Customer Reviews

Mathematica DeMYSTiFied

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First let me say that this is a good introduction to Mathematica. However, as the previous reviewer noted, there are a lot of 'syntax errors with the code'. It is as if the text was 'scanned' in from another source with some OCR software. This would not normally be a problem, unless you are just starting out trying to learn mathematica, and you can't figure out why, the program does not work as advertised; when it is really you should be typing in "Units", not "United" as the text calls for.

The latter section of the book is about fractals is informative and interesting. It is just that I think there are better ways to learn mathematica. Try going to the online Mathematica website.

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Here is an awe inspiring mathematica programming course put out by the good folks at Davidson College. It is really an awesome set of lessons that will teach you everything from the flimsiest of basics to some really advanced stuff.

This is an excellent introduction to mathematica and also covers some crucial features of mathematica 7. If you want to get familiar with mathematica to accomplish undergraduate levels tasks then this is the book to read. The step by step lesson delve into the applications of mathematica such numerical analysis and you may end up sharpening you math skills in the process of working through the examples. To top it off there is test inj last chapter that will allow you to assess you mastery of the material. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a novice to mathematica. This is book is a great place to start.

After getting extremely frustrated with the results I was obtaining in Mathematica using the the sample problems from the Kindle version of Mathematica DeMYSTiFied, I compared the print version to the Kindle version. The Kindle version is replete with errors. A person may still be able to read a work of fiction with spelling and punctuation errors, but when trying to learn to use a program with strict syntax rules, missing or incorrect symbols in sample problems can lead to hours of frustration. I've learned a lot about Mathematica in spite of the Kindle version rather than because of it. If you want to learn Mathematica, buy the print version, not the Kindle version.

Although I am sure this book will work well for a motivated person who is new to Mathematica, it has definitely been useful for me--I have tackled Mathematica off an on for a number of years and even attended a couple of workshops. I have learned many things I didn't know previously, and the book exposed me to a lot of simple but non-trivial applications. The author teaches college mathematics and his teaching skill is obvious in the presentation and care in explaining the many examples. I have worked through more than half the book and found it to be completely compatible with the latest version of Mathematica; every example worked as indicated in the text.

real good book if you know nothing at all about Mathematica. It will get you up and going without assuming you are familiar with Mathematica's syntax and nuances. Best of breed.

Upside:
If you heard about Mathematica and have never used it. This is the book for you. I download the trail version and had the book by my side and went and zero to cursing in less than a 5 hrs of reading and trying out.

Downside:
Mathematica is a large and complex software and once start exploring it you realize quickly that this book only scratched its surface.

However I guess for most of the advanced stuff you have Wolfram's free online seminars, help and mailing lists. I showed up for a free seminar and asked a few advanced queries at the end of the seminar during the Q&A and the presenters where happy to answer them and even gave me some helpful tips on how to proceed.

One Line review: Great Start.. move on for more..

I wanted to use Mathematica for science work but having never used it before, I was completely stuck. However, within a few days of buying this book I had created a neat moving graph that I could have never produced without help. I successfully used it in a presentation and now I am moving on to more sophisticated work, while always keeping this book at my side. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to start at the beginning of Mathematica and doesn't have anyone to help them.

The book was just as I ordered and in perfect condition. Shipping came next day, and it wasn't even supposed to. Superb.

I looked at this book as I knew nothing about Mathematica. To truly evaluate the book's examples I would have to buy the software. If the examples are like those in the Matlab Demystified book, they will be good. The book proceeds as if the reader knew nothing abut the subjecy and proceeds in steps to explain the software in it's more complex problems. It's a god book to start with.