Customer Reviews

Calculus: One and Several Variables, Ninth Edition

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a superb textbook and it's easy to see why the book is in its ninth edition. What I really enjoyed (yes, I know this may sound a little incongruous in relation to calculus) was the step-by-step build-up of knowledge with good, clear examples. Also, for the problems at the end of each section, all the odd problems have solutions, so one can get some practice (something that is unfortunately rare for many textbooks).

Before going through this book, I had minimal exposure to calculus and what I had seen wasn't very favorable. This book was a key reason why I now really enjoy the subject and feel very comfortable in this area.

I used this book in my first engineering calculus course. The professor was incredibly theoretical and did not teach from the book which made matters somewhat difficult. However, he was showing us the meaning of math which I found refreshing. This book serves its purpose as one which teaches the mechanics of solving problems but very little in developing an intuitive feeling for mathematics. I must admit that the multitude of exercises were very helpful in getting comfortable with difficult mechanical problems. For single variable calculus it is a standard book with good examples, excellent diagrams, and some applications. Getting into multivariables, the ideas are not connected well and seem segragated from the rest of material. I guess as a brief overview, it makes its point but should not be used as a text for multivariable calculus.

If you are interested in theory I recommend Apostol's Calculus which covers a great range of material with rigorous foundation. As far as exercises go, Michael Spivak's Calculus is quite challenging and will keep you occupied for months.

All-in-all, a great book for brush up and single variable material but not to be used for higher dimensional analysis.

This book is a stunning rebuke to all attempts to dumb down the math curriculum in high schools and colleges. This book, in my opinion, expects the student to have mastered precalculus at the level set forth in, say, David Cohen's Precalculus with unit-circle trigonometry (ISBN 0-534-35275-8). It introduces mathematical rigor in the Calculus 101 semester (of a three semester calculus program) and thereby begins preparing the math major for the hard analysis courses that comes later on. There are no cute stories featuring 'How I Use Math In The Workplace' to inspire you - your self esteem will be hard won as you master the concepts as presented here (especially the problems). The book's greatest strength is that it is basic and traditional in its approach to calculus - no problem or example requires obscure special tricks from mathematical journals or Isaac Newton level ingenuity. This book is a must get!

(This review refers to the eighth edition)

This is an excellent textbook for an ordinary 3 semester calculus sequence. Important theorems are not used without proof, the illustrations are simple and tasteful (I hate when math textbooks contain color photographs), and the content is well-written. There's a good balance between theory and applications. This textbook does tend to be more challenging than many undergraduate texts, and may not be appropriate for high school or junior college courses.

The least upper bound material would be better placed earlier, before studying integrals. The authors might have expanded the theory involving implicit differentiation and differentials. This is an introductory text, however, and the authors generally make good choices when it comes to including theory. Every university should use this book as the text for their standard calculus sequences.

I actually took this class with Professor Etgen and found that the book was excellent as a lecture supplement. However, I wouldn't recommend this book to the self-motivated learner. The book's greatest strength (and perhaps only strength) is the vast selection of problems. Mathematical proofs are provided in the text, but appear to be there only for formality's sake rather than for deep understanding -- the emphasis here is application.

The value of the book as a reference book, readability, level, and study help in the text are somewhat effective. The use of photos, illustrations and use of color are very effective. The problems are too difficult. I feel I was made to buy this average book because it was revised by the dean of the math dept. I think it is dishonorable to do this. I have used 2/3 of the book. Even my tutor find s the book very badly written

If you dread taking calculus and aren't into math theory, I wouldn't recommend using this book. It'll only increase your headaches. The examples are sometimes too simple for the homework problems and will require an additional supplement. The chapters are horribly structured. A new chapter usually begins directly underneath exercises--a definite eye sore, given all the theorems shown. I, however, think the chapter on "Limits" is by far the best section. If the book implemented this method of teaching throughout the whole book, I'd give the book a better rating.

A college calculus book I can stand behind is "Calculus" by Smith and Minton. They work out several examples in simple terms to help you understand Calculus without all the frustration. I wish I would have discovered it earlier during my course.

I have two copies, because the first became worn out.

Every subject and treatment is well organized and thoughtful. Although I have many mathematics books that offer a more analytic treatment of calculus ideas, for its purpose this is easily the best mathematics book I own.

I saw that there is now a looseleaf notebook version available for student, yet I would highly recommend the hardback, as it can be kept for reference into the future.

If you only own one calculus book, this should be it.

I just finished my 3rd term of calculus using this book, and I enjoyed the style of the text. Similar to their "one variable early transcendentals" book for first and second term calc, the prose is terse and the later examples require a bit of "ah, I see how they chose to simply this". Once you get used to the "Tao" of their method, though, the book unfolds concept after concept cleanly and efficiently.

One of the things I like about the book is the gradual increasing complexity of the problems, and how they correlate to the particular section of the text. The first problems start easy and from the beginning of the section, then they give you "harder" problems that continue to move through the section's examples, followed by a "all bets are off" part.

The only part I didnt like (which is why it gets only 4 stars) are the sections that introduce the concepts of double and triple integrals. It took me quite a few re-reads to get it down, and I'm not sure if their proofs were the best. Like everything else in mathematics, I finally got the jist by solving problems. Once the "introductory" part of the double and triple integral was completed, the book seemed to get "back into the rhythm" and I was able to crank all the way to the end.

If you are a freshman/sophomore undergraduate student who paid attention in your first 2 terms of calculus and are quick to see how a problem simplifies through "the math" rather than through prose, this book will serve you well. On the other hand, if you were not happy with calc1 and 2, or have an interest more in the "how" than the "why" (i.e.- an "applied calculus" book), this book may not be for you.

I agree with those who said that this book is not for beginners. It does start off with epsilon delta proofs after all. How ever, this is one of the most useful reference books i've ever used. Granted the book is huge, but it has practical applications in many fields. Be warned though, it's many for people that are strong in the math and sciences. Still, it's a good reference book to have around.