The platonic ideal an applied mathematics textbook: really clearly written, really relevant, really illuminating. I went from having no idea of how to solve problems in science and engineering with no analytic (long-hand) solutions, to having a sound grounding in computer-assisted methods for differential calculus, integral calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, as well as linear, polynomial, and exponential regression. For most engineering students enrolled in a numerical methods, Chapra's text is the clear choice.