Contemporary Precalculus: A Graphing Approach (with CD-ROM, BCA/iLrn(TM) Tutorial, and InfoTrac®) [Hardcover]

Thomas W. Hungerford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0534403387 | ISBN-13: 978-0534403386 | Edition: 4

Thomas Hungerford's CONTEMPORARY PRECALCULUS text is highly praised and well respected for its clear writing, outstanding applications problems, and integration of technology. Many adopters like the use of real data in examples and exercises, and they appreciate the flexibility of the book. This market-leading text is now accompanied by an outstanding array of innovative supplements that facilitate teaching and enhance learning.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The explorations and investigations fit perfectly with the concepts. They motivate ’discovery’ ..."

"Thomas Hungerford’s writing style is exceptionally clear and he explains precalculus concepts, principles and procedures with plenty of examples."

"The Graphing Explorations and Investigations are well placed and helpful. (Hungerford’s CONTEMPORARY PRECALCULUS, 4th) is the best I’ve seen for integrating the calculator into a ’standard text’."

About the Author

Thomas W. Hungerford received his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He has taught at the University of Washington (Seattle) and at Cleveland State University, and is now at St. Louis University. His research fields are algebra and mathematics education. He is the author of many notable books for undergraduate and graduate level courses. These include: ALGEBRA, Springer Verlag, Graduate Texts in Mathematics #73, 1974; ABSTRACT ALGEBRA: AN INTRODUCTION, Second Edition, Harcourt, 1997; MATHEMATICS WITH APPLICATIONS, Eighth Edition (with M. Lial), Addison-Wesley, 2003; and CONTEMPORARY PRECALCULUS: A GRAPHING APPROACH, Fourth Edition, Brooks/Cole, 2004.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1024 pages
• Publisher: Brooks Cole; 4 edition (June 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534403387
• ISBN-13: 978-0534403386
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,154,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, although the images are not to my tastes, September 26, 2004

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Contemporary Precalculus: A Graphing Approach (with CD-ROM, BCA/iLrn(TM) Tutorial, and InfoTrac®) (Hardcover)

This book is different from many others, as the graphing calculator is an integral part of the instruction. A large number of the images are nothing more than what a graphing calculator will present when asked to plot a segment of a particular function. Since the material is standard precalculus, the decision whether to adopt this text will be largely based on your opinion concerning the role of graphing calculators in mathematics education. While there is no question that graphing calculators can be of help, they can also be a hindrance. Graphs are just another tool that enable us to better understand the concepts and are not a complete solution. All mathematicians are aware that diagrams can be inadequate and at times appear to be accurate when they are not.

While their resolution is improving, the visual aspects of the graphing calculator are still somewhat crude. The diagrams in this book can at times be confusing, as the points are still tiny squares and if the student takes the figures too seriously, they can be misleading. As we all know, if there is an opportunity for students to be mislead, some will avail themselves of the opportunity. In some ways, it is a step backwards. For years, publishers have labored to create very high quality diagrams with a great deal of contrast between the different parts. This has made the diagrams much easier to read, but in the images of the calculators there is very little contrast and the figures are crude.

Of greater concern is the real problem that students will use the calculator as a psychological crutch and fail to learn the mathematical justification of the results. For example, when we are dealing with the graphs of functions of the form y = (x - h)*(x - h) + k, out interest is in their understanding concerning how the position of the graph changes as h and k changes. If they rely on the graphing calculator too much, they will never learn the fundamental reasons for the shifts.

In terms of presentation, I found the book to be soundly written, the explanations are understandable and complete. The level is appropriate and the material is the usual precalculus fare. The last chapter deals with limits and continuity, which of course is the beginning of calculus. Considering that there are over 800 pages of material without it, one can argue both positions as to whether it should have been included. A large number of exercises appear at the end of the sections and answers to the odds are included at the end. A CD-ROM with over 8 hours of video instruction is included with the book and qualified adopters of the book can receive content-specific videotapes.

I will not be adopting this book, largely due to the emphasis on graphing calculators. To me, graphing calculators create more problems than they solve in education. However, if you feel otherwise, then this book will likely be exactly what you are looking for.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This book has too many flaws., June 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Contemporary Precalculus: A Graphing Approach (Hardcover)

The most obvious problem with this book is that there are too many errors in the answers at the back. This results in a lot of time spent reworking the problems in attempts to get the "right" answers. I know it is very difficult to edit to a point that is closer to perfection, but such careful editing is of crucial importance in a math book.

The book's layout and design are poor. For example, a bold line is used to indicate the beginning of an example instead of the beginning of a concept. This has the unfortunate effect of making it appear that the explanation of a new concept is part of the previous example. Though I did get somewhat used to this technique halfway through the book, I never learned to like it, and it continued to confuse me occasionally.

I would have appreciated more exercises for practice at the end of each section. Often, I would get the hang of a concept by the second or third problem, but then there would be no more problems on which I could reinforce my newfound understanding. I will say, though, that there were plenty of applied problems and they were frequently useful, challenging, and even fun.

I rated this book at 3 stars (instead of 2 or 1) because much of the material itself is good. I learned a lot and I did fairly well in the course (A-). However, I know a good textbook when I use one, and this one needs more work to fit that description. This book made taking the class more difficult, time-consuming, and frustrating than it needed to be.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Awful, January 9, 2005

By 

Pat Moniz (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Contemporary Precalculus: A Graphing Approach (with CD-ROM, BCA/iLrn(TM) Tutorial, and InfoTrac®) (Hardcover)

This is the absolute worst text book I have ever had the misfortune of using, in any subject. Hungerford only provides part of the information you actually need to do the problems, and the answers in the back of the book are not reliable. I was forced to use this book for a class in college. If you have a similar misfortune, GET THE SUPPLEMENT. It is the only thing that will help to keep you sane. Make sure you check out the amazing resources availible online, like purplemath.com. This book sure won't be of any help. My professor is just like the author, so it made for a very difficult class.