Reviews (9)

A Bible
This book is so complete and exhaustive that it could be called the Automotive technology Bible! But remember, this book is for the serious reader, not for the occasional reader! Buy this if you are serious about the subject.

A must have for any level Auto Tech Student
I've used this book for my Auto Tech classes and it is the most comprehensive auto tech manual out there. Very informative and highly detailed. Get the accompanying Tech Manual for hands on lessons and projects. No dissapointments!

EXCELLENT RESOURCE FOR BEGINNERS AS WELL AS EXPERIENCED
I am glad that my money got its worth. Excellent book. Never makes you feel "LOST".It covers almost everything related to an automobile. Strongly recommeneded for everyone looking for saving time and money in automotive book search. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Automobiles    2. Automotive - Repair & Maintenance    3. Automotive Engineering (General)    4. Engineering - Automotive    5. Maintenance and repair    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Technical & Manufacturing Trades    8. Technology    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Automotive technology    11. Transportation / Automotive / General   

Reviews (93)

Headspinning Cutting-edge Physics
"Warped Passages" is a summary of some of the breakthrough theories in physics. And Lisa Randall, who's been at Princeton, MIT, and now Harvard, surely is the perfect person to be our guide. With her breezy, anecdotal, learn by example style, she takes some of the most (to me) arcane and mysterious facts about her areas of expertise--particle physics, string theory, and cosmology--and summarizes some theories that maybe will answer the questions of what is the (our? this particular?) universe like, and how is it structured?
Fascinating Read
For anyone with an inquiring mind as to what makes the universe tick, "Warped Passages", is a must read.No wonder this book is rated 4+ overall by 90 reviewers.
Tedious, makes a fascinating topic bo-ring!!!!
I picked up this book expecting to gain some new insights about the bleeding edge of scientific research, string theory, and model-building, but found it unbelievably tedious, self-congratulatory, and self-absorbed. There may be little doubt that author Lisa Randall is a brilliant physicist, but her explanations of the last 100 years of science and her theories are muddled and poorly written. I found myself longing for a writer such as Bill Bryson to explain half of these theories. In addition, one of most annoying features of this book is the way Randall tries to disguise her inability to explain advanced physics in straightforward terms that would appeal to the lay reader by starting each chapter with a pop culture reference, usually a lyric from a band such as Metallica, as if such a reference will be enough to goose the reader awake and take interest in the next muddled exposition. She even has footnotes that explain the American term "runway" is translated as "catwalk" in the United Kingdom -- oh, thank you, Ms. Randall, for such elucidation! Why not make this book more interesting and readable with a more engaging style that explains these fascinating theories in a clearer manner? Not to give away the ending, but many of these theories about extra dimensions cannot even be proven unless the universe demonstrates another massive outburst of energy almost equivalent to the Big Bang. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cosmology    2. Particle Physics    3. Particles (Nuclear physics)    4. Philosophy    5. Physics    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. String models    9. Science / Physics   

Reviews (10)

BEST ORGANIC CHEMISTRY BOOK
I have read and used many books on organic chemistry, both on my BS and graduate degree programs. This book has been the best ever written on the subject. The authors have treated the subject to its simplest detail to be understood by everyone. Now that I am a practicing chemist, I always look at this book as a reference. The presentation is very good and the way the chapters are organized is very neat and arranged. The topic on synthesis in action and retrosynthetic analysis is very interesting. What I find very nice are the topics on the application of the chemical principles on real life synthesis. The information are all up to date. Stuart Warren and his co authors has gone a long way and their expertise is shown in this wonderful book. Warren has been one of myfavorite chenistry authors way back to his simple books on chemical synthesis and retrosynthetic analysis. I recommend this book, not only to students, both on their undergraduate and graduate programs but also to practicing chemist and chemical engineers and all those who love and find the field of chemistry a very interesting subject and those who wants to find chemical knowledge at a glance. Truly, this is a one volume Encyclopedia on Organic Chemistry.

Really learn organic chemistry
I learned organic as a sophomore with the popular text by Wade.While I did well in the course and text got me through, I found I remembered nothing 2 years later when preparing for a graduate level organic course.
Greeves is excellant,

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Subjects:  1. Chemistry - General    2. Chemistry - Organic    3. Chemistry, Organic    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Chemistry | Organic Chemistry    7. Organic chemistry    8. Science / Chemistry / Organic   

Editorial Review

Explaining what William McNeill called Read more

Reviews (917)

too long
This book REALLY needs an editor. It is just too long. Mr. Diamond goes over the same points over and over in excruciating detail. My solution was just to skip paragraphs detailing exactly how to carbon-date pinecones for the 20th time.
questionable from the beginning
I haven't yet finished the book, but have found reason to doubt the Mr. Diamond in the preface and prologue alone.In the preface, Diamond states that the readers are not about to read a "racist treatise" and that the book doesn't "involve human racial differences at all."Skip a few pages to the prologue and Diamond postulates "Why did New Guineans wind up technologically primitive, despite what I believe to be their superior intelligence?"Is New Guinean a race?Maybe, maybe not... but reverse the statement and then see how the critics chime in.
Not as compelling as "Collapse" but a good read nontheless.
Diamond presents a look at the evolution of various Cultures throughout the World and how geography has played an important part in their developement.The reason that Eurasia and North Africa evolved more highly developed (technologically anyway) cultures was that there was a wider variety of wild plant and animal species that could be tamed by the humans living in those areas following the Ice Age than there was available to humans in other parts of the world.This enabled people in these areas to develope farming societies (which required more specializations than hunter gatherer societies) more quickly than in other parts of the globe.
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Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. Civilization    4. Ethnology    5. History    6. History Of Science    7. Human Geography    8. Military    9. Military - General    10. Military History (General)    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Social evolution    13. Miscellaneous Items    14. Science / General   

Reviews (1)

Physics
My order came in time for my physics for liberal arts class. I liked that the book had prepunched holes so that it could fit into my three ring binder. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Physics    2. Science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Science / Physics   

Reviews (4)

Doing Well by Doing Good
Green to Gold is a must-read for anyone who (a) holds a leadership position in business or is a business influencer, and (b) cares about the environment we live in.Its subtitle really best describes the book, which is probably the first (or if not, certainly the best) documentation of successful corporate environmentalstrategy on the market.
Bravo!I'm already looking forward to the sequel.
When a colleague suggested that I read this--my gut reaction, after just finishing a graduate degree, was that I was not going to cuddle up with a potentially bland business book. After holing up in my apartment for 48 hours, that all changed.A half dozen phone calls had gone unanswered and I had one heck of leg cramp. I had not only finished "Green to Gold", but was enraptured by it--and thankfully freshly emerging from a slight fog in my professional career.
Finally, a clearly articulated guide for the mainstream businessperson
In Green to Gold, Espy and Winston contribute a much needed voice to the conversation about why businesses will all ultimately transform themselves for sustainability, and why the smartest ones are moving now to develop shareholder value and a competitive edge through strategic environmental action.The authors lend a distinctly rational and grounded perspective on real issues business leaders must face today, and how they can turn challenges in to opportunity for innovation and success.This is the best starting point we've seen for beginning to think both strategically and tactically about what steps you should take going forward, and forms a fantastic framework for discussion both internally, and within your value network about how to catch this next wave of innovation.Highly recommended. This book will certainly have impact on speeding the pace of change. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business enterprises    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporations    6. Environmental Economics    7. Environmental aspects    8. Green Business    9. Industrial management    10. Strategic Planning    11. Business strategy    12. Environmental Engineering & Technology    13. Science / General   

Reviews (10)

I liked it
I had to buy this book for my Quantity Foods course as a part of my Dietetics major. I actually liked the book, and I am going to keep it for later use. I thought the book was organized very well. Some of the charts in Chapter 2 and 5 that we used quite often were a little hard to find (because there are so many!).
Wow!!! A must have for all chefs
I had seen this book at a friends business and thought it was good.Since I have ordered and received it I have had the chance to really review the contents and find it one book that I can use daily.The CD rom is also fantastic in the number of recipes it contains.One nice feature is that you can size the recipes to what you need.Another great plus.Well worth the money. Tom Elliott, CEC

Food For Fifty
Very well written book, leaves nothing for the mind to question,I would highly recomend this book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Food Science    3. Food Service Management    4. Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    5. Menus    6. Methods - Quantity    7. Nutrition    8. Quantity cookery    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Technology    11. Business & Economics / Hospitality, Travel & Tourism   

Reviews (4)

College Physics 7th ed.Serway Faughn Vol.1
This is the most poorly written text I have ever used. I bought the student solutions manual also which I thought might help me understand the concepts, but to no avail, the solutions manual jumps from Problem #5 to #21 in one chapter?? Forget about the examples on the text they are totally confusing and don't show you how they arrived with the solution.I am no dummy.This book will make you have low self esteem, thats the way I felt.I have a physics tutor who also said this book makes physics even harder to understand.I trully feel sorry for the student that has to buy this book because the school requires it.I had to buy a bootleg CD with the teacher's solutions on it to fully understand this text!We shouldn't have to do that.

The average speed of learning with this book is 0 m/s.
This book is not at all helpful when trying to learn physics.By the time you get done trying to figure out this book and it's examples, you'll have pulled out all your hair.So my advice to if you're going to use this book is shave your head now to save yourself from the pain later.In all reality, I haven't learned anything from this book.It is very disorganized and the chapter problems are rediculous...what makes it better is the examples in the chapter don't correlated but with only a couple of chapter problems.

Not in my worst nightmares...
I have hated textbooks before, but this one takes the cake.It is quite possibly the worst one that my professor could have chosen.The authors use such a wild mixture of mind-numbingly simple content and obscure, abstract concepts that the picture that they paint is, to put it bluntly, incoherent.They dance around the definition of vocabulary words, always coming close to defining stuff (but never actually coming out and *saying it*), contradict themselves repeatedly, and assume that the reader understands half the concepts before they are even introduced.Perhaps the most irritating thing about this text is the fact that there is *no* glossary to speak of--if the reader doesn't understand the sketchy definition in the chapter or chapter summary, too bad, because that's all you get! Steer clear of this book, if at all possible. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Physics    2. Science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Science / Physics   

Reviews (2)

DOES NOT COVER AUTO A/C SYSTEMS
Good book for the basics, but it leaves out auto a/c charging and diagnostics.Since I bought the book specifically to learn auto a/c procedures, I wasted my money.This lack should have been explicitly noted in the publisher's blurb.

Well written, easy to understand, every tech should own this
This book walks you through the basics of refrigeration and explains bothmechanical and system operation very plainly. Good book for techniciansof all calibers.List of real life refrigeration problems and symptoms. Great for troubleshooting.Explains and describes refrigerant changeoversand proceedures.Explains effect of the chlorine atom in refrigerants andglobal warming.Details differant systems and components with advantagesand disadvantages.Good truck material. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction - Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning    2. Science/Mathematics    3. Technology    4. Technology / Engineering / Mechanical    5. Engineering - Mechanical    6. Heating And Ventilation Engineering    7. Heating and ventilation    8. Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning    9. Refrigeration Technology And Service   

Reviews (6)

A well defended postion, but perhaps a bit too defensive
I was at one time a research scientist, but not a physicist. I took a year of Quantum Mechanics, but certainly don't regard myself as very knowledgeable in this area or mathematics. Therefore, this review is coming from a space of being an educated layperson with a broad background and open mind. I think this is important to know before you read more of my review.
not trivial, not definitive
First some background.I am not a physicist or involved in this field in any way so my review is aimed at the amateur who wants to know about the state of affairs in physics and specifically string theory.
A timely and honest critique
I've been following the arguments made by Peter Woit against String Theory for quite some time, and it's a pleasure to be able to have them all in a single volume. His arguments are very persuasive, and his writing clear and to the point. This, however, is not a book that the general audience will find easy to follow. The earlier chapters recount the canonical story of the success of the particlephysics in the 20th century, and if you are familiar with that story you can safely skip these chapters. The later chapters are the really interesting ones, but unless you have at least some familiarity with theoretical particle physics and the modern mathematics, you might find yourself lost. Even with that caveat it is still possible to appreciate the central theme of this book: theoretical particle physics took a wrong turn somewhere in the late 70s and the early 80s, and has never been able to recover from this. Woit is appealing in this book to the practitioners in the field to be more honest with their assessments of the direction in which the theoretical particle physics is headed, and the lack of any meaningful progress.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Mathematics    3. Number Theory    4. Physics    5. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    6. Popular Culture - General    7. Quantum Theory    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. String models    11. Supersymmetry    12. Symmetry (Physics)    13. Particle & high-energy physics    14. Popular science   

Reviews (4)

Textbook Purchase
I purchased a used Chemistry textbook that is in near perfect condition.This book looked virtually brand new and was purchased at a great price.

My advice, get a separate book to supplement
As one reviewer said, the book is trying to be simple.Some of the examples are so simple that they don't even test you're learning.And the more challenging examples seem to come out of nowhere.Also theorganization is slightly convoluted and a little hard to follow with a fullunderstanding.I recommend attaining another chem book to supplement thisone if you must get this for a class.I personally found this book to beso confusing.

A book that tries to be simple and at the same time rigorous
A book that tries to be simple and at the same time rigorous.In my opinion, not succeeding to well in any of these attempts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chemistry - General    2. Science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Chemistry    5. Science / Chemistry / General   

Reviews (2)

I like this book so much I am buying copies for my students!
I have been a college student and subsequently a teacher of chemistry for a number of years now and this is the first book that has really impressed me enough so that I want to continue teaching from it for years to come.I think the writing is clear and at the appropriate level for junior college students in a general introductory course. We only cover the first 11 chapters in our quarter, but the content, problems, and photography are superb.
pretty easy to read
i liked this book. the examples were easy to read and the book was a decent introduction to chemistry. if u are required to get this book for an introductory class. dont worry too much its not that hard. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chemistry    2. Chemistry - General    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Science / Chemistry / General   

Reviews (6)

Excellent book!!
This is one of the most complete and easy-to-read book ever! I have studied with Gerald Karp books since I was an undergraduate student (Biochemistry, and Karp book was always by my side, very useful). This book explain the cellular metabolism, structures (cytoskeleton, microtubules, filaments,genes,relations between genes and proteins, DNA repair, cell cycle, cell signalling, lot of concepts that are not easy to understand at first, Karp does it very simple. You will love this book. I can strongly recommend it. Another excellent book I can recommend is Molecular Biology of the CELL by Bruce Alberts....is excellent! and before you take an exam, I will suggest the "Outline of Molecular and Cell Biology" by the Schaum's series. Well, that's it for now, I wish you the best in your career (I have been there, I know how hard it can be and choose the proper books!) and always remember, keep working and practicing, because practice make the Master!! :)
Great job
The book was in great condition.Seller let me know that the book was in the mail which was nice.

Concise story of cell biology
Another introductory book in the biology of the cell. I would say that the book is divided into mainly two sections, Cell structure and DANA, DANA replications etc. Second part takes almost two thirds of the book. I would prefer to read other Gene books when it comes to that point but for the cell structure, it is not bad. Some colored pictures, computer animations makes it easy to visualize things. Sections called "experimental pathways" scattered throughout the text takes you into current issues related to the subject. They are also quite sophisticated issues rather than practical problems. I think this book requires considerable guidance when read alone. I could not call this book as self sufficient or easy to read one compared to books by Alberts or Baltimore. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cytology    2. Life Sciences - Biology - Molecular Biology    3. Life Sciences - Cytology    4. Molecular Biology    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Biology, Life Sciences    8. Science / Cytology   

Reviews (4)

Not a handbook
I would NOT recommend this book to any electrician, engineer, or architect.It is extremely difficult to comprehend.Gaining any practical information from this book is futile. I have had the twelfth edition over ten years. I used it to study for the electricians exam.I hated it then.Since that time, I have found it to be a very poor reference book. The thirteenth edition is no better.I understand why some electrician training schools might use this book - it is very comprehensive. It would make a good reference for a classroom lesson plan, but not a direct teaching tool.If you want to learn the material in this book, get the National Electric Code Handbook (and related materials published by the NFPA) and appropriate textbooks. FYI - I am a licensed electrician and a registered professional engineer.

A patchwork monster
Another motley McGraw-Hill product. First copyrighted in 1913. The author appears to have died prior to 1976, and the book has been maintained by hired help. Don't try to use this as a textbook; treat it as a reference only. You never really know whether some item is up to date or 50 or 80 years old. Examples: There is a lot of treatment of two-phase (yup, 90 degrees) power, including at 25 hertz, and of multi-kilovolt series incandescent streetlighting, plus knob and tube wiring. Also, it is stated that the highest radio frequency in use is 30 megahertz, whereas in reality we're up to 1,000 or 2,000 times that just now. This book is a curiousity; charming if you have the cash, but if you don't, maybe you should be getting something more coherent.

A Must For Every Serious or Professional Electrician
W A R N I N G: This book is not for the weekend repairman!!!Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction - Electrical    2. Electric engineering    3. Electrical Engineering (General)    4. Electricity    5. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Reference    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Technology    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. Power generation & distribution    12. Technology / Engineering / Electrical   

Reviews (7)

Very Excellent, but non-statisticians should start elsewhere
Gelman's book is an excellent and complete introduction to Bayesian methods.It covers a number of topics not touched by other intros I've read, and focuses much more on regression and ANOVA than other texts.
As Good As It Gets For An Intro To Bayes
Yes, it is an introduction to Bayesian methods.That means you have to have a very good understanding of classical statistics (at the level of Casella and Berger would be optimal) and then be willing to use the WinBugs program to further your knowledge.A great book.

It is a good book, but not a bible of Bayesian analysis.
[1] A good introductory book, but definitely not a bible of Bayesian analysis.
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Subjects:  1. Bayesian statistical decision    2. Bayesian statistical decision theory    3. General    4. Mathematics    5. Probability & Statistics - Bayesian Analysis    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Mathematics / Statistics    8. Mathematics for scientists & engineers    9. Probability & statistics   

Reviews (10)

Useful and interesting - STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
Despite the intimidating name and size of this tome, I found it fascinating to read. It covers everything from light bulb selection to rooftop chiller maintenance. The depth and breath of coverage is amazing.
Superlative! A must have!
Superlative! �The ENERGY EFFICIENCY MANUAL by Donald Wulfinghoff is a "must have" for professionals, libraries, facility managers, policy makers, homeowners, and anyone else who is serious about saving energy and cashing in on lower energy bills.It is the ultimate energy saving resource for businesses, industry, and government.PLUS, it will save money and reduce pollution, satisfying corporate bottom lines, policy makers, and environmentalists all at the same time.This book is unique.Highly informative, illustration-rich, and user-friendly, it is treasure trove of everything you need to know about energy efficiency from A to Z. Don't bother looking elsewhere --the ENERGY EFFICIENCY MANUAL simply has it all.This book will pay for itself almost as fast as you can spot a hot air leak or install an energy-efficient light bulb! A secret weapon for the energy auditor
As an energy auditor I'd almost call the Energy Efficiency Manual a secret weapon, except it has so many good ideas that I can't help but show it to many of the customers and prospective customers I meet. The diagrams are very useful, as is the self contained but well cross-referenced way in which each improvement measure has been written. For example, talking to the maintenance manager of a hospital, we looked at the diagrams of hot/cold deck multi-zone systems while discussing the pros and cons of upgrading a constant volume air conditioning system to a variable volume system. It is by far the most useful book on energy management that I have ever read (well, in the case of the Energy Efficiency Manual, that I have partially read - its an enormously large book!), and the ratings of each of the measures are particularly useful, along with the practical, no-nonsense approach. The book is extremely well cross referenced and Wulfinghoff has covered an enormous body of knowledge in writing the book. As someone fairly new to the field I'm grateful that he went to the effort of documenting and making available his knowledge and 30 odd years experience in the Energy Efficiency Manual. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction - General    2. Construction - Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning    3. Energy Resources Conservation    4. Energy conservation    5. Energy consumption    6. Engineering - Civil    7. Engineering - Mechanical    8. Handbooks, manuals, etc    9. House & Home / Design & Construction    10. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection    11. Production & Operations Management    12. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    13. Science/Mathematics    14. Technology    15. Technology & Industrial Arts    16. Architecture    17. Building construction & materials    18. Construction    19. Environment    20. Industry & Industrial Studies    21. The Environment   

Reviews (1)

Very detailed and helpful
This book was very helpful and detailed. I did my algebra class online so I didn't have a teacher right infront of me when I had a question. Luckily, because of this books' specifity and detailed explinations, I was able to answer my own question and not have to go through the lengthy process of e-mailing back and forth with my teacher to get an answer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Algebra - General    2. General    3. Mathematics    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Algebra   

Reviews (28)

Must Have for A&P Students
This is a great resource for anyone in A&P. Most topics are easy to follow and to understand. There are a few errors (or, that's what my A&P instructor told me), but not enough to worry about. I love Marieb's writing style. She also includes tons of pictures and charts. I love this book and it's going to be a wonderful resource once I'm a nurse!

Wrong book, almost didn't have one for my class
They sent the wrong book, it was nothing close to what I needed.It was very inconvenient

Great for A and P students, must buy
I used this book for both my Anatomy and Physiology class in undergrad.I found this book to be pretty easy to understand.Of course, at first it is overwhelming to know how much you have to remember for the test.At least, writing style of this book made A and P easier to learn.The material is presented in organized fashion.However, if you really want to know the type of questions asked on college Anatomy and Physiology Exams get the following which is on amazon: Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations Volume 1(ISBN: 0971999619) and Volume 2 (ISBN: 0971999627).These two helped me to get A's on my exams.The textbook and the two study guides are well worth the money since they helped me to pass with high grades the first time.I was recommened the study guides from my cousin who used them for his A and P class and found them to be great for test preparation.I give each book 5 stars. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Human Anatomy    2. Human Physiology    3. Life Sciences - Human Anatomy & Physiology    4. Nursing - General    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Study & Teaching    8. Anatomy    9. Physiology   

Reviews (12)

Great Book but needs a few things added.
I won't bore you with another rendition of the books praises, enough other people have already written them below.What I will tell you is what is not enough or missing:The word toolkit to me implies that there are tools included (i.e. a cd or dvd) - there is none.Many things are discussed and examples given where a CD with code, sample questionaires, sample project plans ( in standard tool formats such as MS Project) and such would have been welcome.This downgrades the books usefullness for me.
Not a "How To", it's a methodology
Excellent book for middle to upper management to learn the 10,000 foot overview of data warehousing.Reading this book can give you all the jargon you'll need to smooze your fellow IT personnel across a conference room table about data warehousing.
The Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit - Good book, but not an excellent book.
Basically, the kimball group , joined the book The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit (TDWLT) + MS BI Toolset.
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Subjects:  1. Computers - Data Base Management    2. Data warehousing    3. Database Management - Data Warehousing    4. Database Management - General    5. Database Management - SQL Server    6. General    7. SQL server    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Computer Software Packages    11. Computers / Database Management / General   

Reviews (8)

Alright but not great
There are tons of textbooks on Precalculus like this one out there. Larson's is just another equally good textbook on the subject of calculus and Precalculus. However, I see no much uniqueness and innovations in any of the calculus books like this type. Richard Feynman, one of America's greatest physicists, once said most of the popular textbooks (on physics) were somewhat mediocre. I would recommend those who are aspired for an austere treatment of elementary mathematics, ie, pre-calculus and beginning calculus, to go for the book High-school mathematics by some Russian mathematicians. ISBN: 5030010114 This series is just so comprehensive with lucid explanations that every high school math teacher should take a look at it. It's both fun and benefitial to read books on math translated from another language.

Excellent and highly recommended!
I also agree that this is one of the best textbooks about calculus available online. Everything is explained very well and the CD-ROM definitely makes it easier for the students. I highly recommend it.

One of the top two precalculus texts available
There is a mind-numbing sameness to precalculus and calculus textbooks, and this book is more of the same. The coverage starts with real numbers, exponents, expressions and solving equations. The basic principles of functions, polynomial, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions, solving systems of equations, sequences, series, counting and probability, analytic geometry and limits follow this. I personally can do without the chapter on limits, when I teach precalculus, I am hard pressed to cover the other material. There is plenty of time to cover limits in calculus and it provides a better context. There are a large number of exercises at the end of each section and solutions to the odd-numbered ones are included in an appendix. As appears to be the case with many books, some of the exercises could have been left out with no decline in quality. At times I suspect there is the mathematical equivalent of an "arms race" to see how many exercises can be included at the end of a chapter.
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Subjects:  1. Mathematics    2. Pre-Calculus    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Textbooks    5. Mathematics / Pre-Calculus