Precalculus: Functions and Graphs [Hardcover]

Earl W. Swokowski (Author), Jeffery A. Cole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1998 | ISBN-10: 0534352634 | ISBN-13: 978-0534352639 | Edition: 8

The Eighth Edition of this well respected text - part of Swokowski/Cole series of mathematics texts - features updated discussions to enable students to more easily understand the mathematical concepts; new exercises that require students to estimate, approximate, interpret a result, write a summary, create a model, explore, or find a generalization; and more examples and exercises that use graphing calculators. These changes have been incorporated without sacrificing the mathematical soundness that has been paramount to the success of this text and series.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The writing is definitely at the right level for our students, with a good mix of explanation, examples, and theorems."

"Students seem to find this book very easy to read. In fact this is one of the few books in any math subject that I have gotten students to read on a consistent basis.""The design/feel of this book contributes greatly to it readability. The color coding schemes and the chart material makes important facts/concepts easy for students to pick out."

"The exercises are great. I like the variety (different type and difficulty) with which the author engages the student based on the concepts in the section. The variety of application exercises is wonderful." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Earl Swokowski successfully authored numerous textbooks, including: CALCULUS, Fifth Edition; CALCULUS OF A SINGLE VARIABLE, Second Edition; FUNDAMENTALS OF COLLEGE ALGEBRA, Tenth Edition; and PRECALCULUS: FUNCTIONS AND GRAPHS, Ninth Edition.

Jeffery A. Cole has been teaching mathematics and computer science at Anoka-Ramsey Community College since fall 1981. He started working on the Swokowski series of precalculus texts in 1985, as an ancillary author. His involvement with the Swokowski texts increased in 1989 with the revision of the calculus text, and he has been a co-author since 1991 for the precalculus texts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 912 pages
• Publisher: Brooks Cole; 8 edition (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534352634
• ISBN-13: 978-0534352639
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,464,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book., November 4, 2004

By 

Shaun Cummings (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Precalculus: Functions and Graphs (with CD-ROM) (Hardcover)

Since the last reviewer felt it necessary to single out those of us who dislike this book as "unable", I'll make it known that I have been an exemplary math student throughout my academic career and I have a well earned 93% average in my precalculus class.

The discussion in this book is anything but "lucid." The authors will spend whole pages covering basic topics (that any third grade student should understand) and then brush through the new material in one unintelligible paragraph, an incomprehensible definition or proof and a maximum of two examples. Even the calculator instructions given are a chore to read (I stopped doing so several weeks ago, preferring the manual included with my calculator, which says more than enough).

If you know in advance that your professor uses this book, take a different class (unless your professor is one of the 2% of them who will actually cover the material in class). If its already too late, I suggest you invest in some clear, concise study aids.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pre-Calculus For the Calculus Student, April 27, 2001

By 

Nathan Cohen (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Precalculus: Functions and Graphs (Hardcover)

Swokowski's problems are many. The most prevelant I have encountered in using this book is the fact that he often leaves much up to the reader. Often he will give an example of some property and then leave it up to the reader to figure out how he obtained his solution. Other times he will give an abstract explanation of a solution, and leave it up to the reader to develop a practical method.

This is simply unacceptable. While, for real science majors, it is of utmost importance to develop inductive reasoning it's rediculous to do so this overtly.

I am an exceptional mathematical student, with a major focusing on mathematics, and I often have to spend hours deciphering Swokowski's explanations. Truly, this book is a great exercise for any lover of riddles, but I did not pay to be puzzled, I paid to be taught.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Room for improvement., December 25, 2004

By 

J. L. Davis (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Precalculus: Functions and Graphs (with CD-ROM) (Hardcover)

I have a BS in mathematics and I found this book---both as a student and as a tutor---to be less-than helpful for calculus preparation.