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Calculus Single Variable 5th Edition with CD-ROM

1 stars (Crap) - I have used this book for 2 semesters and all i have to say is that it sucks. the author skips steps and does a bad job of explaining nearly 75 percent of the book. i personally believe that he should know better, because alot of people dont have a good background in math, including myself, therefore alot of clear explanation is needed. this means that skipping steps and explaining concepts breifly doesnt cut it. therefore anyone who buys this book, should make sure he/she has many ways in tackling calculus, instead of just using the book, which is a waste even if its a penny. this means get the solution manual, pair up with someone, and etc. 4 stars (For what its worth, this is a good Calculus textbook) - This book covers the first twelve chapters of the full edition of Calculus by Stewart. I would actually recommend buying that book instead of this one if you are planning on taking up to Calc. 3 because they are similar in price but the full version includes Calc 1, 2, and 3 material. Anyway, I used this text for both Calculus 1 and 2 in college. The first six chapters cover the course material for Calculus 1: Introductory Analytical Geometry, Limits, Derivatives, Applications of Derivatives, Integrals, and Applications of Intergrals. Chapters 7-12 covers course material normal for Calculus 2: Inverse functions/Derivatives and integrals of exponential and logarithmic functions, Techniques of Integrations, Applications of Integration to Physics/Engineering, Differiential Equations (which we didn't cover), Parametric Equations/Polar Coordinates, and Series. For some reason chapter seven includes different verisons of certain sections but they are basically the same anyway. Unlike other reviewers, I think that this book was very helpful. It is possible to learn the material if you put a lot of effort into it, which you need to do if you really want to learn Calculus. I can see why reviewers would find this book difficult to use though. Tru...
Brooks Cole :: Mathematics & Calculus :: Calculus & mathematical analysis :: Science&Mathematics :: Mathematics :: Calculus :: James Stewart :: :: Calculus Single Variable 5th Edition (with CD-ROM)

 

Calculus with CD-ROM

2 stars (Postively Dreadful) - Like many reviewers here, I purchased James Stewart's Calculus: Single Variable Early Transcendentals for two semesters of junior calculus. The book is hefty and expensive, close to $150, yet I when I finished junior calculus, I felt distinctly ripped off. I was further surprised to learn that this particular textbook was one of the most widely used in colleges throughout North America. How could a thoroughly inferior textbook become so popular? I asked myself. The problem, as I see it, is that James Stewart attempted two different approaches for this text, and failed miserably at both. On one hand, he presents the material in a mathematically rigorous fashion. On the other, he tries to present it in an intuitive way, so that students getting their first taste of calculus can better understand the material. Essentially, Stewart tries to satisfy both the professor and the student, but ends up pleasing neither. Mathematical proofs, for examples, are presented in ultra-condensed form, and are unlikely to please anyone looking for mathematical rigor. More worrisome, however, is the poor mathematical exposition for the unfortunate student. Most maddeningly in his examples, Stewart has a habit of omitting several key steps of algebraic manipulation, leaving the student to throw up their arms at how Stewart arrived at the answer. As many college freshmen will have little to no experience with calculus, I feel it is critical that the author show exactly how a particular problem is to be solved, with no steps omitted. Ironically for a calculus textbook, the section on the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus is one of the most shoddily presented in the whole book, giving little explanation as to how and why the concepts of integration and differentiation are related. To make matters worse, the tone of book itself is consistently dry, lifeless, and slightly condescending with the constant use of "we" and "let's" throughout. In short, Stewart does n...
Brooks Cole :: Mathematics & Calculus :: Calculus & mathematical analysis :: Science&Mathematics :: Mathematics :: Calculus :: James Stewart :: :: Calculus (with CD-ROM)