Customer Reviews

Applied Mathematics for the Managerial, Life, and Social Sciences: Interactive Video Skillbuilder with Graphing Calculator Tutorial

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Very well written math book for a college student. Would like a answer guide to all questions not just the odd numbered questions. I think the CD is a very good idea; why not include all the answers on the CD with a a special code to unlock the even numbered answers.

This is the kind of book I have been looking for!It is great and deliverly was within time.Presented in away that is easy to read and understand without a teacher.Next time I need a book, I know where to go.

Keep up the good work.

I received this book in excellent condition and within one week. Thanks for the great customer service

Even at Amazon's $160.00, so-called deal, this book is not worth the money. Why colleges and universities even consider to use this text is beyond me. The chapters come in non sequitur groups of 2 and 3. For a book focusing on current applied mathematical problems, it is a travesty that no bibliography or references pages exist! This gives me the impression that many if not all of the examples and exercises in the book are fabricated.

Any single-semester university course centered around this textbook will likely come across as an extremely low-brow course on finance (fixed and continuous interest rates) and optimization (simplex method) or a low-brow course on probability. In either event, there are far more suitable texts for such classes. It is plain that the topics are hardly covered in a way to be useful for any academic or practitioner in the "Managerial, Life and Social Sciences."

For example, in the section on Bayes' Theorem (Section 7.6) the statement of Bayes' Theorem followed by 30 so-called "real-world" problems, each indistinguishable from the next save only in the numbers used in the problem. We are given 'statistics' of males and females. At the end of the problem one finds the following: Source: Department of Justice. Really? So much time supposedly spent collecting and surveying real-life sources and the problem ends up looking any other made-up problem in a probability book. Again, why use a book that cannot back up claims to have interwoven real-life with classroom mathematics and pay so damn much for it?

Shame on the publishers for making a ninth edition practically identical to the 8th edition. See for yourself, buy the 8th edition used for under $20 and borrow a copy of the 9th edition. The text, exercises and examples are exactly the same. This is a huge problem in my eyes, not only are universities continually using this book, they are (not doubt, delightfully) forcing students to buy this dubiously "new & improved" edition at a ridiculous price.

Ironically, on the back cover of the instructor's edition, Brooks/Cole offers 5 easy ways to keep the price of textbooks down. Presumably, this is only seen by the instructor after the book is chosen for the course. I offer easy-way-to-save number 6: avoid this book altogether. Encourage your students to buy the 8th edition for a fraction of the price.

I hope students and those in charge of coordinating curriculum alike will take notice and allow this book to fade in to oblivion.

Lastly, it is knee-slapping hilarious to note that it is not the author's picture located inside the cover of the book. Upon the first and second glances, one thinks that since Chris Shannon's picture is on the front cover AND the inside cover along with a short biography that she must be other. Nope. Not even close, as the school she teaches at is in California and S.T. Tan teaches in Massachusetts. In case you were wondering, you have to flip past the publisher's pages, title pages and table of contents to find Professor Tan hiding in the corner.

While pointing out these pictures is indeed funny, we come to another sad feature about this book. Though it tries to focus on mathematics used in the real world, as in settings outside of academia, the only people 'featured' in the book are university professors.

If you are even thinking about using this book, please please please, I implore you, pick another.

I BOUGHT A TEXTBOOK THAT, BY THE WAY, HAD A 'GOOD' (BUT SELLER IS CLAIMING SHE/HE PUT 'ACCEPTABLE') REVIEW ONLY TO FIND OUT THE ITEM WAS HALF-EATEN OFF AND PAGES TORN AND TATTERED. I URGE EVERY BUYER NOT TO ACCEPT ANY MERCHANDIZE FROM THIS SELLER, FIRSTCLASS BOOKS...I HAVE BOUGHT NUMEROUS TEXTS FROM AMAZON AND EBAY AND THIS ONE TOPS THE LIST OF PATHETIC ITEM WHICH SHOULD NOT COST WHAT IT PUT OUT FOR ($57.00)....THIS BOOK LOOKED LIKE IT WAS DECIMATED BY A LONG-TOOTHED MAMMAL, ITS COVER WAS HALF EATEN-OFF...WHY CAN'T SELLERS JUST BE HONEST AND PUT THE REAL DEAL!!! IT WOULD HAVE SAVED EVERYONE THE TROUBLE TO GOING 20 FEET TO THE POST OFFICE!!! THIS WAS THE WORST IF NOT, MOST HORRID EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD WITH A BUYER...YOU ARE NOW IN MY "BLACK LIST"....AND I BUY ALL MY TEXTBOOKS AND MY COLLEGE KIDS BOOKS ON AMAZON..SO YOU JUST LOST MY BUSINESS!!!!