 Calculus (with CD-ROM) Deluxe
Author Company: Brooks Cole
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Calculus (with CD-ROM) Deluxe 2 stars (Postively Dreadful) - Like many reviewers here, I purchased James ...
File Size: 39.00 kB
OS: Windows 98 / NT / 2000 / ME / XP / VISTA
License: Hardcover - Time Limit, free to try, 145.30 to buy.
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Calculus (with CD-ROM) - 2 stars (Postively Dreadful) - Like many rev
Calculus (with CD-ROM) review: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 not seem to write with a student struggling through freshmen calculus in mind, which is bad news for the student indeed.
Another irritating habit of Stewart's is presenting example problems that are much simpler than those found at the end of each section (or worse, on a student's examination), yet even then, Stewart cannot provide a decent explanation of how to arrive at the solution. The actual problems themselves ramp up in difficulty very quickly, and the accompanying solution manual ineffective at conveying the means to arrive at the solution. Woe betide the student whose professor decides to pull problems from this textbook for use on examinations!
As if that were not bad enough, the organization of the book is also suspect. There are many sections detailing "real world" applications of math to the physical and life sciences, most of which are thoroughly unncessary, and detract from the theory that a math text should focus on. Chapters are scattered about with irregularity, and are at worse unnecessary entirely. The section of differential equations, for example, should have been left for a senior class where they could be studied in the proper detail. Combined with the overuse of pictures and diagrams (many of which have no relevance to the topic), the end result is a book that is bloated and needlessly expensive.
Although I wouldn't recommend anyone purchase this text, students will likely not have any choice in the matter. Should you end up stuck with this text, I suggest reading others for better explanations, such as Schaum's outline of calculus. By itself, I do not recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn calculus.1 stars (Sent Me Fourth Edition When I Payed For Fifth) - This seller sent me the older edition, in addition to that when I tried to contact them about it, they never replied to me. So I would say to never purchase a book from them.2 stars (Presentation of Applications Confuse Students) - This book was used at my undergraduate and graduate institutions; I am currently forced to teach out of it. I don't understand why it's considered such a great book. I have seen many students confused by it, and I find it mediocre as a reference text.
This book attempts to combine theory with applications from the start, and the result is confusion. A few early sections are too computational. The use of decimals and persistent presentation of applications keeps students separated from the theory, and keeps them hung up on the setup of problems before they fully understand the mathematics. But the applications are shallow and won't greatly help students who will later encounter the material in physics, engineering, or business.
It is my belief that calculus should be presented in a simple and pure way so that students can master the fundamentals, and then (simple) applications be presented later. Instead, this book introduces fairly complex and "ugly" applications right from the start.
The wording of homework questions is frequently confusing and detracts from students' ability to focus on the actual material. This book (like many intro calc books) is also lacking in mathematical rigor and has confusing presentations of some of the critical theoretical foundations of calculus (such as the definition of the limit) and insufficient explanations of why certain theorems hold, what they mean, and how to use them. The net effect is that students using this book often fail to master the fundamentals of the subject, and find calculus overwhelming and confusing.
The book's covering of advanced topics is better than the earlier chapters, but there are far better calculus books out there, and I would not under any circumstances recommend this one.
This is the Hardcover version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "Buy Now" button below for around $145.30 USD.
Click to buy with discount via Amazon
    
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