Customer Reviews

Functions Modeling Change: A Preparation for Calculus

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

 

 

I use this book as a college text book for pre-Calculus. I'm sure if you could understand it, it might be good for calculus. I didn't understand it at all. I went from an A the college math calss previous to this to a C. I work very hard to understand this book (20 hrs. a week). I even went to tutors in my college and they have trouble understanding the book. They say that it takes trivial aspects from algebra and puts a major focus on them. It goes from one topic to another as you do each problem.

We are up to chapter 5 in this book so far. Several people in the class have had to take it over several times now. The book is too hard...at least for a lot of people it is. The concepts are not presented clearly. It can be very hard to correlate the example problems to the homework problems. Even with the student solution manual (which does not have every odd #, but every other odd #, heh) I am lost. A big group of us get together for a total of 7 hours per week working on our homework with tutors and they are even lost! AHHHH. This book is horrible! Good luck to all whom have to take this course!

This book expects a lot out of students, thereby requiring instructors to work even harder at presenting the material in a meaningful and understandable way. Unless students have previously had precalculus (including trigonometry), or had a thorough preparation in algebra, this text will be highly confusing and discouraging to most of them. It is an inadequate preparation for calculus at best, as it completely omits many key concepts that will be necessary for the study of calculus. This is a well written book for mathematicians, but not for students just grappling to learn this material. Unfortunately, there are those who are involved with the "Calculus Reform" that believe this "Applied Approach" is the best approach. If people really wants to learn about applied mathematics, they need not look any further than physics!

I am currently taking pre-cac in summer school and I fear I will have to drop the class! This book is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE in presenting concepts and helping to guide you through the process on figuring things out. There is no reason why I should read a book, be confused, read it again, be more confused, ask friends to read it and have them be confused. I don't know how educators get away with writting books of such low quality-- and I have even less of an idea how a school chooses to use such a book. Minimally, instructors should be looking here to see the absolutely horrible feedback on this book and CHOOSE A DIFFERENT TEXT! It seems the only reason why my summer school is using this book is due to the fact that it was written by some professors here. For such a prestigous university that surely strikes of a highly unintelligent decision.

The only reason I give it two stars is that the word problems and models are interesting and realistic. The student solutions manual is a rip-off because it does not model each type of problem, nor does it lend itself to greater understanding and clarification. I usually get straight "A's" in math courses because I pour all effort necessary into homework and understanding. I just find myself being frustrated every time I open this book. The examples in each chapter just give me a headache. It is assuming and poorly written. Colleges that require this book for courses in pre-calc and trig should think twice.

"Functions Modeling Change" isn't any more (or less) difficult than what one would call a "traditional" precalculus textbook. Technology has replaced some old ways of solving problems, such as finding the zeroes of polynomials via synthetic division: now you just whip out your trusty TI and go to town. Certain traditional topics are missing form the text, such as matrix algebra, systems of equations (x, y, z), and inequalities. The text's primary emphasis is on mathematical modeling and graphs. There's little emphasis given on proofs, mathematical induction, and logic. "Functions Modeling Change" offers practical, real-world examples; as a future biology major who intends to take calculus and statistics, the book served it's "function" (no pun) well. However, anyone who intends to continue in math should learn synthetic division, matrix algebra, x-y-z, and inequalities before moving on to calculus. For this endeavor, I'd recommend "Precalculus Mathematics" by Sobel & Lerner (5th edition, Prentice Hall); very straightforward and traditional. I use it to accompany Connally, Hughes-Hallett, & Gleason.

This is probably the most incoplete, inarticulate book I've ever used so far in my 3 years in college. It fails to COMPLETELY explain ALL THE MANY concepts you will ,sort-of ummmm, need to pass the class,tests or even complete the problems within the book. Expect to buy at least one other pre-calc text to clearly explain EVERYTHING this book consistently DOESN'T. This book is not a student-friendly one, its more of an EXPERT MATHEMETICIAN-FRIENDLY text book, written for people who already have lots of experience with pre-calculous. First time precalculous students should not actually expect to learn from this book or be able to count on this book as a reliable source to turn to during homework assignments or study sessions... As this book consistently fails to articulate even the most simple of precalculous concepts. If you don't beleive mine along with most other negative ratings of this book, go ahead and compare this book to almost any other precalc text book for yourself. You'll quickly see that EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE PAID A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THIS BOOK TO TEACH YOU, this book FAILS TO PERFORM EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THE WAY, PARTICULARLY when you need it to CLEARLY EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO YOU most. REALLY THIS BOOK ONLY MAKES IT HARDER TO UNDERSTAND ANYTHING IT ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN. My recommendation is that you buy "THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO PRECALCULOUS" by W. Michael Kelly, an author who thouroughly prooves his TEACHING SKILLS, COMPETENCE and ABILITY TO SUCCESFULLY ARTICULATE concepts so students can actually get some learning out of the time they spend reading his CLEAR, HELPFULL EXPLENATIONS that will actually help you in precalculous.

I did appreciate the applications approach, but I felt like with almost every lesson that there were not nearly enough practice problems. A formula would be introduced with only two practice problems, only one of which is in the back of the book (of course). In my study groups, we would work those same two problems a few times and feel confident, then bomb the exam. If I remember correctly, I believe you can order an extra workbook in this series. I would recommend this text IN ADDITION to a workbook.

The biggest problem that I saw with my department adopting this textbook is that the instructors really do not teach the applications approach. I would go home to study and find that the text did not follow at all what we were covering in class. The innovative approach of the textbook was thereby lost as we flipped back and forth between the chapters trying to cobble together problems to match lectures.

I really have difficulties to understand some reviewers given one star for such a wonderfull book. If you read this book before Uni, you will have a stable ground for calculus.

All frequently used functions and their practical usage as modelling tools are lucidly explained. I finally know what hyperbolic functions are, I finally know how the path from given data to an appropriate model works. I finally know how can I practically sketch seemingly complex but simple functions.

It's strength based on model oriented approach to functions. This has pratical value for all candidate engineers...

Without any doubt I'll give five stars to acknowledge the authors.

Smooth transaction. Book delivered in condition and time as promised. Thank you!