Customer Reviews

Calculus AB and BC (Cliffs AP)

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

 

 

This is yet another great Cliffs AP prep book. I used it only for the AB sections. I bought the book early in the school year and really only used it in preparing for my tests. If you practice everything along the way, there is really no need to use it in May for cramming. In May I would do a couple of free responses from previous AP exams, review your integral equations for finding volumes, and make sure you know all you derivatives and integrals (but you already knew that.) I made a 5, and I'm sure you will too if you prepare along the way and do some practice free responses. I would probably either get the Barron's or the Princeton Review if you plan on self studying for the BC, though.

Let me preface this by saying that I spent the last year helping my daughter self-study for the AP Calculus Exam given in May 2007. I bought 4 AP Calculus review guides, 2 textbooks, and looked up the openly available free response questions from the actual tests for the last 7 years. Unfortunately, I agree with the more recent reviews that this guide is inadequate. My overall impression was that Cliffs wanted to expand into other "study" areas besides their well-known CLiffs Notes in literature booklets and put this book together for such a purpose.

The book is filled with typographical errors which are annoying. More over, the book is just too easy. Anyone who has looked at the actual free response questions given on either the AB or BC tests will quickly realize the inadequacy of this book.

The AP test is no longer one in which simple differentiation and integration will carry the day. You need to know how to use your calculator to solve problems, clearly understand the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and its applications, be able to read graphs and determine their properties as they relate to calculus, and be able to use data tables in solving problems. This book does none of these adequately.

basically what most of the other reviewers said. this calc prep book is too easy for the ap tests that are now being administered. there are quite a few typos which makes everything a little more confusing. the lessons are okay, but only if you want to review or clear up a fuzzy area. i dont think you can learn calc from this book. what's helpful though is that in the back there are these english-to-calculus translations that are great to memorize and help tremendously for the test. but other than that, look elsewhere for an outstanding calc book.

I took AP Calc BC at our school (which is taught by a very qualified teacher), but I bought this book in case. It helped me with some of my fuzzy areas, but otherwise I felt it just wasn't up to par. There were a lot of typos in the book and the practice tests were too easy. I got a 5 nonetheless, but I would attribute that to my teacher and not the book.

Perfectly as described, arrived right on time, and is a great review of the course from what I can tell. Goes over every topic and tells you what you need to know for the AP tests. Its a little outdated, I think it was published mid 2000's, but it definitely informed me for what I needed to know. Great price, great product, entirely satisfied. Thanks!

This book is fantastic and should be called "Comprehensive Review to Calculus." I loved this book because it teaches you exactly how to do things and followed by sample problems. Everything is laid out in perfect order and easy to follow. Don't take the class, just read this book and practice!

The practice tests don't mimick the actual AP exam. After looking at some questions on their practice test, I had to turn back and look at the cover of the book--I thought that I was looking at some sort of pre-calculus book.

For example, one multiple-choice question (on the practice exam) asks you to complete the double-angle formula for sine(2x). How ridiculous! Such a question would never be on the AP exam.

Another multiple-choice question asks for the interval over which ln(x+3) is nonnegative; Again, another question which is highly unlikely to appear on the AP exam because it's a simple pre-calculus question.

This book does a great job introducing the "Algebra 1" of advanced mathematics, Calculus. I've always loved Calculus and its creaters, Newton and Leibniz. If you're taking AP Calculus, AB or BC, you should definately consider buying this incredible book. I especially like how the book introduces the definate integral by first computing one using Reimann Sums.

One of the review said that Calculus is "Algebra 1" of Advanced Mathematics, which is blatantly incorrect. Calculus and Algebra are two distinctly seperate branches of mathematics although they may involve the use of each other. Also it is rather correct to call calculus a baby Analysis; more correct way to call high school AP Calculus is Calculus without proofs - calculus without substance.