Customer Book Reviews
The Larson/Edwards Calculus program offers a solution to address the needs of any calculus course and any level of calculus student. Every edition from the first to the sixth of CALCULUS: EARLY TRANSCENDENTAL FUNCTIONS has made the mastery of traditional calculus skills a priority, while embracing the best features of new technology and, when.
I bought the Kindle version of this book because I need a calculus reference to take with me and I don't want to carry another really big book. I have to say that having a text like this in my Kindle is a wonderful thing. I've seen some negative comments about the material in this book. Frankly, I find it to be a very understandable text. I like the author's presentation. So why one star? The formatting of the Kindle version. Wow! I'm reading through the first chapter and there are literally dozens of places where you have a variable name, such as x or y, that is joined to the next word (ex: For the function fdefined...are used instead of x.To evaluate...function was fi rst, etc) On one page the word 'nonverticallines' appears twice. Here's one: '...are equivalent because Ll=0.' There's no 'Ll' anywhere else on the page. What this should have been was delta-x = 0. There are run-together's, misspellings, things left out, incorrect symbols...Again, that's only the first chapter. It's a shame to pay $139.00 and get a mess like this. This one's not ready for prime time.
This review is done from the perspective of one who is either learning or teaching Calculus II and Calculus III. In this volume, Larson and Edwards have laid out elaborate examples in terms of how applications of the integral are carried out. Accompanied with WebAssign, the text information provides three-dimensional modeling such as the highly-enhanced computer graphics that enable one to see how space is occupied not just in the Cartesian (x-y) plane but also the surfaces that require x-y-z coordinates as well as those that entail cylindrical and spherical objects. For instance, in providing examples of the shell method or the method of disks, the instructor can give students an animated visual of the physical attributes described. Those engaged can see the apparatus from virtually all angles, including top view, bottom view, side view, etc. For one from the 'old school', this is quite an advancement from the attempted chalkboard drawings of yesteryear; though often reliable, this learning tool could only be displayed on a two-dimensional surface, thus leaving too much to the imagination in regard to the remaining dimension which could not, at the time, be adequately illustrated. Along with the advantages of the computer software, the exercises contained are numerous and well segued from one mastery level to the next. Having already taught Calculus from other references, I can argue that the changes from topic to topic or problem to problem are better transitioned in the 9th edition of Larson and Edwards than they are in other books. One particular standout is an outlined, shortcut method that might be used for various Integration by Parts exercises and thus drastically cut down on the number of steps that might otherwise be used, especially where repeated Integration by Parts is called for. After reading the complaints from those in Calculus I, I recommend Silvanus Thompson's classic, Calculus Made Easy, as a cost-effective supplement for learning introductory level derivatives and integrals. So far as the intermediate, undergraduate level Calculus II and III are concerned, Larson and Edwards' work is ideal, for it seems to utilize innovative techniques in a style reminiscent of Thompson.
By the end of this text, you will be a marathon calculus machine. But, to get there you must have guidance. I'm a student who has completed 3 semesters of calculus using this book. At first, I hated this thing. Coming from slightly weak algebraic skills killed my understanding of the steps--or lack thereof--this book made. But now, once I've worked through this book, I even found errors in the solution manuals! I guess what I'm trying to say is: this is a very, very solid book that, unfortunately, falling under judgment of those who are just now working with it. This is a text book that is caught in the crossfire of those who want to teach a very methodical approach to Calculus, and it's own wanting to be approachable to those who would like to study calculus on their own. Now, I want to also make it clear that though this book has examples, the time has come to transition from a breadth of examples to theorems and corollaries. And like most people I know, that is not a fun transition to get used to. But, by the end of the book, it ties itself together nicely and leaves you with a very solid understanding of method and a slight inkling to proof which is most beneficial as you transition through Linear Algebra and Differential Equations steadily increasing proof. So yes, the book skips a few steps. But they are, in majority, redundant. And if you discover the step skipped, I guarantee your abstract thinking will pay you back in the end! Overall, it is a very good book that has a bitter relationship with those who encounter it the first time. YOU WILL BECOME A BETTER MATHEMATICIAN.
I don't find this book too great. There's plenty of exercises but not enough explanation. I'm not saying you need to water-down anything but the examples provided aren't sufficient enough to help guide students through problems. I'm not a weak student in math, so I'm not having much trouble completing the exercises, but I have read the chapters and I usually look at another book if I'm intent on teaching myself anything. As far as learning goes, you're probably not going to like this book. Exercises? It's pretty good, you even see some Putnam competition problems.
If you are looking at this book you probably must have it for a class but if not I would look elsewhere. The book does not adequately explain things. There are lots of step by step examples but the explanations are lacking and the text that outlines the procedures could do a better job. Also it would be helpful if the problems in the sections refered to the appropriate examples in the begining of the section to help the student along as many other books do. Good luck in Calculus.
A near complete waste of time! 9th edition and it is still a disaster for students attempting to learn calculus. Good reviews can only be from those who already know calculus as for a learning tool it is worthless! I am totally fed up! Each section has the same issues. You read the chapter, practice the examples and begin to work on the problems. In short order you will be presented with issues that were not covered in the section! I spend an inordinate amount of time looking for clues! For instance You will be instructed to solve problems with the power rule and quickly encounter problems that can only be solved with the quotient rule or worse yet the chain rule that has not been presented yet! C'mon.... Over and over each section has the same issues of impossible problems that in general are beyond the scope of the material presented in the section!!!! Calculus is not all that hard to learn but I find this book hopelessly confounds the matter. It may be ok as a refresher for those who want to brush up skills as the organization is ok. But as a stand alone text for Calc 1 students fresh off College Algebra and Trigonometry a real disaster. If you are an instructor please don't use this book! Continuing on to Chapter 3. More of the same. First Derivative Test has poor explanations that takes independent research to figure out. problems jump into piece wise fns with NO explaination in the text. Numerous other similar issues. Full of arcane proofs but almost zero simple explanations in plain english. Took me an hour to read through chapter 3 and make my own flash cards. Had to use Dummies Guide and Calc. Lifesaver to make sense of Larson's mess. If I ever meet that guy........
There is critical information missing from Chapter 11 Section 6 page 820 #17, in the KINDLE edition of this publishing. It gives you 4 points and 4 corresponding images to match, but one of the points is missing, which is needed in order to complete the question. Had I not had a hard copy of the book, I would not have spotted this error, and would have had a bad start to my Calculus 3 class. Also, the images show up poorly on the 6' Kindle, due to the lack of a true zoom option for images. It would have been nice to actually be able to read the notations on the images, as this is critical to learning the subject. If any more errors are found I will post.d To pay this much money and it not to formatted correctly upsets me. Errors should be corrected.
Does not encourage a thorough enough understanding.
By Drewkason Apr 21, 2012
As a instructor I have a couple complaints: 1. Discussion of exponential and logarithmic functions is delayed until after a discussion of derivatives. This is unfortunate since it limits the number of interesting examples at one's disposal early in the course. It also limits the students' exposure to these functions. 2. Antidifferentiation formulas, specifically those for inverse trig functions, are put in too general a form. For instance, the book prefers to highlight the antiderivative of u'/(a^2+u^2) where u is a function of x and a is a nonnegative real number, rather than the antiderivative of the more basic function 1/(1+x^2). This makes such formulas more difficult to remember and also more cryptic to the students. It also reduces the invaluable practice students would get in reducing problems to their basic forms. Overall the text is OK, but falls short in demanding a thorough understanding. It seems geared more towards passing the test. I hope this helps!
Calculus by Larson,Hostetler, Edwards book was the series of books I used in my undergraduate Calc 1-3 classes. Quick Summary: Pros: Good number of exercises, *some* good examples, lots of illustrations, lots of good guidelines and formula sheets. Cons: Some not-so-great examples, some examples *should* add more algebra steps, 3 editions in 7 years necessary, cost of book-per-class versus 3-set volume is absurd. Full Review: All in all I think this book was pretty good through the year and a half run I had for calculus 1-3, and the last two-three years since then when I have tutored the subjects. If you need a book with a TON of good exercise sets, this book works well. There's A LOT of problems in each section, and most of the time the instructions clearly state what needs to be done, and what concept is being used. There are times that notation or instructions seem a bit obfuscated, however infrequent it may be. As for examples... most examples are good if you have a firm grasp of algebraic skills. Unfortunately, if you are rusty or not on par with your algebra, many examples can seem painful to understand or navigate. They don't always mention what algebra trick is used, unless the specific section mandates heavy algebra (like the section for Partial Fraction Decomposition as a tool for Integration). This is probably most troubling in the first couple of chapters, since solving most limits involve quite the few algebra tricks. There should at least be a section devoted to an algebra review. One great pro about the book is that there are plenty of guidelines and formula sheets found in it. You'll find it quite useful to copy them down, or photocopy some of these pages to have a small set of 5-6 pages full of quick reference materials. There are great guidelines on Integration by Parts, as well as Trigonometric Integrals, Series Tests, and the first/last page of the text includes FOUR pages of useful Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus formulas. The only other complaint that I have is the price tag for the sectioned versions of the book. $150 (on Amazon) for all three sections of Calculus isn't a bad deal. Paying $90-120 for Calc 1, Calc 2, and Calc 3 separately however, is a ripoff. If you are a Math/Engineering student that *knows* you will take all three sections, get this version. This is also an issue I have to question... why three versions spanning from 2002-2009? It's not unique to this book, as so many books in College Education get 'updates' in a 2-3 year period... but one has to question this.
First time learning Calculus, and luck would have it I am left with this book. Compared to some of my other math textbooks, this one is not very clear and does not provide nearly enough examples to provide for different contingencies that pop up in the homework assignments. Each section barely contains three or four stripped down examples of important concepts. I am confused and annoyed...
I bought this textbook to self study AP Calculus BC, and it has helped tremendously. My only negative comment is that some of the examples are not as good as they should be. Larson does make up for it, however, by providing worked out solutions to odd-numbered exercises on [...]. Overall, great book, but examples could be better sometimes. I would recommend this textbook to anyone who wants to learn Calculus AB or BC. NOTE: I noticed that Larson also has books 'Single Variable Calculus' and other similarly named texts, but I honestly don't see why. If you want to do Multivariable Calc, then get that book, but if you just want a solid understanding of univariate calculus, get this book. (What I like about this is that it also has a Multivariable Calc chapter so that you don't go into that class completely unaware).
If you're going to be taking several semesters of Calculus or many Calculus-based classes, hold on tight to this book. This was the required textbook for my first two semesters of Calculus, but not for my third (Multivariate). The textbook for my Multivariate Calculus course left a lot to be desired, and I constantly consulted this book. Without it, I would have been lost. The explanations are presented clearly without getting bogged down with theoretical jargon and proofs. Each section presents multiple examples, including applications in Engineering and Science. If you want to do well, then do the exercises at the end of each section. They start out easy and then progress in difficulty, ensuring that no stone is unturned for each concept. As an Engineer, I will hold onto this book for reference.
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I didn't realize how great a book this was until I transferred between Calc 2 and Calc 3. My new school has a different Calc book. This book is so much superior than the new book. I still use it for Calc 3 even though they are teaching from the other book(Stewart's). It might not be in the same order but the end of section problems are superior. The explanations are clearer and more versatile. There are more examples. The drawings are more clear and helpful. It is modern. I just like this book. I'll (almost) be sad when I'm done with Calc 3 next month and dont get to use it anymore. I almost forgot the best part! The FREE worked out solutions to all the odds online! Great book.
If you do all of the problems in each section, it is fairly good at building a little bit at a time to each new problem. However, the examples provided in the reading before the homework are lacking. They are enough to cover the basic concepts, but do not cover many of the harder problems at all.
Used this book in class and it has excellent examples and reasonable problems. Some 'real world' problems are presented and make the presentation all the better.
HORRIBLE customer service! Better read the fine print.
By Mary D.on Aug 21, 2013
Recently my classes switched to web assign/OWL to do homework assignments & quizzes. I understand that this book didn't have the 'math lab' access code but I sadly need the WEB ASSIGN access code. So i over looked that when i made my purchase. So i looked into how much the access code would be alone and it was just as expensive as my bookstore price for the book & code. So I decide to return it this book to have a life time access to WEB ASSIGN. When I went to return it, the owner gave me ATTITUDE for my reason. There is also a 20% FEE FOR RETURNING. It is ridiculous. Also the book was expensive for an outdated book. STAY CLEAR OF THIS BUSINESS.
This book did a decent job at teaching calculus. I had a pretty bad professor, so I did a lot of self-learning to supplement the class.
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The book explained things well enough in the text, but occasionally they worded things in a confusing fashion. The examples were pretty good, but when doing the exercises I often found that they weren't helpful. Overall a pretty good calculus book, but It's completely awesome if you get the solutions manuals too. They had step-by-step instructions on enough answers that I could find out how to do what wasn't explained, and correct any mistakes I was making.
This book got me through three semesters of Calculus. Even though it was one of the most expensive textbooks I have bought since my college carrer. I definitely feel that it was good with explanations. I personally would recommend you to buy the manual with it also because the manual has in depth explanations of the even problems which I found very helpful at times. I definitely recommend this book.
... book all the pages in the book are in good condition, but the outside cover looks horrible
By Juwann Norwoodon Aug 09, 2017
When I recieved the book all the pages in the book are in good condition, but the outside cover looks horrible. The cover is all taped up and barely put together.
As always, a very well organized and laid out calculus book by Dr. Larson. This is a one-stop calculus reference for anyone wanting to learn calculus.
It said that it's in excellent condition but the edges (not just corners) were worn ...
By Amazon Customeron Dec 11, 2016
It said that it's in excellent condition but the edges (not just corners) were worn off, nasty stickers all over, inside pages were all folded.
Elementary Linear Algebra - Ron Larson,Bruce H. Edwards,David C. Falvo Summary
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