19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent preparation for AP exams, or for self-study of calculus core in preparation for future work--some minor deficiencies., February 19, 2009
This review is from: Cracking the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams, 2009 Edition (College Test Preparation) (Paperback)
This is an outstanding presentation of core topics in applied calculus. Only areas identified by the AP Calculus Development Committee are covered. Narrowing the areas presented to those needed for the exam considerably reduces preparation time, compared to studying a more general calculus text.
The greatest strength of this text is its excellent practice problems sets with fully-worked solutions. There are usually about 10 - 25 problems per set, often with multiple problem sets per chapter. Surprisingly, for a book with this many problems, solutions are usually well-described and accurate. Although there are the rare solution section errors, e.g., the incorrectly drawn figure on page 364, or the solution to a different problem than that given on page 369.
Arguably, the book's primary deficiency is its strong emphasis on memorization of problem formats and pattern solutions, to the exclusion of a more general problem-solving strategy. The pattern-solving approach, while extremely helpful for the AP exam, may occasionally lead to "missing the forest for the trees", resulting in readers spending more time solving a problem than needed. As one example, in Chapter 6 readers are asked to, "Find the values of x where the normal to the graph of (x-9)^2 is parallel to the y-axis." The solution presented follows the previously presented solution pattern of finding the derivative of the curve, i.e., the slope of the tangent to the curve, recognizing that the slope of the normal is the negative reciprocal of the slope of the tangent, and then finding where the slope of the negative reciprocal is infinite. Simply recognizing (x-9)^2 as an upward opening parabola with vertex at x=9 would have allowed the solution to be quickly identified by inspection.
Other deficiencies include the occasional editing lapse, for example, when an unrelated integral trigonometric equation inexplicably appears in the middle of page 81. Some extended coverage, at least an appendix, on the use of graphing calculators, as they are now required for the exams, would have been appreciated. Also, the paper appears to be relatively lower quality than usual, which is probably acceptable considering the book's relatively low cost.
If you're considering an earlier edition to reduce costs, note that although the presentation, examples, and problem sets in, e.g., the 1999/2000 edition are almost identical to the 2009 edition, the 2009 edition has fully worked solutions while the earlier 1999/2000 edition only provides answers.
Although there are some minor deficiencies, this book can be highly recommended for those preparing for AP calculus exams, owing to the excellent concise presentation of topics, and the outstanding and extensive sets of problems with full solutions. Based on my experience, its possible to complete the book at a reasonable pace in about eight weeks.
Except for the relatively extended coverage of curve sketching, an interesting anachronism from earlier decades when plotting software and graphing calculators were not widely available, this book can also be highly recommend for self-study in preparation for applied courses or independent reading where a basic understanding of calculus is needed, even when the AP exams are not a consideration.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great supplement to taking an AP Class, or even a replacement?, May 4, 2009
This review is from: Cracking the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams, 2009 Edition (College Test Preparation) (Paperback)
This book was very straightforward in its explanation of calculus concepts---much simpler than my high school text book. However it contains everything you need to know about the test, along with many practice problems in addition to 3 AB practice tests and 2 BC practice tests. The tests are one of the most helpful parts.
Quite simply, this book is awesome if you want to get a 4 or a 5 on the AP Calculus tests.
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