Customer Reviews

Calculus for the Utterly Confused, 2nd Ed. (Utterly Confused Series)

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

 

 

This book is confusing in two ways: First, it launches into complex concepts, equations, problems and solutions without ever explaining the underlying fundamentals; the authors assume that the reader is already in command of many concepts and terms that would almost certainly escape a person who is "Utterly Confused" by calculus. Second, although the content of the book would be useful to a person who had successfully completed a formal education in calculus and was in need of a review, the authors chose to bill this book as a quick and easy way to understand the intricacies of calculus for those who have failed to grasp the basic fundamentals. They do a great disservice to the readers whom they dupe into buying this book by making false claims about its nature.

Based on the description of this book, I thought I could gain a better grasp of the subject, only to discover that I was more confused than when I started. New concepts are thrown out with no explanation and examples are obscure at best. To make things worse, the silly cartoon-like attitude of the book is insulting to anyone who's looking for a serious solution to their dilemma. The implication is that the material is as easy to understand as a child's book, but there is no help for those who don't immediately grasp the concepts. After completing a Calculus class (and feeling quite comfortable with the subject) I revisited the book and confirmed that it is a terrible presentation for those who are in fact "Utterly Confused". I have sent it unceremoniously to the local landfill.

This little book is a terrific idea. However, it needed a careful editing before printing. The diagram on page 33 was not labeled. The answer on page 51 is wrong. The answer on page 55 contains an answer (t=533) that not only is wrong, but should have rung a bell with the authors when they got it. (The correct answer is 53.3, which can easily be verified.) This proves that using a hand calculator without thinking about what size the answer ought to be leads to embarassing errors. This actually is a very instructive example, but the conclusion that 27 years is the most appropriate time to harvest the forest has no supporting theory. At this frequency of errors, I expect to find more as I progress.

This is one of the most easy to understand and clear calculus books that I have read in a long time. It concentrates on some of the most used/practical subjects that most college students will need for their undergraduate studies. I have recommended this book to some of my friends and the reason for me writing this review is because I would like to let other "confused" readers know about how much of a big help this book has been.

I graduated from college about 13 years ago. After working in the industry for around 9 years, my math is completely gone. When I decide to go back for a higher education, I found this good easy to read and it helps me refresh my memory in particular the basic concepts. It gives just enough amount of information for me to get my feet back on the ground. It lists useful laws, formula and when combining with examples, everything starts to make sense!

Like so many of the books based on the assertion that it will quickly and effectively teach you advanced mathematics, this one does neither. In fact I always find it difficult to understand what the target market of these books is. If you do not understand calculus, then a book that simply shows you the basic formulas and how to use them will not be enough to take you to the promised land of understanding. If you do understand calculus, then your only reaction to the book will be one of boredom.
The first chapter of 26 pages is a brief review of precalculus, hardly enough to prepare the novice and unneeded by the experienced. Chapters 2 through 10 (153 pages) then cover differential and integral calculus, there is no depth of explanation to the operations, you are shown what the formula is and it is then your task to execute it.
The only valid market for this book that I can see is as a review for the person experienced in calculus that needs a quick refresher. As for altering the state of the utterly confused, I do not see that happening.

I found the book very useful. I was terrified when I learned that I would have to have calculus for my MBA program, but the book really helped me succeed. I ended up with an A in the class, the first A I have ever received in math.