF U ARE LOOKING JUST TO PASS THE CLASS ITS A GOOD BOOK....IF U WANT TO UNDERSTAND SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR SCHAUM'S CALCULUS WORKBOOK.

Pretty Decent Review book
Review book is decent, It doesn't show all the steps, I would have like them to at least write the Identity that they decide to use for some problems.

Great resource... worth the buy
This book is fantastic and such a help.Even though this material can be viewed free through [...], I find it more useful to have in hand. ... Read more

Product Description
Covers topics usually given in Calculus I, II, and III.Differentiation and integration are illustrated with detailed algebraicand trigonometric operations.Different fields of applications arethoroughly covered with numerous illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Just buy it....You can't go wrong
I purchased Calculus as well as Differential Equations and both cut strait to the bone. They have saved me a great deal of time wading through the recommended texts and comprehending very little of the language and explanations. I find it no wonder that plenty of people find attempting to learn higher mathematics such a daunting task. I give credit to those who attempt to make these subjects more accessible rather than construct more barriers to keep the club exclusive. I only wish I purchased Advanced Calculus at the same time. Well-done REA!

Calculus problem solving
Book is what I wanted but the description from the seller said it was a 2002 edition. It is a 1991 revised edition.

Will keep you busy
Many books do well explaining the concepts but don't support drilling in the requisite skills. This book provides PLENTY of exercises for every type of calculus problem you are likely to run into.

With over 1100 problems, you'll be busy... and there are plenty of nasty problems to challenge your knowledge.

Provides good solution steps.

This book attempts to help you understand through working problems at the expense of conceptual understanding, and does neither.
I gave this book 2 stars only because it seems like it might be of use to students in Calc 1 until they get to the definite integral, if it's covered. I am in Calc 2, and in an hr, was able to determine I should send this back. Here's why.

I purchased this book specifically hoping it would provide me with tons of problems to understand definite integrals and indefinite integrals, and to gain some insight on what the meaning of them is. This book doesn't include enough explanation to be of use, or enough problems to understand concepts through practice.

Here's an example. In Chapter 23, Fundamental Integration, shouldn't they explain what an integral is? Where's the first Fundamental Theorem? The definite integral of a rate of change gives total change. Then throw in some problems with units to reflect that the units of the answer of a definite integral will not = the units of the input. velocity --> position. This is a HUGE concept, and if it's addressed, and I missed it, someone please let me know.

Next, I needed help on the 2nd Fundamental Theorem, the Construction theorem I think? In this one, you plug in expressions with variables for one the bounds of the integral, and it transforms the integrand into a new function. So the def. integral isn't ALWAYS a number, it can be used to find functions as well. I need some work on this, because this kind of relates to the chain rule of differentiation I think, and my textbook doesn't provide any good examples. Also, problems where you must differentiate one of these integrals involve a variable change that can be tricky. Not covered well, if at all. The 2nd Fundamental theorem isn't mentioned either. Wow.

Finally, integration by parts. Doesn't this reverse the product rule of differentiation (as substitution reverses the chain rule)? Why not show why this works briefly??!

Bottom line: If you're in Calc 1, give this a shot. If you're in Calc 2: Unless you have an outstanding instructor, and an outstanding textbook, please look elsewhere. I wish I had.

Disappointing
I found it to be nothing more than a condensed textbook. It's probably OK if you need it to brush up on Calc after a number of years. But, if you need it to clearly explain concepts that your text cannot, it is worthless. ... Read more

Product Description
The student solutions manual provides worked out solutions to the odd-numbered problems in the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Excellent Seller!!!
The seller shipped my book fast just like I had requested.I am happy and grateful, because I can now tackle on pre-calculus successfully during summer semester.Thank you so much!

Good if your prof only assigns ODD problems
Doesn't help when you get even problems assigned to you; which you can't tell by the title.

just what i needed!
this is exactly what i needed for my pre-calc course. The book is not only in excellent condition but arrive promptly.

Precalculus Student Solutions Manual
As far as solution manuals go, this is a pretty lazy attempt. It skips the middle steps of the problems and barely gives any more information on the solution then the answers in the back of the text book.Given the cost of the book I feel ripped off.

Too many errors
Though many of the solutions are well done and made very clear to the student, there are a significant number of wrong answers, leading the student to hours of unnecessary analysis.The book is quite helpful, but the compilers must be quite unhappy about the number of wrong solutions. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (12)

Enchanting
I stumbled across this book, and caught puzzled by the very unusual subject:
the (true) story of an intimate friendship between a student and a teacher
who kept a lifelong correspondence. Unusual in all this is that rarely is "Life" itself the subject of the letters: the interaction being in fact based on mathematical problems that both student and teacher shared a passion for.

Mathematics appearing to the eyes of the most as a cold, emotionless subject, one may fear that the book itself comes out as a cold, emotionless collection of complicated formulas.

The contrary is true. I found in the book gems of magnificent humanity. Going through the pages, reading those mathematical letters one finds, here and there, delicate (and sometimes touchingly shy) personal remarks which in fact showed how much the writers cared for each other. Mathematics, it becomes soon apparent, is just a bond connecting two soul mates, and "teacher" and "student", perhaps, may be even more appropriately interpreted as "father" and "son".

Sappy with calculus on the side
I wanted to like this book alot more since I went to the same high school and know "Joff", the teacher but unfortunately this book is not very interesting unless you are a serious math person.It was a "Tuesdays with Morrie" wannabee with a whole bunch of calculus thrown in.

An Uninspiring Book
I am clearly in the minority, but this book did not inspire me at all. Simply put, it seems as though the author was writing a story that was not compelling in the least, not as a book of friendship, nor as a book of mathematics. It was a story that seemed forced -- that is, it was made out to be more that it really was.

To review, Strogatz had Joff as a teacher in high school, and was uninspired by him. Nevertheless, they corresponded a few letters over the next few years of mathematical content, discovering or rediscovering various mathematical proofs (these proofs form the bulk of the book). Then, for many decades, Strogatz all but ignored his teacher's letters, while he got married and set out on his own path as a mathematician. Later, with some remorse, he began to write back again, and then visited Joff in what seemed a rather uneventful visit. Strogatz concluded after that visit that after all these years, he finally realized what he has to thank Joff for--- that "he let me teach him".
This is a friendship?

I didn't find their friendship to be a meaningful one at all. The tone throughout the book by Strogatz was one of condescension toward his teacher - that he was not the mathematician that Strogatz had become. The author's ego made it a somewhat uncomfortable read -- we get it -- you are very smart.

Perhaps this level of friendship is one that some mathematicians would consider meaningful. I didn't find it inspiring in the least.

Much more movng than I expected
I wish I'd known earlier in the book that there would be references at the end to learn more about the math behind each problem.But the math is not really the point - it's mostly the author's growing realization of the influence his teacher had on him, over the long period of time covered in the book.

A good read
I enjoyed the exchange between the two "students" and the intervening narrative from the author. I ignored the math and formulas, however could appreciate their passion for the subject. ... Read more

Product Description
Textbook presents a modern view of calculus enhanced by the use of technology. Revised and updated edition includes examples and discussions that encourage students to think visually and numerically. DLC: Calculus. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

calculus and analytic geometry 7th edition
The book came in on time and was very quick arriving at my door.The book was in excellent condition. Inside there was blemishes but maybe it was my fault.
I felt in love with this book; that is why I bought it to replace the very old one.The mathematics was very elegant and the way they are conceived so impressed me.That is why I decided to buy it again.Overall, a beautiful book on mathematics.

Great Customer Service
The purchasing experience exeeded my expectations.The Sellers followed up to ensure that we were happy with the conditon of the purchase.Overall good experience.

satisfactory
The book I got was the correct one, but I didn't get it until about a week after the estimated ship date.The description said that the book was in like new condition, but when I got it the corners were slightly beat up, the pages were in good condition but I would classify it as either good or very good condition not like new

Excellent book (5th ed), I still own it and use it ...
I used this book for a University Honors Calculus class that I took as a senior in High School.As a math enthusiast (my dad was a Math Professor), and compared to other math books, I would say that the exposition in this book is very very good.The authors were from MIT and U-Illinois, respectively (the latter is where I took the honor calculus class), and at the time it was being used at both schools.

Some people have criticized this book as 'repetitive' and 'obvious' but I HEAVILY disagree.Calculus is a set of tools for approaching geometric problems.There are hundreds of tools in this book.My honors calculus professor had us working one sub-section of the book EVERY NIGHT, FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR.In that time, we finished the entire book.I worked 4 problems EVERY NIGHT, FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR.Later on, I attended MIT, and I was helping the freshmen in their calculus homeworks 5 years later FROM MEMORY!Meanwhile, the MIT students, who had less practice (one problem set per week) quickly forgot what they had learned!So I was helping the upperclassmen to remember their calculus, too !!

Calculus is the very last "bag of tricks" subject that is taught in most math curriculums.The theory behind integration and differentiation and other techniques are all there, in the Thomas and Finney book.The burden is on the reader to understand the theory, before they jump to the practicum.It's true that Thomas and Finney do not ask you to derive new theorems, but there is too much material to allow this in a 2-semester or 3-semester textbook.

I wonder how far people have gone after complaining that there was too much rote practice in this book.In my case, I enjoyed the book and completed a PhD in theoretical computer science.

---> Better Than Nothing <---
I am on the brink of completing Calc II. Between this book and 2 other calc textbooks that I have, Larson 7e, and Stewart 5e - ET, I finally made it through calculus. (Damn public school system.) There are topics in this book that my other 2 calc books have provided a much better explanation for. If the three authors were to collaborate they could possibly produce a rather fine Calculus textbook. ---- Ultimately, there is NO perfect textbook.

If you find that you are having difficulty understanding concepts in one textbook try finding an equal counterpart by a different author. It has helped me.

Read and learn all you can. Don't be a participant in the dumbing down process. ... Read more

Product Description

"A wonderful display of the use of mathematical probability to derive a large set of results from a small set of assumptions. In summary, this is a well-written text that treats the key classical models of finance through an applied probability approach....It should serve as an excellent introduction for anyone studying the mathematics of the classical theory of finance." --SIAM

Customer Reviews (28)

Simply the best for non-math-PhD people
Clear and illustrative.
Certainly can satisfy your eager to do math stuff as long as you are not a well trained professional mathematics PhD.

Good Price
Enjoyed finding the book I needed at a much cheaper price than the school bookstore!

Finally, a book that explains..
As one of my Math professors put it, "a mathematician will never ever dream of coming up with Black-Scholes formula". The key here is to understand why Fischer Black and Myron Scholes were forced to make the kind of assumptions they have made to price an option contract. The adapted processes, the sigma algebras and several such seemingly abstract concepts are hard to understand or even teach in one or two semesters. It seems the accepted pedagogical approach in teaching this subject has been to skim the surface and focus on the senseless derivation and application of this now infamous formula. You were told that somehow (magically) Black-Scholes works. You were also told to take many things on faith. But for those you who are not willing to surrender that easily, Steven Shreve can be your savior. The author meticulously proved everything. He explains (in amazingly concise format), the most basic ingredients of continuous time finance. There is undoubtedly a philosophical bent to the whole approach and that becomes apparent as you read the book.
The best part is that you could start almost anywhere and work your way backwards through easily navigable theorems and definitions. The notation is straightforward; however it does take some time to get used to.

Good and rigourous intro to financial maths
This is definitely one of the best introductory books on financial mathematics. The book starts to make sense after a summer course in discrete-time martingale course (using william's blue book). Shreve's book gives a general introduction to Brownian motion and Ito stochastic calculus. At the same time, he shows how to apply these theoreis into financial maths, equity or interest rate etc. If you want to learn financial mathematics at a relatively more rigourous level (yet still not too difficult), this is the book to read. If you want intuition and implementation, I strongly recommend Mark Joshi's concepts and practice of mathematical finance.

excellent book on quantitative finance
Nicely written. Shreve is the one of the best authors in mathematical writings(another one I like is milnor). Worth buying one. ... Read more

Product Description
Calculus teachers recognize Calculus as the leading resource among the "reform" projects that employ the rule of four and streamline the curriculum in order to deepen conceptual understanding. The fifth edition uses all strands of the "Rule of Four" - graphical, numeric, symbolic/algebraic, and verbal/applied presentations - to make concepts easier to understand. The book focuses on exploring fundamental ideas rather than comprehensive coverage of multiple similar cases that are not fundamentally unique. Calculus teachers will build on their understanding in the field and discover new ways to present concepts to their students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Does not include Wiley Plus
If you are looking for access to WileyPlus to be included with this book, do not purchase this item.
Even though the product description clearly states, "Readers will also gain access to WileyPLUS", they do not give you access.It does not say that Readers may also gain access for a fee.There is nothing in the listing of this book that says anything about purchasing WileyPlus separately.

Amazon will not stand by their product description.
In fairness to Amazon, they did offer to give me a refund.Since my son is at college now and needs the book, our options are limited and we will not be able to return it for a refund.

Since I can not count on Amazon to describe their products accurately, I have no other option than to look other places for products.

amazing
the quality was well beyond the price...and did I mention I got it like "new"?

the cover looks nice
I have a Ph.D. in math and teach at a college in California.I compared the Hughes-Hallett book with 7 other calculus books:Anton, Edwards, Larson, Rogawski, Smith, Stewart, Thomas.Here are some concerns with the Hughes-Hallett book.

This book is missing the following topics:reciprocal trigonometric functions (sec x, csc x, cot x), squeeze theorem, logarithmic differentiation, sketching graphs by hand by using derivatives, telescoping series, curvature, tangential and normal components of acceleration, line and surface integrals over scalar fields.All the other 7 books include these topics.

Six series tests are crammed into section 9.4.None of the other 7 books cram all six of these series tests into one section.

The Root Test for series is embedded into two homework problems.All of the other 7 books include the Root Test in a box within a section.

Planes (12.4) are discussed before talking about vectors (chapter 13).All the other 7 books discuss vectors first and then use vectors to develop planes.

Center of mass multiple integral formulas are embedded into the homework problems.All the other 7 books explain center of mass multiple integral formulas within a section.

The preface reads, "Students are expected to use their own judgment to determine where technology is useful."All the other 7 books make it clear when the students should use technology.

The preface reads, "There are very few examples in the text that are exactly like the homework problems.This means that you can't just look at a homework problem and search for a similar-looking `worked out' example."Many students learn calculus by seeing `worked out' examples.

Instructors:If you are considering adopting this book, then you've been warned.

Students:If you have to use this book, then go to class, do your homework, and good luck.

Hope this information helps.

Dr. Chuck

Calculus
The book does not give enough examples that a student can follow. Most likely the instructor has to do a good job of explaining steps.

good
ive hade 3 calculus books an this one is the worse, but the book did come in as ordered. ... Read more

Product Description
This streamlined version of ‘Thomas’ Calculus’ provides a faster-paced, precise and accurate presentation of calculus for a college-level calculus course. ‘University Calculus’ covers both single variable and multivariable calculus and is appropriate for a three semester or four quarter course. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

University Calculus Review
The book was in good condition and it had the online book code still inside! The shipping took a while, but it was still a satisfactory product.

Worst Calculus book ever!
I had to use this book for my classes and had to refer to another book [Calculus: Early Transcendentals] that explained so much better to understand the material. Even my math instructors hated this book and would not pick this book to teach but had no choice! In this book, there is hardly any explanation to help with the homework or even where the stuff came from. I feel so cheated and get really bittered whenever I have to crack open the lousy book or even look at it! I always keep my text books for reference; however, this is THE one book I would not hesistate to sell or even recycle.

Eh...
It presents all the content adequately but there is too much superfluous information in between that I could care less about.Needs to get to the point quicker and trim about 500 pages out of the book.I am not a mathlete and the book did a good job at reviewing/teaching me Calculs for my college math class.Good book just long winded.

Really? This is help??
I thought this book would be of help in my calculus II class, but because it has step-by-step solutions to only the odd-numbered problems, it wasn't much help at all. Although what is there is very straightforward and easy to understand, it would be ideal if the author would show all problems, or even a sample of each kind of problem. This is really no better than the back-of-the-book answers. Keep looking.

Great Book!
I chose this as the "used book". However, when I get it, it is almost totally new. I really like it. And the shipping speed is fast. ... Read more

Product Description
KEY BENEFIT: Thomas' Calculus Early Transcendentals Media Upgrade, Eleventh Edition, responds to the needs of today's readers by developing their conceptual understanding while strengthening their skills in algebra and trigonometry,two areas of knowledge vital to the mastery of calculus. This book offers a full range of exercises, a precise and conceptual presentation, and a new media package designed specifically to meet the needs of today's readers. The exercises gradually increase in difficulty, helping readers learn to generalize and apply the concepts. The refined table of contents introduces the exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions in Chapter 7 of the text.

KEY TOPICS: Functions, Limits and Continuity, Differentiation, Applications of Derivatives, Integration, Applications of Definite Integrals, Integrals and Transcendental Functions, Techniques of Integration, Further Applications of Integration, Conic Sections and Polar Coordinates, Infinite Sequences and Series, Vectors and the Geometry of Space, Vector-Valued Functions and Motion in Space, Partial Derivatives, Multiple Integrals, Integration in Vector Fields.

MARKET: For all readers interested in Calculus. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Good book to use for calculus.
This book is very easy to learn from, even if you're learning by yourself. The book is very thorough. Whenever I take a class I look at the reviews of the book I'm going to use. And I always notice that math and science texts have low average reviews. But then when I use the textbook, I usually like it a lot. Same thing here. I think that textbook average scores get dragged down by people that are just utterly frustrated with math. Thomas is a good book for a calc class, but it's not a Spivak or Apostol type of book, so make sure you know what you're looking for.

Good Quality, with few exceptions
The shipping was fast, and the book was in new condition when I got it.The only problem I have with it is that the adhesive in the spine of the book is really weak, in which pages can be easily pulled out of the book. The pages are also so thin that they are prone to tearing.I'm pretty sure this is just a design flaw in the book manufacturer's part, and not from this specific seller.Regardless, this was a great deal at the time, and a few pulled/ripped pages are far more pleasing than paying twice the price for the same book.

Great job and received fast
Seller did a great job on everything. I received the book fast and in the condition the seller had promised.I'm satisfied with the purchase

Good Stuff!
Well written book though sometimes the learning material would get ahead of itself and you would have to skip a chapter that was more difficult than the chapter after it.

This textbook is more for Math Majors
This textbook is great for those who are fluent in pre-calculus math and love challenging word problems.
But for me, Thomas Calculus gets too technical on their explanations and examples, making it hard to understand chapter concepts.
If you have the choice, pick "Calculus Early Transcendentals" by Howard Anton. I love this book!
Calculus Early Transcendentals Combined ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

You can do better than this...
This book seems tailored to the AP Calculus examination (the preface clearly states the content of the book reflects the AP philosophy), but it seems to be the equivalent of Calc I and II courses.

The explanations, as another reviewer mentioned, are practically nonexistent. Rather, this book relies essentially on a few meager examples to "explain" the methods of calculus with a few explanations of the examples. While this isn't horribly bad for all topics of calculus, I do believe some of the more difficult topics (for instance, Taylor and Maclaurin series) could have been explained better.

The exercises are variable for the most part. They range from the routine to the fairly challenging. There were some problems however, especially in the series section, that NOBODY in my AP Calculus BC class (even us with 750+ Math SAT scores and A's in the class) could solve. I understand that exercises are meant to challenge the student and make him/her make new and interesting connections, but the main problem is that this book doesn't even lay a foundation down for those connections to be made.

So I say to all potential self-studiers and teachers looking to pick out a textbook for their caluclus class to NOT buy this book. The equivalent to this book, "Calculus of a Single Variable: Early Transcendentals" by Stewart, is a much better book with better explanations, better exercises, and is just going to give a much better foundation in calculus to the diligent student.

I gave it 3 stars because I feel that it is "competent" and will probably work fine, but you can do better if you're going to hand over $100 for a textbook.

Hated it as a student, but it's a good book
I used this textbook when I took AP Calculus. I recall not liking it very much -- my mathematics preparation was poor, and I struggled to understand the precise statements of definitions and theorems. It didn't help that at the time I was only concerned with what would be on the AP exam, naively believing that a 5 on the AP course represented mastery of an equivalent college course.

Revisiting this book years later, having taken college math classes where it's sink or swim -- and you sink if you don't read the textbook -- I appreciate this book a lot more. It is fairly rigorous but never too much so, and there are plenty of practice problems and examples. My only regret is not actually reading this book when I was in high school. Like many calculus students, I went into the AP exam very skilled at doing AP problems, but I didn't truly understand calculus. I could compute integrals or solve related rates problems with the best of them, but I wouldn't stand a chance if anyone were to press me on my foundations (luckily, the AP Calc exam didn't). It didn't help that my teacher knew very little calculus himself and let theory fall by the wayside in favor of computation. I hope that current AP Calculus students learn from my mistake and take things like the Mean Value Theorem and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus seriously -- this book proves these theorems carefully, but it's all too easy to skip the proofs and jump to the examples.

I was not alone in finding this book difficult to read as a high school student -- my classmates then and my students now have expressed similar opinions. However, this text is much more informal and accessible than any mathematics text I used in college. Being able to read technical exposition on one's own is probably the most important preparation one can have for college, and the exposition in this textbook is fairly user friendly. Students will struggle at first if they, like me, are accustomed to being spoonfed formulas by their math teachers. Nonetheless, this book is accessible enough that a mature high school student who is not used to reading math textbooks CAN pick up the skill by reading it carefully.

As much as I find the explanations in this textbook perfectly clear now, I realize that it is easy to find something clear when you already understand it. I can sympathize with the high schooler who is seeing power series for the first time and trying to understand the terse explanations and notational subtleties in this text. Some of the concepts are crudely explained, and the book gets too carried away with graphical arguments at times. The ridiculous number of "try graphing this to see..." investigations come at the cost of additional examples and clarifications for students who actually want to use the text as a reference. I also don't understand why certain homework problems are marked as "Work in groups of two or three" when they seem no more conducive to groupwork than other problems.

The quality and depth of the coverage of topics vacillates. Ch. 1 reviews relevant algebra and pre-calculus topics, and is well-suited for summer work. Limits in Ch. 2 is treated exceptionally poorly -- the book provides the standard theorems about limits, but it fails to discuss any techniques for evaluating limits that are computationally useful. The limits in the exercises can be evaluated by direct substitution! Where, then, are students supposed to learn that you can cancel common factors in the numerator and denominator when evaluating limits -- a technique that is imperative for computing a derivative from the definition?

Chapters 3 and 4 do a great job of introducing the student to derivatives and then their applications, and Ch. 5 is an excellent treatment of the theory behind the Riemann integral. Ch. 6, however, is where it begins to fall apart. The chapter is titled "Differential Equations and Mathematical Modeling," but its sections include "Integration by Substitution" and "Integration by Parts," which don't seem particularly relevant to differential equations -- or mathematical modeling, for that matter. I would have preferred that these techniques of integration be grouped with the others, such as partial fractions and trig substitution, which somehow ended up in Chapter 8. Ch. 8 is another oddball -- what exactly is the unifying element of a chapter entitled "L'Hopital's Rule, Improper Integrals, and Partial Fractions"? It's almost as if the authors realized at the last minute that they forgot to cover these three topics and threw them into one chapter.

I am nitpicking, and really, I do quite like this book. It doesn't try to dumb down the math like some recent calculus textbooks (I especially like the appendix on epsilon-deltas!), and the exposition is quite clear. Nonetheless, this book would be much improved if it abandoned the gimmicks, stuck to the math, and presented the material in a more methodical fashion.

The Reason People Think Calculus Is "Hard"
Calculus is far from difficult. It's different, but not difficult. In an attempt to be terse, this book loses all of the things essential to getting a student to understand calculus: good examples, explanations, and a logical progression of difficulty. There are many ways to explain a mathematical concept, but you're lucky if you get a single coherent one out of this book. It needs to be supplemented so much -- to the point of it being just plain useless. I'm all for lighter, briefer textbooks, but not when brevity impedes on quality. It's sufficient for getting a student to pass the AP exam, in some cases, but that's not the goal. The goal is for students to understand calculus and, more importantly, better understand mathematics as a whole.

The bane of my existence
I am currently a senior in high school working my way through this book for my AB Calculus class. All I can say is that this is the crappiest textbook I've ever come across in my life, and I mean it. The concepts are presented poorly with very few examples. The examples that they do give are hard to follow and often times will not help you with the problems you will soon encounter. As life would have it, my math teacher is of no help either, which only makes things worse. If you know you will have this textbook for Calc beforehand,heed my warnings and learn from a different book if you can. Save yourself from this nightmare that will haunt you for the rest of your life.

A Great Book For Its Purpose
I am currently a senior in High School, and I am in Advanced Placement Calculus.The textbook we use is the next edition of this text, but the textbooks are pratically identical, so i decided to comment here.This text is designed to be an introductary text.Introductary texts teach you concepts that you should be able to understand how to use.A lot of these concepts are too advanced to be explained in an introductary course, so they are omitted from the text.Learning math is just like learning anything else.You must first learn how to do it, and then you must learn why you do it.This text tells you what to do with minimal explations because long explainations make readers lose attention and the why would be gone anyway.One other thing that this book does is it gives previews into the next section.Obviously, concepts build upon one another, so some of the problems in the exercises are designed to try and make you think outside the box and get a glimpse into the next section. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is a response to those instructors who feel that calculus textbooks are too big. In writing the book James Stewart asked himself:What is essential for a three-semester calculus course for scientists and engineers? Stewart's ESSENTIAL CALCULUS: EARLY TRANSCENDENTALS offers a concise approach to teaching calculus, focusing on major concepts and supporting those with precise definitions, patient explanations, and carefully graded problems. ESSENTIAL CALCULUS: EARLY TRANSCENDENTALS is only 850 pages-two-thirds the size of Stewart's other calculus texts (CALCULUS, Fifth Edition and CALCULUS, EARLY TRANSCENDENTALS, Fifth Edition)-yet it contains almost all of the same topics. The author achieved this relative brevity mainly by condensing the exposition and by putting some of the features on the website www.StewartCalculus.com. Despite the reduced size of the book, there is still a modern flavor: Conceptual understanding and technology are not neglected, though they are not as prominent as in Stewart's other books. ESSENTIAL CALCULUS: EARLY TRANSCENDENTALS has been written with the same attention to detail, eye for innovation, and meticulous accuracy that have made Stewart's textbooks the best-selling calculus texts in the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Compact
Yes, this is as it says, a more compact version of lengthier calculus books.But, because of the shorter length, which gives it the appearance of a basic normal (of a single variable) calculus book, it is more intense.This book is not for the meek, this book requires one to have an intrepid and dauntless mind as you pour your heart and soul into solving every ominous problem.But overall, well written and well designed.Cheers Stuart, cheers!

Compliments
Despite it is used, this book is really helpful for me in class. Thanks to the seller for marking some important details.

i'm keeping this one
my first calc book was the Ron Larson book (ca 1999), and it's a bit more descriptive in examples here and there, but otherwise there's little difference in the approaches to teaching the material.some of the sections do choose terribly simple examples, but this is basically a condensed text.i got a lot of good knowledge from this book and now that i think about it, i'd rather use this one.hey, at least it's less weight to carry around (paperback intl edition ftw)

if you'd asked me in the middle of chapter 13, i might have had a different opinion.my advice is this: if you need this book for a class and you want some help, get the student solutions manual.this makes up for anything this text lacks... and you can leave it behind when you don't need it!

Calc. book a great deal
Seller had a great description.Item arrived as described in a very timely manner.Bundling the SSM with the text was a great thing and it's been really helpful for me!

Great examples, useful reference sheets
This book was required for my Calculus II course, and would also be used for Calc I (if I had taken it), as well as Calc III.

So far, around 1/3 of the way through the semester, I have found the book to be very helpful.Whenever I had questions about some of the material, I found it was more useful to refer to the book, than my notes.There are 5 tear out reference sheets found in the front/back, which are great for referring back to.Unfortunately, since they are tear-out, this means that if you want them you'll have to buy the book new.It was worth it to me since there were also three classes that would use it.

The formatting of the book is excellent, making it easy to see which points are key, and find formula's when you're simply skimming.I highly recommend this book.It loses the 1 star because the reference sheets are tear-out. ... Read more

Product Description
Both Calculus AB and Calculus BC are covered in this comprehensive AP test preparation manual. Prospective test takers will find fourpractice exams in Calculus AB and four more in Calculus BC, with all questions answered and solutions explained. The manual also provides a detailed 10-chapter review covering topics for both exams. The enclosed CD-ROM presents two additional practice tests, one in Calculus AB, and the other in Calculus BC. Tests on the CD-ROM come with solutions explained and automatic scoring of the multiple-choice questions. The authors also offer an overview of the AP Calculus exams, which includes advice to students on making best use of their graphing calculators. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A 'must' for any preparing for the AP Calculus exam
The latest review tests - some eight full-length AP practice exams in all for Calculus AB and Calculus BC - offers the latest subjects and test topics and includes two full-length practice tests on CD-ROM. This does more than provide test structures: it offers extensive subject reviews of all test topics and calculus applications, making this a 'must' for any preparing for the AP Calculus exam.

This book will take you into the weeds
Having performed well in calculus at an Ivy League school a few years ago, I purchased this book to brush up on my math and am sorely disappointed.I think the majority of the practice problems are too difficult and are just taking me into the weeds.Yes, difficult problems can be nice to know how to solve, but only AFTER you've mastered the basics.I got the basics in college and am NOT getting them from this book.

If you have some free time and want to practice more advanced problems, this book may be for you.But if you want to focus your studies on practicing problems that reinforce the basic concepts of calculus, don't waste your precious time or money with this one.

Good Product
Ths is a good product.The CD is nice to help you with a practice test.This is the book that my teacher recomends.This is a good resource to help a studet prepare for the AP Calculus exam.

calc AB student
This book has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it has an incredible amount of practice problems (organized by chapter) and is well organized in that topics and practice problems specified for "just BC students" are well marked(However, arc length is on the AB syllabus, not just BC as this book says it is). The book also provides four practice tests for both AB and BC, more than you will find in any other Calculus prep book.

However, many of the practice problems found in the "end of the chapter practice problems," as well as in the practice tests, are not representative of questions that have come up on previous AP exams. In my AP Calc class, we did every college board released multiple choice section since 1978 as well as every free-response question given in the past 10 or so years. Though the practice tests given in this book are okay, and will provide good practice, it is evident Barrons did not do enough research into the AP Calculus exams themselves. Many of the problems (though not all), are either too difficult, or simply too different from questions that you will actually encounter on the AP test to be very helpful.

I gave this book three stars because it CAN be helpful if used as extra practice-- as a supplement to any in-class preparation. However, I strongly discourage purchase of this book if you 1. don't have a good foundation for most of the calculus topics or 2. aim to self-study for the exam. As already noted in previous reviews of Barrons AP Calc prep books, their subject review is hard to understand, muddled with confusing language-- Barrons simply makes no attempt to simplify their explainations. Furthermore, their "answers explained" sections at the end of practice problem sections and practice tests are short, often only one sentence long, rendering them useless most of the time.

The last complaint I have for this book is that Barrons provides no "AP scoring chart" for you to self grade and find your corresponding AP grade (1-5) at the end of a test. Granted, the other calc prep books I've looked at don't either, but it's an annoyance to not know where you stand after taking a practice test for 3 hours.

For those looking for better topic review, I would try Peterson's "Master the AP Calculus AB and BC" book. I hear the authors review is simplified and easier to understand for someone not so familiar with the material. For those who are familiar with the material and who want extra practice, this book isn't half bad, it is well organized and has unlimited practice problems--just don't get scared off by some of the tougher problems. The best practice, however, is past AP exams. Ask your teacher/school if they have any of them; if not, they're available on collegeboard. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (46)

Horrible exercises
I rarely ever find myself making reviews for any textbook of any sort unless I truly think that the textbook is horrible. Now while I do like the cover art the example diagrams and the historical aspect integrated into the book there is one huge drawback that I would like to mention.

The exercises are horrible!!

I find myself coming up on answers that are such ugly fractions with ugly algebra integrated into them that you spend most of your time juggling the algebra rather than doing what you're supposed to be doing in vector calculus course which is of course learning calculus. I have taken the full entirety of vector calculus and I had to retake the second semester again with this book (seeing as how UC's don't give you credit for the second semester.) After the first three homework sections I am convinced that this book has problems that were not very well chosen whatsoever. My previous book (early transcendentals stewart 6e) was brilliant compared to this one. When you find that even your own graphing calculator does not have the power to create a fraction for a sum of really horrible looking fraction you realize how terrible this book is. That being said I don't recommend this book to learn unless you only set up the integrals without integrating. Rarely am I dissatisfied with mathematics (for such a beautiful language it is) to the point where I write a review. Look elsewhere my fellow mathematicians, engineers, and physical science students.

horrible horrible horrible
This book is horrible.The example problems don't match with the practice problems, and the way they were written was simply hard to understand.

It might be a good book for those who have plenty of experience in vector calc, but not for people, such as myself, who are relatively new to this field.

are you using this book in multivariable calculus?
as the topic says, "are you using this book in multi-variable calculus?". I've heard heavy complaint from those who have. Myself on the other hand used it for a 400 level "Advanced Calculus" course whose prerequisites is multi-variable calculus. We finished the entire book in 15 weeks.

Since this book introduces Vectors from scratch, we ended up re-learning vectors, gradients, double integral, triple integral, path integral, line intergral, stokes, divergence...essentially most of what we learned in multi-variable.

One would think this would be piece of cake. Well not exactly. Despite having previous knowledge on most stuff in the book, we found it hard to follow (by 'we' i mean my classmates and myself). Not only that the exercise were terrible. Some of them were over-stretchy in terms of calculations while most ended up being straight forward questions.

---

I bought Vector Calculus Study Guide & Solutions Manual to accompany this book. The solution manual summarizes each sections and provides solutions to selected (those that numbered in red in the book) problems. It isn't great but you'll benefit from it for sure.

Another thing that you'll benefit from is an easy to understand multivariable book. I've used Calculus (you can just get the multivariable part Multivariable Calculus (Paper)). It is from the same publisher, goes over pretty much the same stuff...and it 10x easier to understand. I would recommend it. I'll also throw out Stewart's name, i haven't used his Calculus book but from what i've heard of it's decent.

Poorly written
Book isn't very well written, but pretty. Doesn't explain vector calculus very well, but unfortunately it was required for my course. I would recommend buying a different book if you have an option, I have heard that Multivariable Calculus (Stewart's Calculus Series) or Multivariable Calculus: Early Transcendentals (Stewart's Calculus Series) is really good. Not sure what the difference is between the two though...

A Fair Review, a Text Not For Everyone
Having read some of the reviews written here, I feel compelled to write some brief comments on Marsden's text. If you're the kind of math student who has always learned through repetition of techniques presented by a teacher or professor in non-mathematical language (I'd say this is the majority of non-math major undergraduates), this textbook is a bad choice. Marsden's approach is relatively simple, providing ample explanations that are concise and clear for any individual well-adjusted to "reading Math"... by that, I mean a student who is fluent in mathematical notations and in comprehending proofs. For example, test yourself (here's an actual quotation from the text, taken from the discussion on limits and continuity):

Definition, Open Sets: "Let U be a subset of R^n, we call U an open set for every point x in U there exists some r > 0 such that D(x) is contained within U." [in that sense, we might imagine the open set U to be the open disk or ball of radius r and center x denoted by D(x)]

Now, this is a simple concept; but if you find yourself struggling to understand this definition in a superficial way, you might have some problems with Marsden's text. This is the kind of language that is used throughout the text--its rather bourgeois when compared to other multivariable calculus texts (another reviewer makes the comment that Marsden's text is the self-proclaimed 'aristocrat' of Calculus III texts--I find such a comment quite fitting). If you are one of those struggling individuals that nevertheless decides to use this text, here's some advice:

(1) First, read the introductory section on prerequisites and notation--put some time into understanding how to read math and believe me, it will pay off in a big way.

(2) You have to think of this text as all or nothing. If you don't use it, fine; if you do, YOU MUST rely on the text throughout the entire course, i.e. read everything (except perhaps for the historical information)... this is critical because by reading all the chapters and sections, you'll find that you'll begin to develop an ability to read the text efficiently, i.e. your math-reading skills will increase dramatically. If instead, you choose to rely on your class notes and turn to this book when you need clarification, you won't find it simply because you won't understand what you're reading.

(3) This is obvious: work all example problems as you read the text. I've found the examples to be easier than those in the exercises (other reviewers have made this observation as well), but with some help from your TA (or novel thinking on your part), you should never feel lost in attempting to solve these problems (given that you've invested the time to really understand those examples).

(4) If you have experience in Linear Algebra, you're in a much stronger position to succeed with the text. Even though Marsden introduces the topics you'll need, obviously, the experience can only help you.

(5) In difference to the common opinion, Calculus III is actually an easy course--only right up until the end (chapters 7 & 8), does the material become much more difficult. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the most poorly written chapters in the text are chapters 7 and 8. So, a word of advice: if you find yourself coasting throughout the course, be aware that the material gets harder--and be prepared for that dramatic change in difficulty. Though Marsden 'gets the job done' in explaining the material, for all students, I'd recommend thinking about a supplement text for these 2 chapters (or very good class notes; one learns chapters 7 & 8 by working through example problem after example problem).

(6) Buy (or better yet go to your college's library and find) the student solutions manual! Assign yourself problems to practice before tests; as with all quantitative and physical science courses, one learns by solving problems, bottom line.

In summary, Marsden is a good text; its simple for the trained math reader (by that, I don't mean only professors!), but very very difficult to inexperienced students. It's not light reading, and it's going to challenge you; but for those that put in the time, you'll find that the book is very logical and well-organized in its presentation of the material. ... Read more

Product Description
We take great notes–and make learning a snap

When it comes to pinpointing the stuff you really need to know, nobody does it better than CliffsNotes. This fast, effective tutorial helps you master core Calculus concepts–from functions, limits, and derivatives to differentials, integration, and definite integrals– and get the best possible grade.

At CliffsNotes, we’re dedicated to helping you do your best, no matter how challenging the subject. Our authors are veteran teachers and talented writers who know how to cut to the chase– and zero in on the essential information you need to succeed.

Make the grade with CliffsQuickReviews

CliffsQuickReviews are available for more than 30 introductory level courses. See inside for a complete listing of these and other bestselling Cliffs titles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great primer, supplement, and refresher for calculus
Having completed the standard three semesters of calculus as a teenager, many years ago, I periodically need a refresher, and this book was perfect. However, it only reviews the basic calculus normally covered in the first semester of calculus, and part of the second semester. Topics, for example, which are not covered in this book include: sequences and series, parametric equations and polar coordinates, vectors and spatial geometry, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, and vector calculus. However, this book is a nice refresher that can be completed in a short period of time.

Because it covers the essentials, you don't have to spend more time covering topics than necessary to grasp the tools and concepts. I worked all the problems at the end of each chapter, and at the end of the book. I felt that the number of problems was just right: not too few and not too many. Answers are provided. There is an appendix that briefly revisits some examples given in the book, to show how your graphing calculator help you out with these problems. If you read all of the chapters in this book, I definitely recommend that you also read this review of graphing calculators in the appendix. The technology enhances one's study of mathematics tremendously.

For students entering calculus, I think this book is valuable as both a primer and a course supplement. If you only need the first semester of calculus, then this book covers all of the basics. However, you will need a textbook for thorough and in-depth coverage, as well as ample problem sets, to become proficient in the subject. After you've had one semester of calculus, then this book serves as a handy reference.

This book is not without some occasional errors, which are usually in the answers to problems. This is unfortunate for the new student unable to recognize these errors. There is no errata page published on the CliffsNotes website. Of the 42 review questions at the end of the book, the answers provided to six of these questions say, "Provide your own answer." Although these are critical thinking and proof questions, it is still annoying that an extra half-page, or less, wasn't included to provide solutions to these problems.

Good little book
I didn't purchase my Calculus text book, but I did get this. This is way cheaper and covered pretty much all the material I needed. I did find myself using online resources a little, but this book explains the concepts well and provides good practice problems. Well worth it. There's also a free version online at the Cliffs Notes website.

Useful only if you are reviewing for an examination of "plug and chug" differentiation and integration problems
Unless you are preparing to take a calculus exam consisting of a series of basic differentiation and integration problems, then I really don't see any use for this book. The reviews of what differentiation and integration really are have no depth to them, so those sections are of limited use in bringing you back up to speed in calculus.
This makes the book almost totally a collection of sections of the form:

Here is a type of mathematical expression and this is how we differentiate (integrate) it, with some examples.

One of my college math professors referred to these problems as "plug and chug", where you simply execute the rules without having any real understanding of the concept. Therefore, if you are trying to refresh your understanding of calculus, then this book will be of little value.

Unhelpful
I purchased this book because I had a good experience with both the Algebra and Algebra II Quick Review.This book, however has not helped me one bit.It's worse than using the textbook to learn!
The formulas it gives are too complicated and it doesn't even give you any shortcut techniques.I do not recommend this book to anyone who needs supplementary instruction in Calculus.

Great supplement for Calc!
I used this book as a supplement to Calculus I and II courses. Cliffs breaks down limits, derivatives and integration in a very simple way.You don't have to be a "math nerd" to grasp this book. During calculus lectures I would reference the book in class to make sure I understood the professor. There were even a few times when the professor asked to use my Cliffs in class because he knew the book had great examples. Needless to say I got an A in the course. Now as a senior electrical engineering student, I still use it if I need to reference stuff that I forgot.

Just a warning though, if you want to be good in calculus don't just read the Cliffs and your textbook. Dig into the text or cliffs and work a ton of problems (beyond just the assigned homework) and you will pass the course. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by acclaimed author and mathematician George Simmons, this revision is designed for the calculus course offered in two and four year colleges and universities.It takes an intuitive approach to calculus and focuses on the application of methods to real-world problems.Throughout the text, calculus is treated as a problem solving science of immense capability. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Calculus with Analytic Geometry
I am a Chemistry and Mathematics major at Marian University.This book is the most readable way to learn calculus on your own.The author makes the information in calculus fun and exciting by adding in interesting scenarios by way of examples as well as history.This is a great book and I highly recommend anyone who is trying to learn calculus formally or informally.Absolutely the best reading math textbook I have ever encountered.

Perfect Review for Graduate Study
I am using this book to review calculus in preparation for graduate study in physics after several years out of academic study.Simmons is not only easy to follow, but also sufficiently rigorous for all but the most esoteric purposes.I have really been enjoying the brief but fascinating notes on some of the important figures in the history of calculus (Newton, Leibniz, Riemann, Fermat etc.), whom every science student should be familiar with.

The problems at the end of each section range from easy to difficult, and cover all newly introduced material as well as tying in previously covered material.I recommend buying the solutions manual which gives step-by-step solutions to all the odd-numbered problems.

Precise, Accurate, Elegant and Flowing
I own all of Professor Simmons' books not only for their mathematical clarity and incredible instructiveness, but because his books are, in addition, the most interesting books I have read from a literary viewpoint. They are a complete joy to own and to read over and over.

With reference to his Calculus text, it is clearly the best on the market. If you are in search of a deep understanding of the principles and applicability of this subject, then Dr. Simmons' text is the book to buy and own.
Bottom line.

Pathos.Tension.
This book will have you on the edge of your seat, from the first linear approximation to the last double integral.It's better than sex (well... maybe not)

change your life with this book
I originally learned calculus at OU with james stewart 4th edition, but came to this book through the MIT open courseware readings.I love this book and can't understand why math departments everywhere aren't using this as their text.Simmons' strategy for writing about calculus is unique, and in my opinion the best.He gives quite a bit of history and ties it into physics and the other sciences giving the reader a broad perspective on why the hell it matters and how it came to be.At most state unis, calculus is probably more plug and chug, but if you want a better source of material to supplement your class, buy this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This new edition preserves the author's highly regarded approach to technical math, while enhancing the integration of technology in the text.  A fully developed MyMathLab program that may be packaged with every text, providing students with unlimited practice, guided instruction, and video worked examples for every section of the textbook. New exercises add variety of learning opportunities for students,providing students with a greater variety of exercises. There is coverage of the advanced graphing calculator (T189), primarily for use in the calculus chapters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

The only thing this book has taught me is how short my fuse is
This has to be the worst math book I've ever used.The examples are terrible and very few and far between, and the ones that are there are worded in the most convoluted manner possible.I'm not a math whiz, if I was I wouldn't be using this book to begin with.It's been nothing but frustrating trying to do the exercises at the end of each section as most of them are nothing like the examples shown, and you have to "read between the lines" to try and understand it.I think if you're the type that understands math very well along with a very good understanding of the terminology it may be a decent book, but if you're trying to actually learn this stuff you have my sympathy.

thought 8th edition was bad - 9th is worse.
I absolutly hate this book.Does not give good explainations - hard to follow - I actually had to buy other books to explain the concepts in this one to do the homework problems.

Unbelievably bad text book
This textbook launches right into it, with no real introduction to relevant mathematics. It begins with differentiation of boring terms like real, imaginary, irrational and rational numbers. The student, unless already an accomplished mathematician with no need for this book, is overwhelmed with complex terms and definitions. It's like a mathematician wrote this book. Ideally, a person with skill at translating these convoluted terms of math should be writing the text portion, but it seems as though that's not the case here. The chaos continues into the exercise portion of the book, which hosts problems such as:

"In an electric circuit, the reciprocal of the total capacitance of two capacitors in series is the sum of the reciprocals of the capacitance. Find the total capacitance of two capacitances of 0.0040 F and 0.0010 F connected in series."

and...

29. "If a and b are positive integers and b is greater than a, what type of number is represented by the following?"

**(a) b-a *************(b) a-b*********(c) b-a/b+a (fraction w/o horizontal bar)***

the answers in the back of the book state that: (a) is positive, (b) is negative, and (c) is "a positive rational number less than 1"

All the problem (#29) states is that a and b are both positive, so how can value be attributed to them when no value is given? Unbelievable...

Anyway, if you are forced to get this awful textbook then you might want to point out the seemingly infinite discrepancies therein to your teacher/professor. For me, I believe that this textbook is going to keep me from doing the best I can do since it confuses and frustrates me. I hope you (student) aren't required to use this 1000+ page muddling paperweight. Good luck if you are.

Tech Math by Washington
Standard technical institute math book covering everything from (very) basic algebra to basic calculus and differential equations.We used it at Greenville (SC) Technical College for several quarters in the engineering technologies as part of the core curricula.

Also used it for a semester at Clemson for an applied math course in the BSET program in addition to the obligatory 2 semesters of calculus.Covering this whole book in a semester was, shall we say, an adventure.

Suggestion - shop Amazon's new/used department for a discount seller.The retail price on this book demonstrates the phrase "sticker shock".

Not much for the money...
If you are a math major or natural math whiz this may be a decent book, but having been out of school for years and having to really work at math this book is pure misery to depend on to learn math. Very few examples and the explanations are unclear and lacking details. Its to bad the schools cannot come up with a better textbook than this. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed for the three-semester engineering calculus course, Calculus: Early Transcendental Functions, 4/e, continues to offer instructors and students innovative teaching and learning resources. Two primary objectives guided the authors in the revision of this book: to develop precise, readable materials for students that clearly define and demonstrate concepts and rules of calculus; and to design comprehensive teaching resources for instructors that employ proven pedagogical techniques and save time. The Larson/Hostetler/Edwards Calculus program offers a solution to address the needs of any calculus course and any level of calculus student. Every edition from the first to the fourth of Calculus: Early Transcendental Functions, 4/e has made the mastery of traditional calculus skills a priority, while embracing the best features of new technology and, when appropriate, calculus reform ideas. Now, the Fourth Edition is part of the first calculus program to offer algorithmic homework and testing created in Maple so that answers can be evaluated with complete mathematical accuracy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

AWESOME SELLER! & great price & seller not a fibber!
The book came as it was described on the description post. Great deal and thank you.Will be doing business w/this seller again, if they have what I need.Shipping was great as Labor Day Holiday was here...and still the book came.Thanks and awesome seller....as the seller didn't...Fib!Great price also...!!!!!!

Textbook
Fast shipping and book was as described. Used the book for Multivariable calculus. As a visual learner it had detailed pictures to better understand what area we were computing for triple integrals and such. Does a good job with the examples and homework problems.

Calc book

Appreciate on-time delivery and book was in good shape. Price was too high for a used book.

Very good!
The book is in excellent condition for the price I payed for it. It looks almost new.

Good quality
The book is in great shape but shipping took a little bit longer than expected. Overall very happy with what I got for the price I got it at. Luckily my class is demoing a new book free of charge, or I would have been out of a book for the first two weeks of class. ... Read more

Product Description
A focused review to help you score high and earn college credit. This hard-hitting guide features:

• Helpful test-taking strategies
• Focus sections on specific topic areas, including precalculus, limits and continuity, derivatives, and integrals
• Sample multiple choice and free-response questions
• A discussion of calculators to use during the exam, including which are the best types

Customer Reviews (9)

Poor Practice Exams
The practice tests don't mimick the actual AP exam.After looking at some questions on their practice test, I had to turn back and look at the cover of the book--I thought that I was looking at some sort of pre-calculus book.

For example, one multiple-choice question (on the practice exam) asks you to complete the double-angle formula for sine(2x).How ridiculous!Such a question would never be on the AP exam.

Another multiple-choice question asks for the interval over which ln(x+3) is nonnegative;Again, another question which is highly unlikely to appear on the AP exam because it's a simple pre-calculus question.

okay
basically what most of the other reviewers said. this calc prep book is too easy for the ap tests that are now being administered. there are quite a few typos which makes everything a little more confusing. the lessons are okay, but only if you want to review or clear up a fuzzy area. i dont think you can learn calc from this book. what's helpful though is that in the back there are these english-to-calculus translations that are great to memorize and help tremendously for the test. but other than that, look elsewhere for an outstanding calc book.

Fallsshort of the mark ...
Let me preface this by saying that I spent the last year helping my daughter self-study for the AP Calculus Exam given in May 2007.I bought 4 AP Calculus review guides, 2 textbooks, and looked up the openly available free response questions from the actual tests for the last 7 years. Unfortunately, I agree with the more recent reviews that this guide is inadequate.My overall impression was that Cliffs wanted to expand into other "study" areas besides their well-known CLiffs Notes in literature booklets and put this book together for such a purpose.

The book is filled with typographical errors which are annoying.More over, the book is just too easy.Anyone who has looked at the actual free response questions given on either the AB or BC tests will quickly realize the inadequacy of this book.

The AP test is no longer one in which simple differentiation and integration will carry the day.You need to knowhow to use your calculator to solve problems, clearly understand the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and its applications, be able to read graphs and determine their properties as they relate to calculus, and be able to use data tables in solving problems.This book does none of these adequately.

Not at all reliable
I used this book both for Calculus BC and AB, last year, mostly to review for the AP tests.The sections explaining various concepts were marginally helpful but not especially easy to follow.However, the most severe disappointment was the practice problems and tests - what for me should have been the real purpose of the study guide.Both the questions and answers were FULL of typos, so much so that I don't know how this book got published, and I could never tell if I was actually doing the right thing because the book would be wrong.Also, the practice tests were way too easy, and mostly different types of questions than are on the real AP (which I took this morning).You'd do much better off looking at past AP tests, which are accessible online for free.

In response to one of the reviews.
One of the review said that Calculus is "Algebra 1" of Advanced Mathematics, which is blatantly incorrect. Calculus and Algebra are two distinctly seperate branches of mathematics although they may involve the use of each other. Also it is rather correct to call calculus a baby Analysis; more correct way to call high school AP Calculus is Calculus without proofs - calculus without substance. ... Read more