Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Calculus, 2nd Edition

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This simple and easy to read guide literally saved me from failing Calc I and helped me pass proudly. Calc I is what consists mostly of the first half of the book. The book progresses up to the end of Calc II with Series and Sequences, and with Taylor and Maclaurin Series.

Being out of school for nearly ten years and deciding to make a comeback I had to begin at the precalculus level. I was at that time, one year ago and before this Calc course, completely terrified of Calculus. I never expected to pass this course... let alone pass it the first time through! I sincerely owe it to this book as the required text was just a mouthful and too deep. This guide is as succinct and concise in one book as you can get on this subject. If you're struggling with the course and the course's required tough text as I did, do yourself a favor and pick up this small book.

I must reinforce that while the course text may be a difficult read, as it was for me, this Idiot's book is simply a supplement. In my opinion, you cannot read this book by itself and expect to pass Calc. What it will do for you is make the required text and homeworks(and therefore exams) much easier having read this first through and referencing it as you go throughout the course.

I'm a first-year at Yale, and despite a relatively strong math background in high school (I took the AB calculus AP exam), I found college calculus extremely difficult and inaccessible. The lecture format made it really hard to understand anything but the symbolic perspective (in contrast, my high school class emphasized a verbal, symbolic, numerical and visual understanding of all concepts).

The Idiot's Guide to Calculus has been a fantastic supplement. The explanations are very clear, and his little jokes, while corny, help make the material more friendly. The practice problems serve as an on-going assessment of comprehension. The author understands how non-"math minds" think (unlike math professors, in my experience), so his explanations are geared toward the average student/person. I also like that he summarizes the prerequisite math needed to begin calculus--it was helpful to brush up after a while with no math.

My only complaint is that only the last few chapters cover material for second-semester college calculus (calculus of single variables II)... A huge chunk of the book focuses on first semester material: differentiation and integration. There's only a little on series and sequences, even less on parametric equations, and none on polar coordinates/equations. But overall, I've found the book very helpful in times of need (i.e. before exams!). I would definitely recommend this book.

HOWEVER, be aware that since this book and others like it have been publicized a lot of college textbooks are ripping off the ideas and formats of these "idiot" and "dummy" books and using them as their own in the required textbooks. The Calculus class I took used the most recent edition of Calculus and its Applications by Marvin Bittinger and the way this textbook was written and styled was very similar to the Idiot's Guide to Calculus...so much so that I really didn't need the Idiot's Guide at all. The Idiot's Guide makes it easier to understand, but check your textbook first before buying it to see if you really need it. Also by no means should this be used as a replacement for expensive textbooks, this is simply a guide to help you with your course.

As a college math teacher, I am always on the lookout for supplementary material that I can recommend to my students. Like all other people in the profession, I regularly encounter students struggling with the topic, so I often hear a question equivalent to the following. "Is there any other book that you can recommend that I examine to help me understand calculus?"
From this point forward, I will recommend this book. It is not deep by any means, but it does provide a more relaxed and occasionally humorous view of the principles of calculus. The coverage is fairly broad, differential and integral calculus are covered and in some internal breadth. Differential equations, power series and convergence tests are all examined, so all of the topics normally covered in a two-course sequence are at least mentioned. Problems are also interspersed within the text and solutions are given in an appendix.
By itself, this book will not teach you first year calculus; there is not enough depth for that. However, if your goal is to learn the basics or your need is a supplement to your calculus text, then it is an excellent choice to satisfy your requirements.

Great book for help with Calculus. It introduces the basics in plain English. Don't expect proofs or rigorous problems here. Buy this and the 1000 problems solved by the same author. It's all you will probably need to pass Calculus if you study.

Calculus totally flattened me 30 years ago. Now, I have a son taking the course, and I bought this so I could help him over the rough spots. This book totally demystifies everything that seemed (and still seems) so impenetrable in the textbook. The author uses regular, readable English, and lays out the simple steps that are actually involved in solving calculus problems. It's not just lists of mechanical steps, though: He also includes the "what's the point?" and "why are we doing this?" information that's completely lacking from the textbook.

I can't praise this book highly enough.

Excellent resource for review of calculus. Written in language everyone can understand.

Definitely worth it if you're having trouble with the basics of calculus, or need a reminder about algebra/trigonometry/pre-calc.

Easy to read.

Excellently written to get to the nuts and bolts of Calculus. Great book for beginning Calculus teachers to peruse and students taking a Calculus course will love M. Kelley's approach to the topic. His writing style is casual and conversational and he makes you feel like you are being entertained while you read. I wish Mr. Kelley had been my math teacher.

Excellent book. I like much i can refresh all my knowledge in quick but secure way. This book include since the history of begin of calculus,trigonometry,limits derivate and finally integrals. If you look for remember old theorems,rules,derivate,integrals of calculus course this is a good book. If never before take a course is also a good book to understand the hard math rules in easy way but remember you will need additional workbook to practice it. This is a excellent guide book not a workbook. Recommended !!