Precalculus Functions and Graphs: A Graphing Approach 5th Edition [Hardcover]

Ron Larson (Author), Robert P. Hostetler (Author), Bruce H. Edwards (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 061885150X | ISBN-13: 978-0618851508 | Publication Date: March 9, 2007 | Edition: 5

Part of the market-leading Graphing Approach Series by Larson, Hostetler, and Edwards, Precalculus Functions and Graphs: A Graphing Approach, 5/e, is an ideal student and instructor resource for courses that require the use of a graphing calculator. The quality and quantity of the exercises, combined with interesting applications and innovative resources, make teaching easier and help students succeed. Continuing the series' emphasis on student support, the Fifth Edition introduces Prerequisite Skills Review. For selected examples throughout the text, the Prerequisite Skills Review directs students to previous sections in the text to review concepts and skills needed to master the material at hand. In addition, prerequisite skills review exercises in Eduspace are referenced in every exercise set. The Larson team achieves accessibility through careful writing and design, including examples with detailed solutions that begin and end on the same page, which maximizes the readability of the text. Similarly, side-by-side solutions show algebraic, graphical, and numerical representations of the mathematics and support a variety of learning styles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1138 pages
• Publisher: Brooks Cole; 5 edition (March 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061885150X
• ISBN-13: 978-0618851508
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ron Larson received his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Colorado in 1970. At that time, he accepted a position with Penn State University in Erie, Pennsylvania, and currently holds the rank of professor of mathematics at the university. Ron is the lead author for over forty mathematics textbooks from 6th grade through calculus. Many of his texts, such as the 9th edition of is calculus text, are leaders in their markets.

Ron Larson is one of the pioneers in the use of multimedia to enhance the learning of mathematics. He has authored multimedia programs that range from 1st grade through calculus. To help with the development of his textbooks and multimedia programs, Ron founded Larson Texts, Inc., which with its publishing wing, Big Ideas Learning, employs about 60 people. Ron's most recent new textbook series is called "Big Ideas Math". It is the first middle school mathematics series to adhere to the NCTM's new "Focal Points Curriculum".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I have to teach from this book. Bleah!!!, July 19, 2010

By 

Molly Crocker (Ferndale, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Precalculus Functions and Graphs: A Graphing Approach 5th Edition (Hardcover)

Our local community college adopts a pre-calculus text for all sections of a 2-sequence course in pre-calculus, so as an instructor, I must use what the department chooses.

I've campaigned for the last two edition changes to switch to the text from Hornsby, Lial and Rockwood, but to no avail. It seems that even mathematicians dislike change. If you are considering adopting a text, I strongly suggest you look harder at that one.

My reasons for disliking this book:

1. It's chaotic. Homework problems don't match what's in the lesson. Sometimes they belong with a later section. Problem sets can be endlessly redundant, and then some don't give enough practice for mastery.

2. There are errors, that seem to multiply with subsequent editions. For example, on page 323 the technology tip suggests that the values of inverse trig functions are always in radians. But my calculator is quite happy to do them in degrees.

3. Explanations are brief, or sometimes just missing. Section 5.3 on solving equations with trig expressions does one without a restricted domain, then restricts the domain in the next problem, and doesn't really explain that the two types of responses could be given for the same problem. Also in this section are problems requiring a quadratic approach (factoring), but not using the quadratic formula. Why not?

4. The solutions manual appears to have been written by about four grad students. Consecutive problems can have solutions worked quite differently.

5. As an instructor, my copy of the book does not have the answers on the page. I really don't want to go rummaging for them in the back of the book, especially since the headers for each section are not at the top of every page. If answers for a lesson run onto several pages, you have to flip forwards or back until you find the start of the next lesson.

6. As an instructor, I was told that artwork and graphics for the book are downloadable. Not very many! I want to create slides that look like what's in the book, and then talk about them. It would be nice to copy and paste the calculator screen shots, but it's not to be! Online support just isn't what it was promoted to be.

7. Inequalities are ABSENT from this book. They are side-by-side in the Lial, Hornsby, Rockwood book.

I've used the 1998 edition of the Lial, Hornsby, Rockwood text from Addison-Wesley since 1999 with homeschooled kids. I learn something from that book every time I open it. Students don't call for help when using that book, because the explanations are adequate. I found an examination copy of the current edition on a bookshelf at the college where I also teach, and I prepare my teaching notes from that and often borrow problems from it. That book has improved with age! The Houghton-Mifflin book frustrates me to no end.

A word to publishers, if you are actually reading this: The price of these texts is too high, and the three-year cycle of new editions is clearly a scam. We who teach at the local colleges hate it. I strongly suggest that for situations like mine, where the department adopts a text, that you offer to charge $20 per student when they register, and then allow the student to get the book electronically. You could update or correct the book at any time, you don't have to spend money to print and ship, and there's no buy back program necessary. The iPad is a perfect tool for delivering this.

1.0 out of 5 stars Subtract a Star, November 29, 2010

By 

C. Ugarte "open minded" (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Precalculus Functions and Graphs: A Graphing Approach 5th Edition (Hardcover)

What a terrible textbook. I can't begin to tell you how bad it is. There is no explanation for anything. I don't know why people assume we already know what they are supposed to be teaching. The whole point is to LEARN not review. The explanations are so short, as if they expect you to just grasp it. I haven't even bothered looking through it, except for doing the homework. It won't help...

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Book, Perfect for the Precalculus course, January 24, 2010

By 

H. Culbertson (Cedar Falls, Iowa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Precalculus Functions and Graphs: A Graphing Approach 5th Edition (Hardcover)

The information in this book is presented very clearly and it suppliments the precalculus course very well.