Book 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.
All in all a good teaching tool, but I would tend to give more praise to the first half than the more challenging second half, I.e.- the trigonometry chapters and later. The material, I'm assuming, is pretty much the same as any other textbook on the subject, yet more attention is paid to giving a wider array of examples on the "easier" material. I understand that as you progress in the world of mathematics, the concepts/vocabulary become familiar, but this is a deceptive familiarity owing it's existence to the enveloping nature of just studying this universal language; the same attention to explanation should be given on all fronts. Anyway, this book is most useful when paired with it's solutions manual, where applications are shown conceptually alongside their answers and a bit more attention is given to explaining the more challenging topics.
One thing my teacher told me is that Pre-calculus books are review books to prepare you for Calculus, so if you're looking for an in depth book for algebra and trigonometry don't use Pre-calculus books. This book was my first exposure to trigonometry and I hated it. I found it very hard to follow and had to stay ahead of the class so I could prepare longer for the tests. One thing this book does not include is the minutes, seconds for trigonometry. Example 34degrees56’5''(can't use degree sign) = 34 degrees 56 minutes and 5 seconds. Problems like this should have been in the book since it's a basic of trigonometry. When my teacher put problems like this on a test, a lot of people had no idea what to do. The paperback edition has a lot of pages falling out and I am very gentle with my books. I give it four stars because I find it a useful reference and to brush up on things.
Loved this book. It was a very nice introduction to how to think mathematically which is sometimes missing from Calculus courses. The arithmetic and algebraic sections are very complete and provide plenty of exercises and examples to make it quite clear even without a tutor to teach you. I got a bit bored about the geometry sections but they're still useful and the introduction to limits is quite good although it could be expanded. Overall a must read for those wanting to enter the world of mathematics and prepare for a more complex Calculus course.
Still reading it and working my way through every problem in the book but wanted to rate it because this is a brilliant book where everything is explained in detail. I discovered that I absoluteky love higher mathematics and have bought Stewart's Calculus book as well, which is my next project. I am studying these math textbooks for myself, I have no other reason. As Darwin once said, 'I happened to read [this] for my own amusement". Well said, indeed!
After seeing some other math textbooks, I realized that this is the best math textbook I've ever had. Its explanations are clear and succinct. It also makes a successful attempt to give some interesting background information on mathematicians.
An excellent book about basic algebra and trigonometry that would make you crush Calculus, he explain very well. I am majoring engineering and this is so far, my favorite math book.
A well-written, well-thought-out textbook with fun examples even if you don't 100% enjoy the subject matter. This was easier to understand and work with than other math textbooks I've had to deal with and much easier to follow.