Customer Reviews

Single Variable Calculus: Early Transcendentals (with Tools for Enriching Calculus, Video Skillbuilder CD-ROM, iLrn(TM) Homework, and Personal Tutor)

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Hey, this isn't a review. I just want to let you know that the people who claim that the fourth edition is the "same content" are trying to rip you off. The fourth edition is NOT the same as the fifth edition. The homework problems are NOT the same. If you get the fourth edition, you will not be able to complete your assignments for class if the instructor gives assignments out of the book.

These dishonest people are just trying to get you to pay lots of money for an old edition of a textbook they can't resell at their campus bookstore anymore. If you want the fourth edition, you can get it a lot cheaper under the actual listing for the fourth edition.

Don't be fooled!

Having taken 3 Calculus classes in sequence at my university with this book and having used one chapter of this book in my 4th math class that I am currently in (differential equations), I would say that I've used most of this book. Let's just say that this book needs a professor to go along with it. There's really not much of a chance, unless you're really smart, that you can only use this book with no other study aids and understand all of the concepts presented. This book really is made for your math professor to more fully explain. Having said that, I must add that the CD-ROM enclosed is GREAT. I guess if you don't have your professor to go over the finer details of some of the more vague concepts, then this is the next best thing. The sounds-like-a-grad-student voice that explains each chapter in great detail is easy to understand and makes most concepts pretty clear. I have to say that this CD-ROM is saving me on my midterm.

This text, though very readable, teaches too much through example problems as opposed to actually explaining the information in the text. Presentation of some topics (chapter 6 particularly) was very poor. Some chapters were out of place (chapter 9 on differential equations, which should have been placed right before the last chapter).