Product Description
The wide-ranging debate brought about by the calculus reform movement has had a significant impact on calculus textbooks. In response to many of the questions and concerns surrounding this debate, the authors have written a modern calculus textbook, intended for students majoring in mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering and related fields. The text is written for the average student -- one who does not already know the subject, whose background is somewhat weak in spots, and who requires a significant motivation to study calculus.

The authors follow a relatively standard order of presentation, while integrating technology and thought-provoking exercises throughout the text. Some minor changes have been made in the order of topics to reflect shifts in the importance of certain applications in engineering and science.This text also gives an early introduction to logarithms, exponentials and the trigonometric functions.Wherever practical, concepts are developed from graphical, numerical, and algebraic perspectives (the "Rule of Three") to give students a full understanding of calculus. This text places a significant emphasis on problem solving and presents realistic applications, as well as open-ended problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The "Rule of Five" makes Learning Calculus Virtually Painless
This is a gargantuan book of almost 1300 pages. Yet it lives up to its hype of being a member of the "Calculus Reform Movement" that uses the "rule of five," instead of just the agreed "rule of four; that is to say it presents the substance in five (rather than the agreed four) forms: graphically, numerically, algebraically, verbally and physically.

Since, at least up through the introduction of multiple integrals and on to the more exotic topics of vector calculus, spherical coordinates, line integration, etc., most calculus books can be seen as clones of each other. The differences lie mostly on the margins. That is to say in style, presentation richness of examples, and in the auxiliary resources the book provides in addition to presentation of substance.

In all eight areas this tome of a book excels.

While with rare exceptions the substance itself is the standard fare, the richness of the examples and the stunning graphics brings the subject matter alive in ways that separates in from other textbooks and which were not available when I took this course for the first time back in 1962. For new initiates to the subject, here nothing is left ambiguous or to chance. At every turn there is literally a full menu of tutorial assistance arranged to make ones plunge into calculus clear and pain-free. For instance, there are online crib notes on all topics, given as end of chapter summaries, and thus they are not just reserved for only the difficult chapters or topics, as is normally done. I downloaded these and kept them handy as review notes. They alone are a rich resource.

The online and website resources are a special bonus. There, the internal or more detailed graphics are equally stunning as the ones are in the text. They clear up any lingering doubts about the fine points of the topics introduced in each chapter. In addition, there are the all important "trial examinations," which the reader can try either at his leisure, or at a time when he thinks he is ready, or indeed as part of a "cramming session" just before a "real" exam is scheduled.

On the online resources, one word of warning is in order. The reader must have the latest "font sets" and "plug-ins" for Adobe reader. Otherwise the integration sign will not appear in the text. Other than this, and the huge size of the book, I could find no fault with it. Even for students allergic to math, this should be smooth sailing ahead. Five Stars.

Excellent!
I currently have this text on my desk and i think it is the best calculus text of those that i have used. There is the right blend of examples, exercises and more complex ideas such as proofs and applications. The ease of reading has made it possible for me to work on my own and understand the later chapters that deal with multiple integration, which i found difficult to understand in the Stewart calculus text. I would reccomend this book to anyone with more than a passing interest in mathematics.

Better Than Stewart, Larson or Anton!!
I've been teaching AP Calculus and College Prep Calculus for several years in high school, and can honestly say that this textbook is far superior to the 3 mainstream calc texts on the market today, ie, Stewart, Larson, and perhaps Anton. This book really should be THE mainstream calculus text used by most schools - and yet it isn't. Why? I have no idea! It puts the others to shame.
The exposition is outstanding. It explains concepts and computations in a very thorough, no-nonsense way, and the graphics are great. The authors write in a very direct, effective way, and have done a superlative job relative to all of the other calc texts I've seen (and I've seen just about all of them!)- with lots of very clear and detailed computations worked out for the student. From someone who's been in the calculus teaching field for a while, I can honestly say that you won't come across a better textbook for elementary calculus I, II and III than this book. I will certainly be keeping this textbook in my library. It's a gem.

Great Calc Textbook
This is a great book for both self-study and in-class learning.

As an EE undergrad, this was practically my bible for 2 years.Concepts are explained very well, followed by very clear step-by-step problem-solving examples.Like many textbooks, end-of-chapter problems begin with 10 or so conceptual questions geared towards in-class discussion & understanding, followed by a wide range of problems to work.The variety of problems are very good - they range from very easy and simple to challenging and difficult, ending with "real-world" word problems.While going through my Calc classes, it was very nice to learn and work problems at a comfortable level, skipping the simple ones and avoiding the difficult ones.Now that I'm a little further along in my course work, this book serves as a great review to open up to any chapter and work the more difficult word problems.

While I didn't very much appreciate the chapter(s) on summations and series at the time, they've proven to be an excellent reference three semesters later.Same goes for their explanation of Green's Theorem and a lot of the vector-calculus found near the end.All these topics are explained in great detail, proofs included, and most importantly, in plain english.

Towards the end the text becomes less formal at times.If you're still reading by chapter 10 you probably appreciate Calculus enough to enjoy the authors' writing style and use of interesting real-world applications.You learn quite a bit you don't expect to working problems; how JPEGS compress and have "halos" for example (Fourier Series, chp 8).Their derivation of Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion using Newton's laws (chapter 11) is truly amazing, and they explain it in such a way that anyone with a good grasp of the concepts can understand it.

While much of this may be too much for non math/engineering majors, I've found this book to be invaluable in my studies.I still regularly reference it and read from the chapters not taught in class - a testament to its clarity and ease of use without an instructor.

It has a permanent place on my bookshelf; one of the few books I won't sell - and that's saying a lot coming from a broke undergrad.

Some high points, but some serious flaws
Student reviewer here.This book is very attractive and well-illustrated.It has some helpful material for review and/or catching up for students in introductory Calculus classes in Chapter 0 and it spends significant time illustrating real world scenarios in which the concepts can be applied.

The problems I have with the book are the insufficient number and variety of examples provided, the arbitrary notations often used in lieu of more demonstrative ones that would be easier for beginners to understand, the poor explanation of abstract mathematical concepts and procedures, and the incomplete and at times inaccurate accompanying text, the Student Solutions Manual, which is often nothing more than an answer key for odd numbered problems that can also be found at the end of the text, begging the question: why shell out all that extra dough?

The could improve the book dramatically by getting an editor to look over the text for clarity and adding more explanation, demonstration, and homework problems, and by making the Solutions Manual more demonstrative instead of skipping steps that may not be evident to beginners. ... 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 (14)

Needed for Calculus III
I have not read through this book thoroughly, but it has been good so far.The examples are understandable and there is plenty of practice problems for nailing the major concepts.

Calc 3 text book
I would like to be the first person to state that this book is specifically the last 6 chapters of the book, chapters 8-13. It covers the very end of Calc 2 and all of Calc 3. If you want a book that covers all three courses, or just calc 1 and 2, you must buy the others. The # of pages listed here are only like that becuase the book goes up through 1045. This book starts however at chapter 8 like I said. The Calc 1 and 2 book is this: 0495559725. And the Calc 1, 2 and 3 book which is much more money is 0495557420. Please don't make the mistake and buy the wrong book and blame the seller.

When using this book, I personally only used it for its examples and a portable edition. This book unlike other versions of calculus text books does not have an answer guide that you can buy, you must arrange it through the company website which is a real big pain. When doing Calc 3, you want to do A LOT of extra problems, and it helps to have ALL the answers neatly worked out for you. I would actually suggst that you wait until you get to know your teacher and see if they use this book hardcore in class, and assign problems directly from the text, otherwise, it's a waste of your money, since there are plenty of free calculus resources on the internet.

quite good for a math book
Before reviewing i want to make 1 thing clear: THIS IS A 2 PART BOOK. They had it going for ~300 at the bookstore in my university. I found it on amazon for a much cheaper price and bought it right away. But this version was only the second part, which would be used in the 2nd semester of my math class. Of course the one in the bookstore was both parts combined. So i had to buy the Single Variable version of this as well. Pretty lame that they would split up the book like this, but maybe i just wasnt careful enough. The least they could do is make the cover picture different for each book though, not just a SV and MV difference on the top left.
Anyways, the text itself is great. There are plenty of examples that are throughly shown and explained in beginning of the chapters. I'd say i am average at best in math and i followed how they did most of them with ease. The text quality is great, clear graphics and font.
on another note, as with most textbooks, the questions are generally recycled. My friend had another version, i believe it was stewart calculus 5th edition. A good chunk of the questions were in both books, just numbered differently. So maybe you could buy a cheaper version and just compare questions with a close friend to find them in your book.

Calculus 3
The book was in great condition and arrived earlier than expected. the service was great and would recommened the seller to other buyers.

Never got the order
Tried to rate Zero stars.I payed for the book with expedited delivery.It's over a month and I still haven't received it.No responses from seller whatsoever.I filed a complaint and am currently awaiting my refund. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

It is by Dunham ...
... and it is about calculus. I think no more needs to be said. Again for people interested in math - Dunham is one of the best writers. For parents of young children - read these books before you start teaching them. They will help you be better teachers.

Dunham's book is a winner!
Some authors try to explain calculus to the literati with the hope of enlightening them a bit.They apologize at the inclusion of an equation, and wave hands like magicians.That's OK, for the innumerate.But the result is invariably like reading Julia Child's recipes and not cooking any of her meals.Not so William Dunham.The only way to appreciate the masterpiece that calculus really is, is to know your basic mathematics, and then plunge into such a book as his.
This is a great book for students of mathematics.By following the counterexamples that mathematicians themselves create in order to test their own inventions (such as the Riemann integral), Dunham does better than most in showing us how tough the trek is to understanding.We feel the sense of humility that this handful of men develop in the face of the utterly unknown.
And he gives us the sense of how unknown the frontier truly is in mathematics, because Cantor, for instance, cannot just build a better telescope and discover a new theorem.It's all done in the mind, many times in response to the needs of the sciences (e.g., Fourier), but ultimately, it's in the minds of these incredible men.
Thus, well done, William Dunham!But if all you can read is Dickinson and Joyce, then you cannot appreciate this book.

William Dunham in his elemens!!!
If you have read William's Dunham's " Journey through Genius ", "Euler,The Master of Us All", there is no need to add anymore praise to this book,just buy it and enjoy it!!!

Calculus is Good but Hard!
Well worth the effort!The beginning is easy (but very informative) if you've had college level differential and integral calculus.Then there's Cantor and Lebesgue!!Tough going, but very satisfying!

Pete

Another masterpeice by William Dunham
If you enjoyed "Journey through Genius" by the same author, you will also enjoy the present volume. It requires more math knowledge (at least a working knowledge of calculus), but the level is aimed at a bright high school AP student, or a college undergraduate I would recommend it for even serious mathematicians who would like to know more about how the present state of knowledge of analysis came about. I would especially recommend it for teachers and students of calculus. Too often, ideas which took literally centuries to mature are presented in finished form, as if some mathematician sat down one day and wrote out finished, rigorous theorems. Seeing how even venerable mathematicians like Newton and Cauchy got results without the rigour which we see as necessary today is an eye-opener, and should be an encouragement to experiment and "learn by doing", and not to be afraid to go boldly forth, even if you haven't dotted all the "i" and crossed all the "t". ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (31)

newspaper quality
I'm giving this review not so much to discuss the contents of the book, which I think is very good and would give*****, but the production quality of this edition which is truly appalling.As an undergraduate I used the first edition (OK, I admit I'm retired) which was on nice semi-glossy paper with crisp printing and figures.This edition from Westview Press looks like it was faxed onto newsprint.The earlier edition is virtually impossible to find so you are probably stuck with this one.If however you can get the earlier one, it is worth paying extra to buy a book and not something that looks like a newspaper flyer.

Great book.If you're prepared that is.
In the preface Spivak says that this book is accessible to anyone that has had good courses in calculus and linear algebra.While this is true, the term "good" needs a little clarification.If you've taken a two semester calculus sequence using the "cook book" approach, you will be grossly under-prepared for Spivak.Ideally you'd have taken one of the many theoretical calculus with honors courses offered at good universities or a nice undergraduate analysis course.I'd suggest preparing by means of Spivak's own book, Calculus, barring that you'll do well with Introduction to Analysis by Maxwell Rosenlicht, Understanding Analysis by Stephen Abbott, or, if you want to be old school, the first seven chapters of Principles of Mathematical Analysis by Walter Rudin.All the aforementioned books (except for Spivak's Calculus) cover topology and continuous functions at a more leisurely pace than Spivak.For the linear algebra I'd suggest one of Finite Dimensional Vector Spaces by Paul Halmos, Linear Algebra Done Right by Axler, or Linear Algebra by Peter Lax.The book by Lax is a wee bit more advanced and may require more maturity.Also the book by Axler downplays the role of matrices, focusing instead on linear maps as separate entities that can be expressed by means of a matrix given a basis.While this is a good approach, I'd suggest making an effort learn how to play with matrices.A lot of properties of differentiable functions from R^m to R^n can be handled with matrix tricksIf you work through one of the three calculus books and one of the three analysis books I've recommended you'll be in great shape for Spivak.It must be said that the exercises in Spivak are challenging and many are proofs of nontrivial theorems.It's hard work and requires significant creativity on the part of the reader.Of course, this makes the book ideal for training up new mathematicians.That's what the book is for and it is excellent at that; which is why I've given it five stars.

More Advanced Than It Claims
Be warned:Spivak is speaking a different language from any I was taught.I have spent hundreds of hours on this book, and have filled three binders with notes on the first three chapters.If you are using it in the right manner, it is a fantastic book;otherwise, it is a nightmarish exercise in frustration.Expect to rewrite the textbook in your efforts to understand it;for some, this is a plus.It is an excellent book for inspiring effort and creativity, but it is dreadful if you do not have outside support.It is NOT a primary text by any stretch of the imagination.

The first blow against the book is its claim that "only a term of linear algebra, a nodding acquaintance with the notation of set theory, and a respectable first-year calculus course" are required.This is enormously demoralizing to the student who has these prerequisites and yet finds Spivak incredibly obscure;but it IS obscure.The problem here is partly one of miscommunication:it turns out that Spivak has written his own "Calculus" textbook, based on his own notions of what such a course should contain.Having examined and read part of that text, I would describe Spivak's "Calculus" as a challenging introductory analysis textbook with a deep review of calculus.It is absolutely not a book to learn calculus from in the first place, unless one is prepared to spend five times as much time as it should take, and then to relearn the entire subject in order to be able to communicate with everyone else.

The second blow against it is the notation:Spivak has invented his own.Despite having had calculus, and being a successful calculus tutor, I found it nearly impossible to recognize the basic rules of differentiation in his encryption.The situation was bad enough that I felt compelled to devise my own hybrid notation to translate back and forth between the style used in Spivak and the style I have seen everywhere else in my studies, and to add clarity at a few crucial confusing points.

The third blow is that there is no clear indication of what tools are expected to be available to the student.I ended up taking breaks to devise and prove large sets of lemmas and theorems in topology and analysis just to make the problems more feasible.I suspect that that was the intent--but one might have said so.

The fourth problem is also part of its appeal:it is incredibly concise.This means that there are next to no examples, and huge amounts of detail have been skipped.Far too much has been skipped in places.The Implicit Function Theorem proof in particular was a nightmare;I had to completely rewrite it.

This book is most properly used as a challenge problem set for fairly advanced mathematics students, with guidance, to inspire huge amounts of work and creativity.It is least properly used as a primary text, an introduction, or a means to learn anything rapidly.

disappointing
What a bunch of hype on this book.It's format is so concise as to be practically useless. It seems to be a bunch of class notes cobbled together.Mulitvariable calculus in a book that is only 5 inches across?What a dis-service to the subject.It can barely contain the full definitions for tensor products. Just silly.Lacking examples or much of anything for the reader to bridge the gap his terse prose leaves. A Font so small that indices are lost on some equations. It is no Differential Geometry. The difficulty is not within the subject matter, but with it's meager presentation.Not at all the quality you would expect from this author.God, I hope this isn't "The" book on calculus on manifolds. Not to mention the typos.I never knew that f(a)= f(a)+ f'(a)*h...oh wait it isn't, but f(a+h) is!Iguess it was tough proof reading a hundred pages with 10 sentences on each page.Get the cheapest version you can.

Tip of the iceberg...
This book would serve well as a self-study introduction to smooth manifolds for a student just finishing a high school calculus course. For those serious about the subject, pick up John M. Lee's "Introduction to smooth manifolds." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent Amazoner.
I received the book in very good condition , extremely fast shipped and at a great price.

Excellent
I purchased this AP calculus for my daughter and I got a ggod deal at amazon.

Elementary problems+weak exposition+no theory=Weak textbook
This was the textbook my high school had used for its AP Calculus classes. They had recently switched to this text the year before I had taken the class, and let me tell you, that was a mistake. There will, undoubtedly be many people who enjoy this textbook, but I say that anyone who is even remotely interested in mathematics will notice that much is missing from this book. For instance, the chapter on limits deals only with limits of continuous functions or the obvious case of single point discontinuities. Any realistic or important examples of a function not having a limit is shown to us in a cute window representing a graphing calculator's screen. Maybe this is to tailor the notion that my generation is full of "visual learners". Or maybe its simply to avoid any real math while allowing kids to think they have learned something legitimate. This problem of presenting very low leveled material is pervasive throughout (i.e as one reviewer has mentioned before, all the problems on limits can be solved by substitution...) The chapter on infinite series is a great example of this. The authors seem to have wanted anyone in middle school (let alone a senior in high school or a college student) to "understand" this textbook. Unfortunately, they shy away from even remotely complicated reasoning, especially where it is needed. The irony is is that by trying to make this text "readable", they leave out important mathematical reasoning that helps clarify and explain many of the more difficult topics. This leaves several chapters, such as the chapter on infinite series, completely useless and confusing despite the authors' intent. The authors need to realize that calculus is not supposed to be taken by middle schoolers, so do please not write a textbook assuming their level of mathematical sophistication and reading ability (a college textbook at the reading level of "young adult", give me a break). The best example that I can give to you of how the authors baby the reader is this: the section on the chain rule contains not a single explanation as to WHY this chain rule holds. Nope, the authors do not even attempt to explain anything here. Instead, they give us a picture of a pair of gears... This is the best they can come up with? You have go to be kidding me! How is this building mathematical understanding whatsoever? I have never heard anyone say "oh gosh, these gears really help me understand derivatives of composite functions!" The authors should not be afraid of including some real explanations as to what is going on. Anyone who might think they enjoy mathematics would greatly appreciate it. I would also appreciate it if the authors wrote a textbook that could actually halfway pass as a college textbook if they claim that it should be used as so.

Ok, so now that I have told you that this textbook is garbage, let us reminisce as to why such a textbook was written, and why it is currently being used. My own personal opinion is that kids are being pushed to take more and more advanced mathematics courses at earlier and earlier ages. There is the fear that they won't "look good" to colleges, the fear that they won't get their precious AP Credit (which no legitimate mathematics department respects), and the fear that they are falling behind unless they have seen what was previously believed to be college leveled work in their junior year. All of these factors push younger and younger kids into courses that they really shouldn't be taking in the first place. Now I know that there are obvious exceptions, and some students are incredibly bright, but are 80-something students out of 200 in my class really that bright to tackle full-fledged calculus during high school? No. All of this has lead to a new bread of math textbook that is so incredibly low-leveled that people feel comfortable enough presenting it to these "bright students". This shafts students out of receiving a far superior education if they had waited for college, but parents can sleep soundly knowing their little angels are smart enough to take college leveled courses in high school.
To summarize, this textbook is trash and the AP movement has gone too far.

review
the book came without a long wait. it was just like we ordered. We were satisfied

late arrival
Book was in good condition, only thing is that it was shipped very late. I received the book almost after 15 days of placing my order. ... 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 (32)

Book
This was a required text for a college course. The book came as described in terms of condition and came fairly promptly.

Good
Item is a little worn, and written in, but nothing that i didn't expect really.

ehhh
got the book within a week. the condition of the book was reasonable, but i dont think the price matched the way the book was.

Perfect!
Received this item within days. Minor binding issue but still in tact. Can't beat this quality at this price!

Disaster
First time taking calculus - this book made it a disaster.I'll give the author one thing, he is a smart guy.However it seems as though Stewart has forgotten how difficult it is to learn this material.Explanations are wordy and overcomplicated, and example problems are constantly missing important steps.In addition, homework problems are almost undoable.My first assignment for calculus 2 (using the second half of the book) took six hours to complete with two other friends because we just couldn't wrap our brains around the concepts.The only reason this review has two stars instead of one is because of the useful integral table in the back and an attractive cover design.Beyond that, prepare to be lost. ... Read more

Product Description
For ten editions, readers have turned to Salas to learn the difficult concepts of calculus without sacrificing rigor. The book consistently provides clear calculus content to help them master these concepts and understand its relevance to the real world. Throughout the pages, it offers a perfect balance of theory and applications to elevate their mathematical insights. Readers will also find that the book emphasizes both problem-solving skills and real-world applications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

I would consider adopting it if I were teaching calculus
One variable calculus books are almost identical in content and organization. In terms of organization, there is a brief explanation of the new topic of the section, any new definitions or theorems pertaining to the topic, several examples followed by worked solutions and the section ends with a set of exercises. Solutions to the odd-numbered exercises are given in an appendix at the end of the book. This book does not deviate from that organization.
In terms of content, the chapters in this book are:

*) Precalculus review
*) Limits and continuity
*) Differentiation
*) The mean-value theorem and applications
*) Integration
*) Applications of the integral
*) The transcendental functions
*) Techniques of integration
*) The conic sections; polar coordinates; parametric equations
*) Sequences; indeterminate forms; improper integrals
*) Infinite series

As can be seen, the content is routine, both in order and in topics.
Therefore, the obvious question to ask is, "What if anything, differentiates this book from the other calculus books?" There is no overwhelming answer to this question, just a few minor differentiating factors.

*) There is not a great deal of time spent under any heading resembling "Using technology." A few problems at the end of the sections are noted with a calculator symbol, but there is no time spent on teaching how an item of technology is used to solve the calculus problems. While others may not agree, in my opinion this is a major positive. The goal is to teach the principles of calculus. With the large number of topics that need to be introduced in the first two semesters, and the difficulties that some of the students have, spending time on technology solutions is largely a waste of time.
*) This book contains only single variable calculus. This makes it easier on the students as calculus books are rapidly reaching the point where they could be used as weights by members of the football team.
*) The authors do not engage in exercise overkill, where the exercises at the end of the sections seem to go on and one. Simply adding additional exercises that cover the same material is not an improvement.

As a consequence of these positive aspects that differentiate it, this is a book that I will consider adopting the next time that I am scheduled to teach calculus.

wonderful calc book for motivated
Had no experience in calc until freshman year, where I learned from this book. My teachers for Calc I and II both commented about how they felt this was the clearest most concise one variable book they'd taught from. Without a doubt, this book is taught at a very high level. The math isn't about manipulating equations, but building theoretical understanding and providing a solid background for future math study. My university offered two first year calc courses, and this book was used for the one which was intended for expected science/math majors. Through the semesters I spent a lot of time with this book, and while I haven't studied calc with any other real textbook, I have had nothing but great results from this book and would immediately recommend it. Just a word of warning, however; if you do not spend enough time with a text such as this, you will never be able to appreciate what distinguishes it from other books. Be prepared to take your time with the sections.

tries to keep everything a secret from you
At my school, this book was used for the general calculus class, and I hated it.If you've never seen a proof before, this book is confusing.The examples are unclear and not explained.It just sort of does something and doesn't explain what it did or why, almost as if it's trying to keep everything a secret from you.I think professors and higher-level students like this book, but it's not very friendly to beginner calculus students.

Great Book.
I got this book (eigth edition) in 1998 and it took me several years to fully appreciate it's contents.I'm not sure what's changed in the 9th besides reordering the problems.This book is for beginners of calculus, but it assumes that a certain level of mathematical maturity has been reached.The authors assume you understand mathematics, not just manipulating equations.The proofs are not that hard to understand IF you understand the mathematical argument.

When I first started this book, it made very little sense.Persistance paid off for me and it will pay off for you.You will obtain a deeper understanding of calculus that won't go away after you complete the course.If you're having difficulty understanding the material in this book, you need to take a step back and visualize what the book is saying.As the book says in the beginning, calculus is just high school math with limits.

The solutions manual is useful if you get stumped.

very helpful supplement
Despite the highly theoretical way of writing, this book acts as an excellent supplement either as a review, or as part of a class. The examples are concise and clear. There are many examples detailing how a certain problem should be done.

The problems at the end of each section vary between relatively easy and incredibly difficult. ... Read more

Product Description
Scoring high on the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams is very different from earning straight A’s in school. We don’t try to teach you everything there is to know about calculus—only the strategies and information you’ll need to get your highest score. In Cracking the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams, we’ll teach you how to

·Use our preparation strategies and test-taking techniques to raise your score
·Focus on the topics most likely to appear on the test
·Test your knowledge with review questions for each calculus topic covered

This book includes 5 full-length practice AP Calculus AB & BC tests: 3 for AB and 2 for BC. All of our practice questions are just like those you’ll see on the actual exam, and we explain how to answer every question.

Cracking the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams has been fully updated for the 2009 tests. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

good prep book
it's a good prep book. im studying for ap calculus right now. the test is on may 3rd. it explains well and there are many practice test with practice problems on each chapters. i like it hopefully i will pass the test ;D

Has exactly what you need for the test
Has exactly what you need for the test, nothing more and nothing less. Use this book to review and practice with real old tests. The tips about the free response questions are very useful.If your teacher does not have old tests, you can buy them from the College Board.

Great supplement to taking an AP Class, or even a replacement?
This book was very straightforward in its explanation of calculus concepts---much simpler than my high school text book. However it contains everything you need to know about the test, along with many practice problems in addition to 3 AB practice tests and 2 BC practice tests. The tests are one of the most helpful parts.
Quite simply, this book is awesome if you want to get a 4 or a 5 on the AP Calculus tests.

Excellent preparation for AP exams, or for self-study of calculus core in preparation for future work--some minor deficiencies.
This is an outstanding presentation of core topics in applied calculus. Only areas identified by the AP Calculus Development Committee are covered. Narrowing the areas presented to those needed for the exam considerably reduces preparation time, compared to studying a more general calculus text.

The greatest strength of this text is its excellent practice problems sets with fully-worked solutions.There are usually about 10 - 25 problems per set, often with multiple problem sets per chapter. Surprisingly, for a book with this many problems, solutions are usually well-described and accurate. Although there are the rare solution section errors, e.g., the incorrectly drawn figure on page 364, or the solution to a different problem than that given on page 369.

Arguably, the book's primary deficiency is its strong emphasis on memorization of problem formats and pattern solutions, to the exclusion of a more general problem-solving strategy.The pattern-solving approach, while extremely helpful for the AP exam, may occasionally lead to "missing the forest for the trees", resulting inreaders spending more time solving a problem than needed. As one example, in Chapter 6 readers are asked to, "Find the values of x where the normal to the graph of (x-9)^2 is parallel to the y-axis."The solution presented follows the previously presented solution pattern of finding the derivative of the curve, i.e., the slope of the tangent to the curve, recognizing that the slope of the normal is the negative reciprocal of the slope of the tangent, and then finding where the slope of the negative reciprocal is infinite.Simply recognizing (x-9)^2 as an upward opening parabola with vertex at x=9 would have allowed the solution to be quickly identified by inspection.

Other deficiencies include the occasional editing lapse, for example, when an unrelated integral trigonometric equation inexplicably appears in the middle of page 81. Some extended coverage, at least an appendix, on the use of graphing calculators, as they are now required for the exams, would have been appreciated. Also, the paper appears to be relatively lower quality than usual, which is probably acceptable considering the book's relatively low cost.

If you're considering an earlier edition to reduce costs, note that although the presentation, examples, and problem sets in, e.g., the 1999/2000 edition are almost identical to the 2009 edition, the 2009 edition has fully worked solutions while the earlier 1999/2000 edition only provides answers.

Although there are some minor deficiencies, this book can be highly recommended for those preparing for AP calculus exams, owing to the excellent concise presentation of topics, and the outstanding and extensive sets of problems with full solutions.Based on my experience, its possible to complete the book at a reasonable pace in about eight weeks.

Except for the relatively extended coverage of curve sketching, an interesting anachronism from earlier decades when plotting software and graphing calculators were not widely available, this book can also be highly recommend for self-study in preparation for applied courses or independent reading where a basic understanding of calculus is needed, even when the AP exams are not a consideration. ... Read more

Product Description

The acclaimed Calculus: Concepts and Applications is now available in a new edition, revised to reflect important changes in the Advanced Placement curriculum, and updated to incorporate feedback from instructors throughout the U.S.

Customer Reviews (4)

Good for what it is
The title says it all. This book is designed to be a "textbook" for the AP Calculus AB/BC exams. I think in that respect it succeeds immensely!

My teacher chose this text for our AP Calculus AB class and found it a delight to work with. The concepts were explained clearly, there were enough example problems to get the point across. I did find an occasional "skipped" step which would basically force me to try to fill in the gap, but hey, that helps get the calculus juices flowing, right?

The problems in the book -- which are the cornerstone of any textbook -- are really well designed for what an AP Calculus student should be able to do. There are several kinds of problems. The "quick reviews" are useful for beginning of class warmups (you know, 10 minutes to drill the basics) and the actual problems can vary from easy to challenging (but all within the scope of AP difficulty).

So if you're an AP Calc teacher looking for a class text or a student who wants to self study calculus specifically for the AP exam, then this is, by all means, the text to use. I suggest pairing this with Princeton Review's AP Calculus prep book if you want a 5.

pretty good
This was the main textbook used for my Calculus AB class. Its explanations are clear, though sometimes difficult steps in algebraic manipulation are skipped (which may initially confuse but can be figured out after some additional work). The text progresses within each chapter, relying initially on an exploratory section where concepts are not directly stated but figured out through a little guidance with the questions. This first section introduces the readers to the concept being studied in each respective chapter. Then, the information is given in ensuing sections of the chapter. The best part of this text is the "green boxes" which sum up concepts learned, definitions, formulas, etc., which make reviewing for a final exam a much simpler task. It has a simple presentation with few colors, sticking mainly to a light olive green and gray for the pictures and other illustrations. This textbook is a very good tool for calculus students, relying on varied methods of learning and some self-discovery of the subject matter.

Great Book
This is a great book, I used it in my Pre-Cal and BC Cal class. It's very easy to understand, and easy to get into Calculus class!

An excellent book from an excellent teacher.
This book made a difficult subject (calculus) easy to understand through its effective use of diagrams, examples, and word problems.Iwould not have been able to survive Calculus BC AP without it. ... Read more

Product Description
New publisher! Corrected version! Demonstrating analytical and numerical techniques for attacking problems in the application of mathematics, this well-organized, clearly written text presents the logical relationship and fundamental notations of analysis. Buck discusses analysis not solely as a tool, but as a subject in its own right. This skill-building volume familiarizes students with the language, concepts, and standard theorems of analysis, preparing them to read the mathematical literature on their own. The text revisits certain portions of elementary calculus and gives a systematic, modern approach to the differential and integral calculus of functions and transformations in several variables, including an introduction to the theory of differential forms. The material is structured to benefit those students whose interests lean toward either research in mathematics or its applications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Intro Analysis
I used this text as an undergraduate 30 years ago. It amazes me that there has not been a valid rival published since Buck first appeared more than a half century ago. My students have thrived on it for many years now and I expect it to remain so into the future.

Thank you!
The book is in great condition and shipping was fast, however, the picture that's posted as the item I received is not the actual item. The book is, like I said, in perfect condition, and I'm able to use it. Thank you very much!

This Book is Weird
If you have had analysis with Rudin, this book is very weird - no metric spaces, no convergence theorems to speak of, no series - but it does have some very interesting stuff.Buck's explanation of things like open sets, the double integral, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus are really interesting.If you have the spare change, buy this and really look at it - even better - check it out from the library.

From a physics student.
The book was excellent, starting with the basics of sets and topology and build quickly to the traditional subjects of calculus. I particularly enjoyed the way the author was able to draw attention to the key ideas that come up again and again, the mean value theorem for example. I have never seen a better view of the foundation of calculus, and this book is never leaving my shelf.

Great and accessible
This book provides a very readable and insightful account of the material that is usually covered in two semesters of advanced undergraduate courses usually called "Advanced Calculus" or "Real Analysis."Explanations are clear and concepts are well motivated.The problem sets are well-selected, and are do-able after reading the relevant chapters.This book is highly recommended for engineers or scientists wishing to gain a deeper understanding of mathematics, and for math majors preparing for graduate study in real analysis.It is a great book. ... Read more

Product Description

The Fifth Edition of this leading text offers substantial training in vectors and matrices, vector analysis, and partial differential equations. Vectors are introduced at the outset and serve at many points to indicate geometrical and physical significance of mathematical relations. Numerical methods are touched upon at various points, because of their practical value and the insights they give about theory.

Vectors and Matrices; Differential Calculus of Functions of Several Variables; Vector Differential Calculus; Integral Calculus of Functions of Several Variables; Vector Integral Calculus; Two-Dimensional Theory; Three-Dimensional Theory and Applications; Infinite Series; Fourier Series and Orthogonal Functions; Functions of a Complex Variable; Ordinary Differential Equations; Partial Differential Equations

For all readers interested in advanced calculus.

Customer Reviews (16)

Where it's good it's good. But I kept going back to Stewart.
The Kaplan book is direct, concise, and well-organized. In general, I liked it.

However, some of Kaplan's explanations were a bit TOO concise. In those cases, I found myself going back to Multivariable Calculus (Stewart's Calculus Series) -- i.e., the second half of Stewart's big calculus book, published separately so that you don't get a hernia from carrying it around. If you grasp a point quickly, Kaplan is better; if you need more help, Stewart is better.

One complaint: The Kaplan book is very cheaply bound. By the end of the semester, my copy was falling apart.

Excellent in depth treatment of multi-variable calculus
This text gives a much deeper treatment than what is found in the typical undergraduate textbook for Calc I, II, and III.I would recommend it especially for engineers and physicists who want a much deeper understanding of multivariable calculus without necessarily learning to prove everything, and I would recommend it for advanced math students who want to build some more intuition about calculus before trying to plow through a basic analysis text like Rudin's Principles of Mathematical Analysis.

It is Advanced Calculus.
First let me set the context of the review. I am not a math whiz kid. I have a very strong interest in mathematics I just don't have the facility that I have seen in others.
Now that being said I used this book as an upper level undergarduate course in Advanced Calculus. The book expects a lot of mathematical maturity and did not offer any real insights to me. As a consequence I did find myself having to constantly refer to other calculus texts to get an understanding of what Kaplan was explaining. As a resource for learning Advanced Calculus and gaining insight I find it useless, though it is quite useful as a reference.

great for engineering and non-theoretical science majors
I learned from this book during my sophomore year advanced calculus class. The best thing about this book -- answers to all the problems are included. What a novel idea -- answers! I can't speak for others, but I can still remember doing problem after problem from this book and knowing that I could always check my understanding, or lack understanding, of the material by checking my work against the answers.

As to why do I think this book is for engineers and non-theoretical science majors? Very simple, it does *not* cover real analysis as the books by Rudin, Shilov or Johnsonbaugh and Pfaffenberger (my favorite). These other books follow a very traditional approach -- axioms, lemmas, theorems, corollaries. Kaplan's book presents all the mathematics that an engineer, etc. will typically need and with a clear explanation. You won't find delta-epsilon proofs here, but you will find multi-variate calculus, vector differential and integral calculus, orthogonal functions and expansions (Fourier series), complex variables, and ODEs and PDEs. Everything is covered. The explanations are generally very good. There are examples, and of course, answers to the problems are included.

You can think of this book as a Schaum's Outline on Advanced Calculus, but with real explanations, not just statements. I'm not knocking Schaum's Outlines. I own several of them.

Excellent service!
Book was just as described. I am very satisfied. Fast service even I am in Mexico. ... 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Difficult, but thought provoking
This is one of the two books that we use for AP Calculus A/B and i find that it is a pretty decent textbook. We use the older second edition, but I have scanned through this edition and it seems to be pretty similar. I do agree that the examples do not completely reflect the difficulty of the problems, but this can also be viewed positively because it forces you to apply the concepts to in more complex ways and this really maked you to understand the topic in depth. I also like that for most concepts, they give both abstract and "number" examples and practice problems. In addition to this book, we also use the Stewart Calculus book for some simpler practice, or when alot of repetitive problams work better. In all, I would give this a 4- star rating if possible, because more simple problems would add to the book. Also, this book is not good to learn from on your own so a poor teacher will compound the problems mentioned above. If you have a good teacher, though, this book is for the most part good.

Alright
Doesn't have much examples that relate to the assignments in the chapters. Does have some good examples to do as well.

Calculus info
book is not bad. If you have trouble understanding math, I would suggest you get the "single variable calculus, 6th edition" the 6th Edition has much better explanations. And more pictures :D

Regarding Kindle Edition Only...
Faculty please note: the Kindle edition has typographical problems. Some characters appear to be dropped. Also, unknowns are never emphasized (italicized) and very often - especially with $t$ for some reason - they are run into the succeeding word. Most of this can be worked out fine by a reader who is comfortable with the material - but isn't the primary audience for a textbook students who by definition are NOT comfortable with the material? All in all, it's a appalling job of converting a text book that costs over $90 to download (and so won't cut into their profit margin with resales). I will have to think twice about buying a Kindle book from Wiley again. About the book itself, as content, I have no complaints, so this bad review rests squarely on the production staff. Oh, and by the way, Wiley: if Amazon can take a book off my Kindle, you can get them to update it with a fixed version. Do it, and I'll happily pull this review.

Slow shipping
They said it's a 2 day shipping. It has been a week and I haven't receive nothing!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Designed for the three-semester engineering calculus course, CALCULUS: EARLY TRANSCENDENTAL FUNCTIONS, 5/e, continues to offer users innovative teaching and learning resources. The Larson team always has two main objectives for book revisions: to develop precise, readable materials for users that clearly define and demonstrate concepts and rules of calculus; and to design comprehensive teaching resources for users that employ proven pedagogical techniques and save time. The Larson/Edwards Calculus program offers a solution to address the needs of any calculus course and any level of calculus user. Every edition from the first to the fourth of CALCULUS: EARLY TRANSCENDENTAL FUNCTIONS, 5/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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fast Shipping, Book Just as Described
I received the book in 2 or 3 days after purchasing it and it was in perfect brand new condition ... Read more

Product Description
In Microeconomics: Theory and Applications with Calculus,Perloff brings his hallmark pedagogy to the calculus-based course byintegrating Solved Problems and real, data-driven applications in everychapter. This new text offers a serious presentation of calculus-basedmicroeconomic theory and offers a suite of carefully crafted,calculus-based problem sets at the end of each chapter.

Introduction; Supply and Demand; A Consumer’s Constrained Choice;Demand; Consumer Welfare and Policy Analysis; Firms and Production;Costs; Competitive Firms and Markets; Properties and Applications ofthe Competitive Model; General Equilibrium and Economic Welfare;Monopoly; Pricing and Advertising; Oligopoly and MonopolisticCompetition; Game Theory; Factor Markets; Uncertainty; Externalities,Open Access, and Public Goods; Asymmetric Information; Contracts andMoral Hazard.

For all readers interested in calculus-based intermediate microeconomics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Not so engaging book
I found this book to be very engaging. For a person with decent background in Calculus and with almost no background in Economics, I found this book to be useful. But that was my opinion till I came across Microeconomic Theory: Basic Principles and Extensions

The cost of the book is on the higher side and it does not include the subscription to myeconlab. But the Nicholson book is not only cheaper but also has a printed access card. Perloff's book is in colour while Nicholson's is an all black and white book. But that does not matter at all.

Please don't buy this book and waste your money. Buy the book by Nicholson and Snyder instead.

One of the worst books in Microeconomics history!
The biggest problems:Lacks detail and when Perloff does give examples, he does it in the most complex way.

This is literally one the most despicable books ever written.Out of all the courses I've taken, I wanted to jump of the bridge after reading this book and everyone in my class that I've spoken to also felt the same way.The book is lacks descriptions and is not written to its audience.The professor who wrote this book teaches at UC Berkeley.The GIS at UCB told my friend he was lucky that Perloff wasn't teaching Int. Micro when he took the class. Perloff teaches exactly the same way he writes in his books.

gggood
Book is in great condition. Came fast. Wish it was easier to read, but that's the author's fault, not the seller.

The peak in teaching and learning
I think that this book is the best among many other I have read so far in Microeconomics. At the same time it includes the foundations of microeconomics, it brings you and raise you to the pragmatic world of how, why precision.

If you like precision, this is the tool for its in Microeconomics.

serious book for serious ADVANCED students
I am a student at the University of Michigan and this is the book we use for our intermediate microeconomics theory class.To start, this is NOT the book for you if you are weak in math (ie. can't stand calculus) and lack a solid understanding of basic microeconomics.If you are only trying to get the fundamentals, like say, how monopolies behave in a market economy or what a supply and demand curve looks like then go for the one by Pindyck.This book is for those who want to gain a DEEPER understanding of micro.Like given a trade between two individuals, what would be the equilibrium bundle reached by both parties considering their unique indifference curves.And how much would a consumer demand given a budget constraint.These are some of the topics covered in this book and Perloff has done a superb job showing the concepts.

The math in this textbook is somewhat advanced for the average undergraduate.if you don't know what a partial derivative is, then you will be lost.There are some first order differential equations and Lagrangians in there as well. In order to get the most out of this book I would say you need to have a solid understanding of calculus I and II, and a basic knowledge of III and IV.The concepts themselves aren't that complicated it's just that Perloff uses a lot of calculus to show them. But like I said, if you ARE good at math then this book will tell you more about intermediate micro and leave you with a far better theoretical background than any other.

Indeed, this is arguably the BEST undergraduate textbook for intermediate microeconomics. It's written like how a true microeconomics theorist would write it, and it is way better than the classic by Varian. The book actually shows you the mathematical derivations behind the concepts and Perloff always cut to the heart of the issue and explain things in the most succinct manner.Plus there's also a ton of problems after each chapter with solutions in the back.Given the fact that microeconomics theory is essentially a physics or a math class, Perloff's book gets an A+ for giving students lots of problems to work on.Without which anyone would be lost on a quantitative based exam.

All in all, I would highly recommend this book for anyone with a serious interest in microeconomics and/or a desire to pursue micro theory at a graduate level later on. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the most comprehensive revision of Thomas' Calculus in 25 years. The new edition of Thomas is a return to what Thomas has always been: the book with the best exercises. For the 11th edition, the authors have added exercises cut in the 10th edition, as well as exercises and examples from the classic 5th and 6th editions.The book's theme is that Calculus is about thinking; one cannot memorize it all. The exercises develop this theme as a pivot point between the lecture in class, and the understanding that comes with applying the ideas of Calculus.In addition, the table of contents has been refined, introducing transcendentals in the first seven chapters. Many of the examples have been trimmed of distractions and rewritten with a clear focus on the main ideas. The authors have also excised extraneous information in general and have made the technology much more transparent.The ambition of Thomas 11e is to teach the ideas of Calculus so that students will be able to apply them in new and novel ways, first in the exercises but ultimately in their careers.Every effort has been made to insure that all content in the new edition reinforces thinking and encourages deep understanding of the material. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Quick Delivery, Excellent Product
The book came within a week and the product was just as it was described.

college calculus
Helpful if you plan to take calculus levels one and two. It has a lot of material.

Thomas' Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 10th edition

I discuss this book within my review of James Stewart's Calculus: Early Transcendentals where I compare Stewart's approach and the approach of this edition of Thomas' Calculus in their discussions of limits and continuity. I rate Stewart's at 1 star. I think this book, this edition, is a clear, well organized, and even paced introduction to calculus. I am very curious about the latest edition, Thomas' Calculus Early Transcendentals (12th Edition).

great book
this book's in good condition, the same as its description when i first purchased it.it arrived on time, which was the most important thing that i needed when i bought it on amazon.

Horrible Book
I am new to Calculus and I find this book to be extremly difficult to understand.When given pratice problems, there is no material in the book that will at least provide you with an example of how to do the problems.There are examples shown how to solve a problem, however most of the pratice problems do not have an example.I find that learning from this book is a extremly difficult task. ... Read more

Product Description

Contains solutions to all odd-numbered exercises in Chapters 10-14.

Customer Reviews (11)

Required Calculus Textbook
This is a good textbook when used for a class, which it is required for at my school.Unfortunately, without a teacher to explain the material, it can be extremely confusing.They should let the "for Dummies" authors write all college textbooks... of course, then we wouldn't need teachers anymore.

Calculus book
The description was exactly as stated, the the textbook was shipped to me right away. I couldn't be happier with the whole transaction.

A++++
The product arrived on time, as described, in acceptable packaging. The book was unmarked and very usable. I would definitely purchase again from this seller.

The book itself is not my favorite calculus text but it is required by my professor and is cheap so I cant complain!

PURCHASE THE ANSWER MANUAL FOR THIS BOOK OR YOU WILL BE LOST.
The answers in the back of the book have no explanations and if you expect to fully understand your homework, I suggest you paying for a used answer manual on this website. In regards to the answer manual: BE SURE TO BUY VOLUME 1 NOT VOLUME 2 IF YOURE IN CALC 1 or 2. and VOLUME 2 if you're in CALC 3. Good luck with calculus!

Old but well written.
I Remember first using this book my senior year in H calc, I found that its greatest strength was that it was very well organized and optimized for students who are "calc" students, and is designed for calc 1-3 (to teachers...this book is great for calculus students, but dont make it a numbers game, this book can easily be your best friend or greatest enemy if it is not taught correctly, coming from a former hs calc student and current college calc student, its not worth rushing.) Although this book is by no means perfect, it is the easiest to read and follow thus far, and it does a good job of pairing questions and not "leading in" (having an even question which has a new concept and the next odd having another concept). The only thing that I can say needs work is a few (really not too many) typos, and perhaps a few more colors, other than that its definitely very well written. Here is the study guide Calculus: Early Transcendental Functions, 3rd edition (Study and Solutions Guide, Volume 1).

Amazing
Such an amount of knowledge for such a price is a gift. The service was excellent too. Thank you. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the second volume of Liberty Fund's "The Selected Works of Gordon Tullock", it is a reprint edition of the ground-breaking economic classic written by two of the world's preeminent economists - Gordon Tullock and Nobel Laureate James M. Buchanan. This book is a unique blend of economics and political science that helped create significant new subfields in each discipline respectively, namely, the public choice school and constitutional political economy. Charles K. Rowley, Duncan Black Professor of Economics at George Mason University, points out in his introduction, "The Calculus of Consent" is, by a wide margin, the most widely cited publication of each coauthor and, by general agreement, their most important scientific contribution." The book is divided into four parts, each consisting of several chapters. The introduction by Professor Rowley provides a short overview of the book and identifies key insights that permeated the bounds of economics and political science and created an enduring nexus between the two sciences.Part I establishes the conceptual framework of the book's subject; part II defines the realm of social choice; part III applies the logic developed in part II to describe a range of decision-making rules, most notably, the rule of simple majority; while part IV explores the economics and ethics of democracy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Read this to understand how government works (and fails)
Buchanan and Tullock (BT) wrote The Calculus of Consent: Logical Foundations of Constitutional Democracy in 1962, but their analysis is still worth considering.

Although the book is written for academics, it is not hard to read. Reasonable concentration and patience is all that's required to understand BT's exposition.*

Here's their big point: Constitutions should be designed from the perspective of individuals seeking their own interest, not a society seeking the greatest good for the greatest number.** They say this not because they think that people are selfish bastards, but because governments of/by/for the people need to be designed for the choices that individuals make. It's a question of "appropriate technology."

Here are a few notes that I made while reading:

* Economics "works" because people are different. That means that they can trade -- one man's trash is another man's treasure. The same holds for politics, where people have different needs and interests, and these change over time.
* Political choice is subject to uncertainty (NOT risk) over time, over multiple decisions. That means that a constitution should be designed to maximize "average" benefits (wins less losses) across many decisions (ex-ante unknown), allowing for trades in votes over many issues (logrolling). Decisions are made on two levels: At the ex-ante constitutional stage, general rules for making decisions are decided. On the current-event legislative stage, particular decisions are made. An individual may approve a constitution that allows him to be overruled, knowing that he will still gain net benefits from constitutional protections over time. On individual issues, the individual will vote for his own interest -- or trade his votes for other issues of greater importance.
* There are three ways to make policies: Private individual decisions, private group decisions, and public group decisions. Private groups need unanimous agreement; public groups do not. The most-efficient decision mechanism recognizes two costs: The cost to the individual of the mechanism (i.e., where the majority tells the minority what to do) and the cost of making a decision (i.e., the larger the majority required, the larger the cost). There is a sweet spot in the aggregate of these costs, where the cost to the individual and the cost of making a decision are minimized. You want to design a constitution to hit that spot.
* Note that a rule of unanimity has the lowest cost to the individual, since no individual will allow a policy that hurts himself. Unanimity has a high decision cost, since it requires that everyone agree on a policy.
* The literature of collective action tends to focus on the cost of not doing something; they miss the cost -- to the individual -- of doing something. This cost is perhaps a "choice externality."
* The more-disaggregated the decision authority, the lower the cost of a decision (subsidiarity).
* A single-issue referendum is inefficient because it does not allow logrolling -- vote trading that takes issue intensity into consideration.
* BT make a major mistake here, I think, in ignoring (or missing) the problem of logrolling a series of bad policies into place.*** Because they assume that voters -- not representatives -- are making decisions, they assume that logrolled-policies are beneficial on net. This assumption falls apart when self-interested representatives trade their votes for policies that benefit special interests. In the resulting circle of value-subtracting, robbing Peter-to-pay-Paul policies, they make everyone worse off, in multiple ways.
* Public projects need only benefit the proportion of votes necessary to get the project enacted. It's clear that these projects can be less efficient than private collective projects.
* BT's theories match observed constitutions and legislative processes.
* Representative voting means that a minority of 1/4 -- 51% of the voters in 51% of the districts -- can make decisions. Beware!
* An individual may accept private costs (e.g., from allowing prostitution to continue) if the alternative (collective control of sex) is worse.
* The best way to allocate a collective good is to give every individual an equal share (adding to 100% of the good) and then allow trading. That's what I have said for all-in-auctions and human rights and water!
* As government has expanded its range and allowed for narrowly-defined programs (remember that this was written in 1962!), the benefits to special interest groups have increased. From this, we can see that special interests will thrive as government's size and scope increases.
* Tullock says that game theory accepts the rules as given while economics allows the rules to change (or be ignored). This useful classification was discarded when GT was merged into economics. I make this point when discussing "conflict theory" -- where rules are endogenous -- but I wonder how many economists fail to consider what scenarios when rules can be broken.

Bottom Line: I give this provocative and useful book FIVE STARS. Every political scientist should read it. Anyone running an organization should read it. Citizens should read it. People upset about BP, or Iraq, or the DMV should read it. (Or maybe just read this review a few times and think about the difference between what you want government to do, what it can do, and what it does do.) * I tried recently to read Keynes's General Theory and got lost in his witty erudition. I left it on the bus.
** Something that Professor Wantrup, my benefactor, also understood.
*** I do not know if they updated their theory in the past 50 years (!) to account for this problem. Help?

Pathbreaking Analysis in Political Economy
The Calculus of Consent was a pioneering book when it was first published in 1962. While this book does have some overlap with the slightly earlier work of Anthony Downs and Duncan Black, Buchanan and Tullock took the economic analysis of democracy into new territory: constitutions. Chapter six is the core of this book. Here the authors specify the logic behind cost minimizing constitutional rules concerning public choices. The ensuing chapters sort out many details regarding the workings of democracy. This book is highly abstract, but it also contains much common sense and realism.

Buchanan and Tullock make a strong case for constitutionally limited government. In some respects this is an uncontroversial assertion. Who wants unlimited government in the strict sense? Who wants totalitarianism? Well, nobody does, when you put it that way. However, many people do want to disregard constitutional limitations when it suites them (both welfare state liberals and conservatives are guilty of evading American constitutional laws). Buchanan and Tullock make you think about where "we" should draw the line between the private and public sectors. Buchanan and Tullock make you think about how "we" can draw a line between the private and public sectors. These are the big questions of political economy. Whether you agree with them or not, they will make you rethink your position (provided you keep an open mind).

My main beef with this book concerns `political opportunity costs'. How do we know the value of forgone political alternatives? Can we know the value of forgone political alternatives? My own take on this last question is rarely. I was lucky enough to take classes with Buchanan and Tullock, so they have read my work on political opportunity costs (and commented on it favorably). Well, enough self promotion (my policy conclusions differ little from theirs anyway). The Calculus of Consent is a classic in modern political economy. All political science students should read it, especially at the graduate level.

Fascinating book
This is truly a fascinating book.Few books have had a greater influence on my political thought.The initial assumptions have a libertarian bent, but the construction of the argument from there is brilliant.As for an overview of the book, I feel that Mr. Templeman's review below was just about perfect.

High praise with a grain of salt
The main contribution of this pathbreaking book is by providing a rationale for the "counter-majoritarian difficulty": Why does society tolerate the "dead hand" of the constitutional framers to limit the freedom of choice of living individuals who wish to undo the constitution? The authors muse that in some previous stage, where individuals cannot identify their future preferences, each individual is threatened by two kinds of risk: The first is that others will attempt to take something that belongs to her and achieve their purpose by popular vote. From this prespective each individual desires that such a popular vote will not be made effectual unless supported by the largest number of participants. The second concern is that individuals might wish, in the future, to appropriate something that belongs to others, and may be thwarted by a popular vote, inimical to their cause. From this second perspective they wish to institute a rule that allows the appropriation to take place with only a minimal number of supportets. Each one of these two perils can be represented by a cost function, where the cost is a function of the number of voters necessary to carry the proposed measure; adding up the two functions generates an aggregate cost schedule for all rational players. The minimum of the aggregate function indicates the optimal number of individuals, as a portion of the voting population, necessary for carrying the proposed measure. If this number is greater than 50% of the population, this fact justifies the entrenchment of entitlements in a constitution. The grain of salt that must be added to this analysis is that the authors do not provide an explanation why that number might be greater than 50% of the population, or what might be the conditions that must be satisfied for the generation of that number.

Foundation for Studying Political Economy
A few other reviews have dismissed this book somehow as sloppy and even halarious.I would like to just make sure that the credibility of the work put forth by Buchanan and Tullock is realized.This book, along with a number of other great accomplishments, won James Buchanan a Nobel Prize in economics.To view this work as a right wing rationalization is way off base, study the works of Buchanan and Tullock and you will realize that statement is completely ridiculous. ... Read more

Product Description

1722: A second Dark Age looms. An asteroid has devastated the Earth, called down by dire creatures who plot against the world of men. The brilliant-- some say mad--Isaac Newton has taken refuge in ancient Prague. There, with his young apprentice Ben Franklin, he plumbs the secrets of the aetheric beings who have so nearly destroyed humanity.

But their safety is tenuous. Peter the Great marches his unstoppable forces across Europe. And half a world away, Cotton Mather and Blackbeard the pirate assemble a party of colonial luminaries to cross the Atlantic and discover what has befallen the Old World. With them sails Red Shoes, a Choctaw shaman whose mysterious connections to the invisible world warn him that they are all moving toward a confrontation as violent as it is decisive . . . Amazon.com Review
What if Isaac Newton had discovered that alchemy works?J. Gregory Keyes has based his Age of Unreason series on an alternate18th century shaped by a "science" that grew from Newton's discoveryof "philosopher's mercury," which "can transmit vibrations into theaether" and thus "alter the states and composition of matter." In ACalculus of Angels, Keyes continues the tale he began in Newton's Cannon. It'sa satisfying sequel that nevertheless leaves the reader impatient forthe next book.

Two years have passed since the asteroid struck. Theweather is unnaturally cold, the skies perpetually overcast. Englandis devastated, the French government has collapsed upon the death ofLouis XIV. Peter the Great, now inspired by the guardian spirit whopreserved Louis, has marched his armies westward into the Netherlandsand France. In the New World, the abandoned colonists send adelegation including Blackbeard, Cotton Mather, and a Choctaw shamannamed Red Shoes to find out what's happened. In Prague, Newton and hisapprentice, Ben Franklin, seek to protect the city from aethericattack. The mathematically gifted Adrienne de Montchevreuil is alsoback and expanding her knowledge of the mysterious malakim who inhabitthe aether and menace mankind.

Keyes creates a very believablemixture of history, fantasy, and plausibly imagined historicalcharacters. Each book has been exciting, suspenseful, and beautifullywritten. No admirer of alternate history should miss thisseries. --Nona Vero ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Europe after a comet....
The starting premise for this book was already nicely set-up at the end of the first one, so it begins at an interesting level.Europe is suffering the aftermath of an alchemically-guided comet hitting England, and a new age of darkness seems to have been ushered.

The feeling of the story changes in this sequel and for the rest of the series.It is no longer as scientific and mathematical in its dialogue and descriptions as the villains reveal more and more of their true nature.The new characters of the Tsar Peter, Lenka and Red Shoes are interesting in their own way, though Red Shoes took a while to set in, especially since he becomes as important as Adrienne and Benjamin Franklin.

You can see how the world suffers and how people react to it by the way the writer describes it all, meaning that you will get fully immersed in the story.There is a healthy serving of action and suspense and it ends with a bang.However, the writer's style will continue to let you hanging at the end of each chapter, right at the beginning or middle of the action.For some readers, that was too bothersome.I just adapted to it.

In conclusion, I heartily recommend continuing this story.It is like nothing else I've ever read.

Great Book - Lousy Kindle Version
I'm truly enjoying this series of books from Greg Keyes. After reading through and enjoying the 'Briar King' series I thought I would give this series a try. The story line, characters and its fresh ideas for an alternative history fantasy drew me right in. The story is excellent and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The first book, "Newton's Cannon" was an excellent read and the kindle version of it hardly had any formatting issues.

However, does the publisher or whomever converts books into Kindle format understand that hiring a proof reader is an essential? There are so many typos in this books it became a distraction! Usually I can look over the occasional formatting error or typo in text but when nearly every "I" or lower-case "l" is printed as the number "1" makes be believe that they didn't do any proofing of this version at all.

I'm starting out on the next book in the series, "Empire of Unreason" and unfortunately the horrible formatting job done to "A Calculus of Angels" continues in 'Empire'. If you are interested in this book - go buy the hardcopy and leave the Kindle version behind (and this is *very* hard for me to write as I absolutely love my Kindle).

Okay book -- horrible, typo-ridden Kindle transfer!
This review is specifically for the Kindle edition.The story and writing merit 3 or 3 1/2 stars, but I'm putting in 1 star to protest the horribly sloppy Kindle transcription.This transfer is absolutely riddled with typos, with at least 2 or 3 per page, constantly distracting from enjoyment of the book as you try to parse words mushed together without spaces, letter "I" replaced with "1" and with "/", the word "you" turned to "vou", "gou", "yot" and a dozen other permutations.For me, the Kindle will cease to be a viable reading format if this level of sloppiness becomes common in transfers.

Quite nice
A refreshing look at combining the historical and fantastical, and does quite a good job at muddying plausible and inplausible sciences of the 18th century till even the reader easily gets pulled into what may, or may not be grounded in actual real world science.Characters are mostly believable and easy to identify with, and the author pulls bits of reputed character traits for historical characters while taking an absolute and fun literary license with the rest.All in all, a good and fun book, well thought out, and moves though at a brisk pace while maintaining enough depth to satisfy even a jaded, more adult fantasy/science fiction reader.

What's the alchemical sign for fun?
A Calculus of Angels, the second book in the Age of Unreason series by J. Gregory Keyes, does exactly what a second book is supposed to do.It builds on the first book, giving us more insight into the greater problem that the series addresses, as well as moving all the characters forward.The alternate history that Keyes has built is fascinating stuff, much richer than the "what if World War II turned out differently" that many authors use.A Calculus of Angels is a wonderful mixture of sorcery, alchemy, and science.Keyes also adds a few more characters to the mix, making for a much deeper story.

We are a few years removed from when the great comet hit London and wiped out much of western Europe.Those in the Americas, not having heard anything from Europe in quite a while, are ready to join forces (French, English, and Native) to send an expedition to find out what is happening.Meanwhile, Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, is on the march to conquer what is left of Europe.Sir Isaac Newton and his young apprentice, Ben Franklin, are in Prague, attempting to figure out what is really going on.Adrienne, former lover of King Louis of France, is on the run from the remnants of the French nobility, all vying for what's left of the French throne.What spirits are using the world to fight their own war against humanity?Are these spirits religious in nature, servants of God?Or are they trying to fight everything that humanity holds dear?Who controls who?And will Peter be able to conquer everything in his path with the mysterious flying ships that he wields?All will come together in one city, one fatal encounter that could decide everything.And what does Adrienne's child have to do with all of this?

A Calculus of Angels is a much better book than Newton's Cannon, mainly for its broader scope.The first book was pretty narrow, concentrating mainly on Adrienne and Ben Franklin.This one covers a lot more ground.Ben and Adrienne are still prominent, and they get a lot of development, as Ben chafes under Newton's refusal to tell him what Newton is researching and Adrienne learns her place in this spiritual war that is going on.But Keyes gives us more storylines to follow as well.There is the expedition from the Americas to discover what is going on.This party gives us a wonderful character in the Choctaw shaman, Red Shoes.It also gives us Cotton Mather, Blackbeard (former pirate and now governor of a small colony) and the French governor of Louisiana, Bienville.It is through them that we see most of the devastation that covers Europe, especially Great Britain.

While Mather is a bit of a stereotypical religious figure, he does have his moments where he is surprising.The others aren't quite as well-drawn, though they serve their purposes well in supporting Red Shoes and getting him where he needs to be.Especially good is the scene where some of the ship's crew take Red Shoes for a night on the town, and he sees the deadness in the girl that is given to him, even as the others finish their night of debauchery.This highlights the other world that only he can see, and gives us a great bit of his character.

Probably the best scenes in the book, however, involve young Ben as he tries to make his way in Prague.Newton is being very uncooperative and Ben is trying to do his best to fit in.He is an intelligent young man himself, and he's invented many toys for the King to play with, but he knows that Newton's holding something back.The interplay between the two is wonderful, especially in their final scene together as Newton realizes just how much he's hurt Ben.Once Ben and the others leave Prague, it's not quite as interesting, and the scenes in Venice drag a little bit.Still, he's the most important character in the book, and he carries it well.

The only thing that really mars the book, and it's a small thing, is how everybody ends up in the same place at the same time.Considering the number of storylines that are going on, this stretches the coincidence just a little too much.Once they are all there, it makes for a riveting conclusion as Ben tries his best to outwit his opponents and survive himself.The ending is a bit predictable, but it leads into an epilogue that really makes you want to read the next book to see where the story goes from here.

One aspect of Newton's Cannon that I hated was the way Keyes began chapters in the middle of action and had the characters reflect back on what happened to catch the reader up.Keyes still does this occasionally, but it's not quite as noticeable this time.This really adds to the strength of the book, as the prose flows a lot better.The prose is rougher than it is in Keyes' Kingdoms of Thorn & Bone series, but it's earlier in his career, so a bit more acceptable.Keyes has taken an interesting premise and spun half of a very interesting tale. I'm looking forward to the next one.

David Roy ... Read more

Product Description
The Larson Calculus program has a long history of innovation in the calculus market. It has been widely praised by a generation of users for its solid and effective pedagogy that addresses the needs of a broad range of teaching and learning styles and environments. 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 (7)

Book purchase
I received my book very quickly and in great condition. I will definately consider this seller for future purchases.

Multivariable Calculus
I was very please with the physical appearance of the textbook I purchased as well as the promptness of its arrival. I would definitely make purchases through the seller in the future,

Is it a new book?

I regret buying a new(?)book. If I bought an old book with a good condition, it might have been better than the new book.

An amazing book.
I was truly impressed by the quality of this book, and i use it instead of the standard book my university uses to teach the course (the book is by james stewart).

Excellent examples, really good physics applications, Good images (graphs/planes/spheres/etc), a really good book, it helped lower my learning curve, or maybe that is because the book my university assigns is just horrible.

The best textbook available for Calculus
I have been a fan of Roland Larson's math textbooks, as they have always been very clear and the practice problems always make sense.I was recently stuck in some calculus courses which used the calculus textbook by James Stewart, and that book is a nightmare!Fortunately, my multivarible calc prof prefers Larson's book, which is what we use in class.Very good book; I recommend it much over Stewart's. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed specifically for business, economics, or life/social sciences majors, Calculus: An Applied Approach, 8/e, motivates students while fostering understanding and mastery. The book emphasizes integrated and engaging applications that show students the real-world relevance of topics and concepts. Several pedagogical features--from algebra review to study tips--provide extra guidance and practice. The Eighth Edition builds upon its applications emphasis through updated exercises and relevant examples. Applied problems drawn from government sources, industry, current events, and other disciplines provide well-rounded examples and appeal to diverse interests. In addition, the Calculus program offers a strong support package--including MathSPACE Instructor/Student websites and course management tools, instructional DVDs, and solutions manuals--that allows students to review the material independently and retain key concepts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Horrible book for an online course
The book works ok if you have a good professor and don't need to reference the book to learn the material.But if you need to actually learn the material, or your professor is lacking in communication skills, this is definitely the wrong book.

Good book
Book is in great shape, except for one small dent on the side. It is just what i needed and I will use it for the next few semesters. The shipping was very prompt.

calculus an applied approach
I well received my pack! Thank you very much it is exactly what I expected. Everything was okay. Nothing was broken.I am really happy and there is nothing wrong with it! Thank you again,
Joanie JOLIN

Not too shabby
This book has alot of good homework problems. From what I recall, the instructor did an excellent job of explaining the concepts so we didnt really need to read the book, just do the problems.

Calculus book
The book is in great condition and was a great buy! much cheaper to purchase here online than in the book store. ... Read more