Thomas' Calculus (Alternate 9th Edition) [Hardcover]

George B. Thomas (Author), Ross L. Finney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0321117719 | ISBN-13: 978-0321117717 | Edition: 9

George Thomas' clear precise calculus text with superior applications defined the modern-day calculus course. This proven text gives students the solid base of material they will need to succeed in math, science, and engineering programs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1139 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley; 9 edition (March 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321117719
• ISBN-13: 978-0321117717
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.8 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,608,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the better university mathematics textbooks, April 11, 2005

By 

James (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thomas' Calculus (Alternate 9th Edition) (Hardcover)

This textbook is by far one of those actually worth buying. I struggled through that awful, miserable excuse for a calculus text by Edwards and Penney, and was a little more impressed with Stewart and Anton. But I pulled out of my calculus courses and decided to get a bit more preparation in before taking them again.

I started out with Calculus Made Easy by Silvanus P. Thompson and Martin Gardner, then went back to by old high school texts and made sure I understood everything. You don't need those huge, expensive Elementary and Intermediate Algebra texts; you can get away with Introductory Mathematics by Petocz, Petocz and Wood, published by Nelson/Thomson Learning (http://www.nelson.com.au). What you need to understand calculus is a good intuitive feel for algebra and to know *why*, not just *how*. There's a big difference.

Once you've spent a couple of months sweating over your algebra, geometry and trigonometry texts, it's then time to reap the rewards and learn calculus.

Thomas and Finney's Calculus and Analytic Geometry is extremely well written, with the right balance between applied mathematics for scientists and engineers and pure mathematics (proofs and stuff like that). If you're a math major, or intending to become a math major, then you'll want to use this book along with Apostol's Calculus and Spivak's Calculus.

One thing I learned the hard way was that putting off mathematics has the effect of slamming the doors in your face. Interesting and useful university courses are out of reach, career options are out of reach, and you're left in the dark when it comes to science and technology. The good news is that with a bit of hard work it will all suddenly fall in place. Mathematics is the foundation of all science and technology, and, of course, the foundation of the exciting new mathematics which will be the basis of technology 30 years from now! Do yourself a favour and pick up Thomas and Finney's Calculus and Analytic Geometry.

If you've ever struggled with awful calculus texts, you'll be pleasantly surprised by this one. (Remember, make sure you've got your high school algebra under your thumb).

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars You, too, can learn Calculus!, March 9, 2004

By 

"kevnandlaurn" (Fort Collins, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thomas' Calculus (Alternate 9th Edition) (Hardcover)

This was my second attempt to learn Calculus - I failed so miserably the first time, I stopped trying and waited 12 years. This book is complex, but combined with lecture, it is learnable. As with all textbooks, when it comes to the exercises vs. the examples, you're left wondering how they could come up with that!? So, I had to supplement this text with the Pre-calc and Calc Schaum's Outlines (totally separate learning material) - basically for more detailed/solved problems. It was not available when I bought this text, but I would certainly buy the student solutions manual with it...the university I attend follows this book from Calc 1 to Calc 3, so it's really nice in the respect that I don't have to buy another book.

14 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Miserable Examples, May 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Thomas' Calculus (Alternate 9th Edition) (Hardcover)

I am taking calculus in college and when I sit down to do the problems assigned for homework I have an enormous amount of difficulty following the steos that the books uses for their examples. The book always uses perfect examples, things like the indefinete integral of 3x^2 and provides far more difficult problems in their homework sections. Although this seems trivial it becomes a much more substantial problem when it comes to 'u' substition and the problems that can arise from during it and the practice needed to master such things. Talking to my fellow classmates this is a very common complaint that the examples that the books give are far too simple. If it were not for a calculus professor or fellow classmates who have taken the class who can help me I would not be able to understand calculus.