Product Description
Be Prepared for the AP Calculus Exam is your indispensable guide to scoring well on either the AB or BC AP Calculus.This book features an outstanding team of authors and practice exam contributors: veteran AP Calculus teachers who have served on the AP Calculus Test Development Committee and are College Board consultants, exam grading leaders, and AP award recipients.The book expands Skylight's Be Prepared series, and it is crafted with the same care, attention to detail, and respect for the student as our Be Prepared for the AP Computer Science Exam, which has helped many thousands of students get a good grade on AP exams in that subject.

A serious introductory chapter describes the exam format and requirements and offers important tips for successful exam taking.Eight review chapters thoroughly cover all of the AB and BC material.Embedded in these chapters are 200+ multiple choice and free response questions with solutions that show you effective strategies and shortcuts.Five complete practice exams with answers and solutions (three AB and two BC exams) will give you plenty of practice material and help you decide whether to take the AB or BC exam.This book's companion web site contains annotated solutions to free-response questions from past AP exams.

Whether you sit in the front row, the back row, or anywhere in between, Be Prepared will help you focus on the AP Calculus exam requirements, review the material, and fill the gaps in your knowledge.Review, practice, and take the AP Calculus exam with confidence, knowing that you are well prepared. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Good compact review, but weak on practice problems with fully-worked solutions
This book focuses on the subset of first year calculus topics needed for the AP exams, and it provides comprehensive coverage of those topics. It also includes an Appendix on the use of TI calculator models 83, 84, 86, and 89. A graphing calculator (only certain models are allowed) is now required for the AP Calculus exams.Compared to other preparation texts covering similar AP calculus topics, this book is relatively short, running less than 400 pages.

This brevity is achieved primarily in two ways, one is by providing explanations that are quite concise. Those with solid calculus backgrounds will appreciate this brevity, particularly if they need a text for a final quick review before the AP exams. Others will likely find themselves wanting more detailed explanations and solved problem exemplars.

The second way concerns problem sets. There is a relative dearth of problems with fully detailed solutions, compared to other AP preparation texts, e.g., "Cracking the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams, 2009 Edition" which at 870 pages is over double the size of this text.

Its major weakness is that many of the "fully worked" problems skip important steps. As an example, in problem 24, page 103, the derivative of tan (theta), although a required step in the solution process, is not presented. The geometric/trigonometric steps required to obtain its value in this problem are also skipped. Only the problem-specific value is given in an equation leading to the solution.

The introductory chapter on "Exam Format, Grading, and Tips", although short, is quite helpful. Another useful feature is the occasional aside that explains, for the example presented, the common mistakes that are often made in solving problems of a similar type.

As with some other calculus and AP calculus preparation books, there are errors of omission in word problems involving dimensions. For these problems the authors use 'pure numbers' during the problem solution phase, leaving off dimensions until the final solution. This means there is no check that the final dimensions make sense, or that the problem is solved correctly. The use of pure dimensionless numbers can make work 'cleaner', but it may also mask wrong answers, and it always means that an additional check on the validity of a solution is missing.

In summary: No single preparation text will satisfy all readers. If your calculus background is relatively solid and you need a concise review book this is a reasonable choice.Although the price appears inappropriately high considering the book's relative size, and competitive publishers' discount pricing.If you need more detailed explanations, or lots of practice problem sets with fully-worked solutions, other more substantial AP preparation texts, such as "Cracking the AP Calculus..." mentioned above, will likely prove a better value.

AP Calculus Review
Be Prepared for the AP Calculus Exam

An excellent, superb document. Someone, diligently using this text can only "ACE" the exam.

Excellent!!
This is an excellent resource for teachers and students to use throughout an AP Calculus course.Well-written, free from error, and well-priced!Invaluable.

The Best AP Calculus Review Book
This review book goes over everything you need to know for the AP Exam. It is easy to read and describes everything you need to know, step by step. It provides questions after every chapter with full answers that detail how to arrive at the correct answer. The practice exams are also extrmely accurate and helpful to get a 5 on the exam.

One of the best study guides for AP Calculus
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 one of the best AP calculus preparation books.

The AP calculus (AB or BC) has become considerably harder in the last 4 years. Most other books seem 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.Most other books, completely ignore this point (see my other reviews).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.
This book addresses the issue clearly.

One last point of advice is that this book does 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 thatdepend on interpreting graphs and data points.

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 indeed will be prepared for the AP test. ... Read more

Product Description
Success in your calculus course starts here! James Stewart's CALCULUS texts are world-wide best-sellers for a reason: they are clear, accurate, and filled with relevant, real-world examples. With CALCULUS, Sixth Edition, Stewart conveys not only the utility of calculus to help you develop technical competence, but also gives you an appreciation for the intrinsic beauty of the subject. His patient examples and built-in learning aids will help you build your mathematical confidence and achieve your goals in the course! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Math Calculus 3
The book is pretty good. The cover is kind of tearing off, but overall it's still in good condition.

Perfect condition
This product was delivered quickly and efficiently. I received it faster than I was expecting it and in perfect condition just as stated. Thanks!

Book came as described
Economical alternative to the full Calculus book by James Stewart.This copy came in the condition it was described as and the bit of writing is not a problem.The book arrived before the estimated shipping date.

Great Calculus III book, NOT Early Transcendentals
This is a great book for College Calculus 3. If your class requires the "Early Transcendentals" edition, this is essentially the same book. It contains the EXACT same material as the Early Transcendentals edition but everything is pushed ahead one chapter. It has the exact same amount of chapters and the exact same questions so don't fret, this book will work for your class. Also the new price on Amazon is usually cheaper than the used price in your university's bookstore! (Note that you most likely won't be able to sell it back to your university because of it not being E.T.). Overall a great way to learn Calculus 3!

very pleased
The book I ordered arrived at my house within a week and it is in great condition, exactly as the shipper's description said. ... Read more

Product Description
This best selling author team explains concepts simply and clearly, without glossing over difficult points. Problem solving and mathematical modeling are introduced early and reinforced throughout, so that when students finish the course, they have a solid foundation in the principles of mathematical thinking. This comprehensive, evenly paced book provides complete coverage of the function concept and integrates substantial graphing calculator materials that help students develop insight into mathematical ideas. The authors' attention to detail and clarity, as in James Stewart's market-leading Calculus text, is what makes this text the market leader. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Precalculus Book Purchase
Item was sent on time and it was in the condition that the seller said it would be in. Seller is reliable when it comes to sending packages within the specified time.

Good speedy delivery
Wow, I was looking for this book and a good price $. This math book was a gift for my friend. Wow, good speedy delivery. Thank You!

precalculus
This book was bound together with duct tape, the edges were worn through so badly that the card board can be seen. Inside has names written all over, drawings, and a lot of profanity. . . good things it's just a math book and all of the problems are eligible.

Low rating is for the seller Bordee Enterprise, LLC
I selected a new book and my credit card was charged the 'new' book price.What arrived was a used book.I've contacted the seller to refund the difference.

Great book!
got the used book through amazon came on time for the first day of classes and is the same book/ problems as the normal as far as i can tell. A+ but this book IS different from the normal book (cover as far as i can see) so I don't think your local book store will buy it back ... Read more

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
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

Customer Reviews (33)

Excellent Book, Perfect for Self-Study
This was my Calculus textbook in high school. Hands down, one of the best math textbooks ever. Chapters begin with brief introductions to theory and history (i.e. An anecdotal description of Galileo's experiments rolling balls down ramps in an effort to determine the effect of gravity on different-sized objects is the introduction to the chapter about derivatives.) to pique interest, and there are lots of step-by-step examples and problemsets of varying difficulty. I found my college textbooks (and professors) entirely useless and often referred back to this one for clarification and more practice. Exam problems were a breeze compared to the bolded challenge exercises in this textbook. In my experience, only Statistics by David Freedman is more well-written. Definitely worth buying.

2nd school text
We bought this text book so my daughter would have a copy of her text at school and at home.The book was listed in "good" condition and it is in so much better condition than the one she received from her high school. What a great deal. Also, fast and fair priced shipping.

Best Calculus Book Ever
Some say this book makes calculus too simple. Good I say. If you are struggling and you can't do easy stuff then how on earth are you going to start doing hard stuff. Calculus is hard to learn so you need the clearest introductory text you can get your hands on. This is it. I learnt calculus from this book when I threw other books out the window. Beautiful illustrations and graphics make this a wonderful book and a pleasure to learn from.


John

Great book especially if you have a good teacher.
I've used this book for AP Calculus BC in High School and had a blast with it.

Pro's:
-Great sample problems that really hit the spot as far as techniques and methods go.They get progressively harder, starting off with simply plugging stuff into formulas and ending with problems that require the use of several techniques learned in the current as well as past chapters.
-Awesome graphics.There are lots of visual aids for each topic, especially when you get to multivariable calc and 3D graphing.(though AP does not cover that so I honestly don't know how the graphs hold up when you actually do the work...but they look awesome =) )
-Many formula sheets for easy referencing.
-Lots of cool facts about math.

Cons:
-Ok this is a bit tricky.I had an amazing calc teacher who basically taught us all the topics himself.Only reason we used the book was for sample problems.Now, when it came time to review for the AP test, I tried reading the book for some stuff that I forgot.Did not really find the explanations to be that good.My class notes (from teacher) explained things much more clearly and in a simple manner.I understood what the book was trying to get across, but it took some thinking.Teacher notes were way better.
-It's huuuuge!

Conclusion:Great book that has tons of sample problems, formulas/derivations, interesting facts, and visual aids.As far as understanding the actual material goes, like I said earlier I had a very good teacher so don't trust my limited experience with actually trying to learn from the book myself.

But, highly recommended because it was a fun book to study with.Some good problems covering many sides of a topic, good graphs to go along with the material, and lots of references (integration tables, stuff like that).There is also a basic PreCalc review in the back which might help some.

**As a side note, I believe there are answers to all the odd problems in the text.Which kind of reminds me of another con.The problems that are fully worked out with steps and solutions are few and are not that complicated when compared to the hard sample problems that only have the answer but no worked out solution**

Your Average Calculus Text, but not the best by far
This year my school switched Calculus textbooks and used my class as the guinea pigs to test out this book. I did not care for it as much as the brand we had used in the past. My main complaint is about the explanations and example problems. I felt the explanations were frequently incomplete and after reading them over many times, it was still confusing as to how they got from point A to point B. I did not feel the sample problems were representative of the type of problems asked in the exercises for each section. On the otherhand, the problems were very wide-ranging which is nice considering many math textbooks just have the same problem over and over again but with different numbers. If you don't depend on the explanations too much and just need the book for the homework problems, this shouldn't be bad. And even if you do need the explanations and sample problems to help you, I did and I still maintained an A average in the course. ... Read more

Product Description
This new title in the Homework Helpers series will reinforce mathematical foundations and bolster students' confidence in pre-calculus. The concepts are explained in everyday language before the examples are worked. Good habits, such as checking your answers after every problem, are reinforced. There are practice problems throughout the book, and the answers to all of the practice problems are included. The problems are solved clearly and systematically, with step-by-step instructions provided.

Particular attention is placed on topics that students traditionally struggle with the most. While this book could be used to supplement standard pre-calculus textbooks, they could also be used by college students or adult learners to refresh long-forgotten concepts and skills.

Homework Helpers: Pre-Calculus is a straightforward, understandable, and thorough review of the topics in a typical pre-calculus class, including:
-Linear functions
-Polynomials
-Rational functions
-Exponential functions
-Logarithmic functions
-Systems of equations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Yeap, it's helpful
As a previous reviewer stated, this is a really well written book. It actually did help me score higher on our first quiz. The author states in plain English what the textbook dances around. It doesn't replace a textbook, but it allows you to see the "big picture" of what you're dealing with. Also, the review sections on Algebra are really helpful since I've been out of school for a while and you've got to have Algebra down pat to perform the PreCalculus work.
I definitely recommend this book.

EASY TO FOLLOW: what I need
This book is excellent. I needed something to help me prepare for my college algebra and trig class and this was the perfect selection. The author is avoids using fancy math lingo and explains everything in an easy format. It really feels like I have personal tutor and honestly, this book is probably better than some professors who teach college math classes. I would recommend this book to ANYONE who struggled with college algebra and pre-cal or needs a refresher in this subject for any entrance exams (nursing, etc). All the homework helper series are amazing, as well. ... Read more

Product Description
Study smarter and work toward the grade you want with this helpful guide. You'll find a short list of key concepts; a short list of skills to master; a brief introduction to the ideas of each section; an elaboration of the concepts and skills, including extra worked-out examples; and links in the margin to earlier and later material in the text and Study Guide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Looks great!
The book was perfect, in really good condition and no marks or highlighting at all! thank you!

Calculus made easy
This book has helped me a lot. Not only does it provide a specific summary, it also lists the important equations and rules learned in the chapter. It even has problems you can work and has the full solutions. This book is a must for those who have boring teachers, fall asleep in class, or who just need a review.

DO NOT BUY, poor study material
This book is not a SOLUTIONS GUIDE but a STUDY GUIDE.If give you a few isolated example problems and then has a synopsis of each section.At the end of each section there is a quiz which does not resemble homework problems, or any test problems I have had.I would not recommend this.On the other hand the SOLUTIONS GUIDE is an excellent resource.

Excellent study guide if you need step by step instruction
This book help me through the semester without carrying the heavy text book everyday.
This book is an excellent guide especially for a slow learner like myself. It explains the complicated calculus concepts in easy words. Since my professor did not used the text book much, except for a few homework assignments, I use this study guide book and my lecture note only to prepare for my exams.

Helpful Suppliment
This book really helps out when you have to learn on your own.It gives a detailed work out of each problem.Helps by showing the steps and process of working the problems.Definitely worth having. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Amazing study tool for Amazing price
This book does a FANTASTIC job of explaining calculus problems in an easy to follow step by step example.All the odd problems that have answers in the back of the regular text book are featured in this book with in depth process.this is a fantastic study tool for myself and my classmates who like to meet up after class to study problems from the homework sections.It covers up to chapters 11 i believe, but there is another solutions manual for multivariate that covers the rest. (this solution manual is paper back and larger the the hardcover textbook).Worth the purchase if you want to do more then just barely scrape by in Calculus.

Detailed steps!Thank you!
If you are completely lost with Calculus (as I was) then this book is real help.You don't need to spend a bunch of time with a tutor or at the math lab to form some basic understandings of the material.It helped me to be much more self-sufficient so I could get answers to the easy questions myself.

Some of the problems arrive at incorrect results, but those are few and far between.I think this is a valuable supplement to the textbook, they really helped me get through the courses.

Then again, you could search the Internet for "Wolfram Alpha" and find a computational engine that provides you all the same answers.You just need the Internet for it.

Good to have
I recommend getting this book, if you have trouble with Calculus.It has the odd problems in the book.Some of them show steps on how to get the answer, which is great.

Odd problems only, lots of errors.
It's obvious this solution manual was constructed in a hasty manner, hence many errors and shaky explanations. Furthermore, it only contains solutions to odd problems which are already provided for in the text. It is aggravating when one's prof assigns only even-numbered questions for homework and there is no resource for students to find out whether or not they are correct. The best one can do is find a similar odd numbered question to determine if they are remotely correct. In short, don't bother with buying this solutions manual unless your prof will be assigning plenty of odd-numbered questions, and even then beware it contains many incorrect solutions.

Not Exactly What It Claims To Be
When I bought this manual I thought that it would be a step by step solution guide to all the problems in the textbook. However, upon arrival I saw that there were only solutions to the odd problems. While these solutions can help you dissect certain problems, this book cannot really help that much. If you need it, buy it. But just know what you're paying for. ... Read more

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

Customer Reviews (13)

Student Solution Manual for PreCalculus
Book was in good condition like the seller said. Delivered in a timely manor. All in all good.

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. ... Read more

Product Description
Stewart's CALCULUS: CONCEPTS AND CONTEXTS, FOURTH 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 this text offers a balance of theory and conceptual work to satisfy more progressive programs as well as those who are more comfortable teaching in a more traditional fashion. Each title is just one component in a comprehensive calculus course program that carefully integrates and coordinates print, media, and technology products for successful teaching and learning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Fails epically at its fundamental responsibility: teaching
Of the 18 math textbooks I've used in my academic lifetime, this is the worst by a mile.Let's start with the unforgivable, dealbreaking flaws: it does a terrible job explaining mathematical concepts.Mr. Stewart seems to assume absolute mastery of all material involved (often high-level algebra and trigonometry) -- an assumption that causes him to frequently skip or combine steps in explanations, which can leave you scratching your head at how the hell he arrived at the conclusion (sometimes it even seems to assume you know the very things it's supposed to be teaching you).Worse, the intro & examples for any given section almost never give adequate training to solve all of the corresponding exercises.I found that reading the intro (no matter how many times) preps you for the first 20 or so problems, but for the remaining 30 you're on your own, stuck there staring blankly at the page, frustrated at having no educational resource to turn to.

If you want to survive whatever class force-feeds this textbook down your throat, you'd better hope you end up with a professor who's clear and helpful enough to compensate (do prior research on ratemyprofessors.com), because you won't get far relying on this book alone.

For the record, I'm not a moron.I'm naturally comfortable with and skilled at math, scored 91%ile on the math SAT, and got an A in both Precalculus and Business Calculus in college.This book made me feel pretty dumb until I found all the Amazon reviews on Stewart's other calc books making the same complaints.Don't let it get you down.

We can dock further points for being 1,000+ pages thick, not very solidly constructed (the binding gets weak and wiggly pretty fast), and with a sticker closing in on $170, outrageously overpriced.

calculus book
I am taking this course online and this book is very helpful with its examples.

great looking book
The book was in perfect condition. I was very pleased. The only downfall is that it took a month to get here, but overall I am very pleased.

wrong product
they sent me a wrong book, I chose another
I don't know what to do with it, I had to buy another book, the version

Great Service
I was really impressed with the rapid shipment, ordered friday and arrived on tuesday, the book was in really good condition minus one small tear on the inside of the cover near the binding, very minor, but overall, I was greatly impressed with the service and have been satisfied with the book. ... 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
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
Precise approach with definitions, theorems, proofs, examples and exercises. Topics include partial differentiation, vectors, differential geometry, Stieltjes integral, infinite series, gamma function, Fourier series, Laplace transform, much more. Numerous graded exercises with selected answers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

it helped me prepare for advanced calculus
In 1963 I asked Lynn Loomis what I should bring to his course math 55 in abstract analysis (see Loomis and Sternberg) and he said I should know the theorem

that a continuous function on a closed bounded interval has a maximum.So I got a copy of Widder and read the proof. I recall it as clear and rigorous.

Thus I presume the rest of the book is similar.It fulfilled my need for rigorous background for abstract advanced calculus so I recommend it.

By the way,most of the critical comments here about it being old fashioned or criticizing the notation seem to me like the sort of remarks made by novices who

do not understand what they read and confuse terminology with content.

(I got B+/A- in Loomis' course in 1963/64 and have been a professional mathematician for the past 40 years.)

Great reference book
Prices in today's technical book market have gone ... well ... crazy. Dover deserves no end of praise for offering well made books of classics at a reasonable price. David V. Widder's, "Advanced Calculus" is such a book.
Even setting aside price, this is still a very, very good book ... maybe just a tad behind Apostol's "Mathematical Analysis," but still one of the best. Good featuresare: a) it covers much territory ... covering all the must topics of advanced calculus, and then some (i.e., gamma function); b) the proofs are sound, but do not enmesh the student in minutiae; c) the author has good intuition regarding what are the sticking points of a new concept, and takes care to cover these clearly.
Of course, as always, there are slight weaknesses. The main one is that in certain places the book seems "quaint" ... understandable, as it was first written some sixty years ago. I can't resist giving just one example: to solve a certain exercise, the student is urged to use a slide-rule! ... just getting one might cost more than the book! To its credit, the book employs a type of vector notation ... but the notation is lightly dated. There are diagrams; they are passable, but not great. (Come to think of it, Dover is not famous for great diagrams.)
At one point the writer almost seems to tip over into the "forbidden world of infinities and infinitesimals." I find this a plus rather than a minus.(This is my main criticism of Apostol: he not only shies away from infinitesimals, but gives the impression they are the "phlogiston" of mathematics.)

Great Price
The book is a reprint of an earlier version and had a great price.Couldn't believe it was priced so low.

Antiquated
This is a second edition of a book that came out in 1947 and it's obvious from the style that the style of the mathematics is very old fashioned here.
Students who are used to functions with domains and ranges, cartesian products and all that might hate this book. Those who have had little exposure to the more abstract view such as metric and topological spaces might well love it.
I personnally could not stand it and would relegate it to a museum piece.
Let me give examples of what I mean:
f(x) the function. Anyone who's modern will hate this: it's just f the function, and mentioning the variables can be useful if you have a formula, but what if you don't?
Dependent and independent variables: that's a nineteenth century style.
Defining a vector as a directed line segment is in my view outrageous, and what's this doing in chapter 2?
The discussion of the Heine Borel theorem would gain by being stated in more abstract terms than just real intervals.
I recommend you look at the Wikipedia article on this to see how this is done in today's abstract (and far more powerful) style.
You could also look at Rudin's books on analysis for a totally different approach.
However if you are willing to swallow this antiquated view of things it's a useful book, but not one I would recommend if you want to pursue higher mathematics.

Great book
I bought this book when I decided to go for graduate studies in mathematics. I was away from college for 3 years and wanted to refresh some of the advanced calc material. You could not ask for any better book. The generic Calculus book I used in college was too basic and this provided a nice bridge and a solid description of the "advanced" calculus. Although the order of the chapters are a little weird, it gets the job done without any lousy explanations. One thing to note is that "brdiging" book. So not so advanced but provides a nice transition if you want to look at some advanced calc books. This neverthless is a great addition ... 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

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
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

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

Customer Reviews (10)

Great
The book was in execellent condition, I saved money to buy another book.I received my package in a timely manner and within the specified time that was stated.Thank you for your prompt response.

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. ... Read more

Product Description

Lial, Greenwell, and Ritchey continue their tradition of integrating relevant, realistic applications with current data sources to provide an application-oriented text for students majoring in business, management, economics, or the life or social sciences. The many opportunities for technology use allow for increased visualization and a better understanding of difficult concepts. In addition to MyMathLab^®, a complete online course solution, a comprehensive series of video lectures is available for this text.

 Algebra Reference (shared with FM, CWA, and Combo):Polynomials, Factoring, Rational Expressions, Equations, Inequalities, Exponents, Radicals; Linear Functions (shared with FM, CWA, and Combo): Slopes and Equations of Lines, Linear Functions and Applications, The Least Squares Line, Chapter Review, Extended Application: Using Extrapolation to Predict Life Expectancy; Nonlinear Functions: Properties of Functions, Quadratic Functions; Translation and Reflection, Polynomial and Rational Functions, Exponential Functions, Logarithmic Functions, Applications: Growth and Decay; Mathematics of Finance, Chapter Review, Extended Application: Characteristics of the Monkeyface Prickleback; The Derivative: Limits, Continuity, Rates of Change, Definition of the Derivative, Graphical Differentiation, Chapter Review, Extended Application: A Model for Drugs Administered Intravenously (new); Calculating the Derivative: Techniques for Finding Derivatives, Derivatives of Products and Quotients, The Chain Rule, Derivatives of Exponential Functions, Derivatives of Logarithmic Functions,  Chapter Review, Extended Application: Electric Potential and Electric Field (new); Graphs and the Derivative: Increasing and Decreasing Functions, Relative Extrema, Higher Derivatives, Concavity, and the Second Derivative Test, Curve Sketching, Chapter Review, Extended Application: A Drug Concentration Model for Orally Administered Medications (new); Applications of the Derivative: Absolute Extrema, Applications of Extrema, Further Business Applications: Economic Lot Size; Economic Order Quantity; Elasticity of Demand, Implicit Differentiation, Related Rates, Differentials: Linear Approximation, Chapter Review, Extended Application: A Total Cost Model for a Training Program; Integration: Antiderivatives, Substitution, Area and the Definite Integral, The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus,  The Area Between Two Curves, Numerical Integration, Chapter Review, Extended Application: Estimating Depletion Dates for Minerals;  Further Techniques and Applications of Integration: Integration by Parts, Volume and Average Value, Continuous Money Flow, Improper Integrals, Chapter Review, Extended Application: Estimating Learning Curves in Manufacturing with Integrals; Multivariable Calculus: Functions of Several Variables, Partial Derivatives, Maxima and Minima, Lagrange Multipliers, Total Differentials and Approximations, Double Integrals, Chapter Review, Extended Application: Using Multivariable Fitting to Create a Response Surface Design; Differential Equations: Solutions of Elementary and Separable Differential Equations, Linear First-Order Differential Equations, Euler's Method, Applications of Differential Equations, Chapter Review, Extended Application: Pollution of the Great Lakes; Probability and Calculus: Continuous Probability Models, Expected Value and Variance of Continuous Random Variables, Special Probability Density Functions, Chapter Review, Extended Application: Exponential Waiting Times; Sequences and Series (From Ray 1/19/07): Geometric Sequences, Annuities: An Application of Sequences. Taylor Polynomials, Infinite Series, Taylor Series, Newton's Method, L'Hospital's Rule, Chapter Review; The Trigonometric Functions: Definitions of the Trigonometric Functions, Derivatives of Trigonometric Functions, Integrals of Trigonometric Functions, Chapter Review, Extended Application: The Shortest Time and the Cheapest Path; Tables: Formulas of Geometry, Area Under a Normal Curve,  Integrals, Integrals Involving Trigonometric Functions

For all readers interested in calculus with applications.

Customer Reviews (3)

nice seller
the book was shipped the day after i bought it. though the condition of the book is not that good, it's acceptable, as the seller described.

A VERY bad book!
I had to use this book for a class relating to calculus and its application for business. It is horrible! I already had a bad teacher and this book was the icing on the already crappy cake. I'm not bad at math either, but when you have to create a book for an already difficult subject the least these crook authors could do is give examples that are RELEVANT to the problems within the exercises.

everything as promised!
I waited until the last minute to buy my textbooks but the extra shipping option got the book to me on time in excellent condition. I'll definitely be back next semester! ... Read more