Trigonometry Demystified (TAB Demystified) [Paperback]

Stan Gibilisco (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 26, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0071416315 | ISBN-13: 978-0071416313 | Edition: 1

Calculate this: Trigonometry just got a lot easier to learn! Now anyone with an interest in basic, practical trigonometry can master it - without formal training, unlimited time, or a genius IQ. In "Trigonometry Demystified", best-selling author Stan Gibilisco provides a fun, effective, and totally painless way to learn the fundamentals and general concepts of trigonometry. With "Trigonometry Demystified" you master the subject one simple step at a time - at your own speed.Unlike most books on trigonometry, this book uses prose and illustrations to describe the concepts where others leave you pondering abstract symbology. This unique self-teaching guide offers questions at the end of each chapter and section to pinpoint weaknesses, and a 100-question final exam to reinforce the entire book. Simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for professional enrichment, "Trigonometry Demystified" is your direct route to learning or brushing up on trigonometry. You can learn all aspects of trigonometry: how angles are expressed; the relationships between angles and distances; calculating distances based on parallax; coordinate systems and navigation; and much more!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

CALCULATE THIS: TRIGONOMETRY JUST GOT A LOT EASIER TO LEARN!

Now anyone with an interest in basic, practical trigonometry can master it -- without formal training, unlimited time, or a genius IQ. In Trigonometry Demystified, best-selling author Stan Gibilisco provides a fun, effective, and totally painless way to learn the fundamentals and general concepts of trigonometry.

With Trigonometry Demystified you master the subject one simple step at a time -- at your own speed. Unlike most books on trigonometry, this book uses prose and illustrations to describe the concepts where others leave you pondering abstract symbology. This unique self-teaching guide offers questions at the end of each chapter and section to pinpoint weaknesses, and a 100-question final exam to reinforce the entire book.

Simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for professional enrichment, Trigonometry Demystified is your direct route to learning or brushing up on trigonometry.

Learn all aspects of trigonometry:
* How angles are expressed
* The relationships between angles and distances
* Calculating distances based on parallax
* Coordinate systems and navigation
* And much more!

About the Author

Stan Gibilisco is one of McGraw-Hill’s most diverse and best-selling authors. His clear, friendly, easy-to-read writing style makes his electronics titles accessible to a wide audience and his background in mathematics and research make him an ideal handbook editor. He is the author of The TAB Encyclopedia of Electronics for Technicians and Hobbyists Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics, and The Illustrated Dictionary of Electronics. Booklist named his book, The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Personal Computing, one of the Best References of 1996.

Product Details

• Paperback: 303 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 1 edition (June 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071416315
• ISBN-13: 978-0071416313
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #526,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Since he began writing in 1981, Stan Gibilisco has become one of McGraw-Hill's most prolific authors. He also contributes regularly to whatis.com, a leading technology encyclopedia.

Stan's most popular works include "Physics Demystified," "Alternative Energy Demystified," "Statistics Demystified," "Calculus Know-It-All," and "Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics."

Stan maintains a Website at sciencewriter.net, where he offers concise explanations for the chapter-ending quiz answers in some of his books. Please follow the "Quiz Explanations" link.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars If You Want to Learn Trigonometry, Find a Different Book!!!, December 16, 2003

By 

"padre_catez" (Koshigaya, Saitama Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trigonometry Demystified (TAB Demystified) (Paperback)

First off, I'm not afraid of math--I had a 100% in my college algebra class last semester, and I bought this book to get a quick overview of trigonometry to give myself an edge before taking a formal class. I bought this book because I had been very satisfied with Algebra: Demystified, and had assumed that all books in the Demystified series would be of a comparably high quality, but I was sadly mistaken. This book is terrible--it will not teach you trigonometry. Mr. Gibilisco wastes lots of space giving you no brainer advice like a whole paragraph on why you should use your calculator if needed or reviewing simple things like the Order of Operations. On the other hand, he gives a formula for circular motion in the first chapter and doesn't even bother to explain the variables or provide an example of it. The second chapter, appropriately titled, "A Flurry of Facts" is an endless series of formulas, most of which don't come with examples. Furthermore, the book doesn't have sufficient exercises. There are only 10 multiple choice questions at the end of each chapter, and they don't have solutions, not to mention that examples of similar problems within the chapter were strangely absent. Although I was able to score 100% on both of the first 2 chapter tests, I gave up in the middle of the third chapter because I realized that if I really wanted to learn trigonometry, I should go elsewhere. Once I have found a better text, I'll edit this review to refer you to it.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Why you hate math, February 2, 2005

By 

Art Cummings "book maven" (georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trigonometry Demystified (TAB Demystified) (Paperback)

This is without a doubt, one of the worst books i've ever read on any math subject. The examples in the beginning are moderately straight forward and can be followed but as the book progresses the author becomes increasingly stingy with explanations. The level of straight formula presentation such as in the section on hyperbolic functions is useless. He presents page after page of formula, with no explanation of use. At the end of this useless display, he ask how one would derive a new equation from the previous old ones. Even the explanation given for how to do this is obscure. Each chapter test the aquired knowledge. The answer key is no more than a series of a,b,d,e each indicating which multiple choice answer was correct. He shows NO work for any of the test problems. All in all, this book has been an extremely frustrating experience. It hasn't turned me off my desire to learn math but has helped me to realise their are charlatans in the math world.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Another disappointment, January 8, 2007

By 

Inanc Gumus - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Trigonometry Demystified (TAB Demystified) (Paperback)

I have been trying to improve my career through remembering most of the math concepts like geometry, trigonometry, calculus. To do this I have been pursuiting the reviews of books from amazon.com to get the books for.

Another day I have bought this book without reading any comments about it because the other algebra book was fine and from the same publisher I loved. But I am disappointed.

The book starts from the basics and trying to transfer the ideas to you in a as roughly way as possible. Defines sin, cos stuff but never *fully* explains what they really are. And top of them continues to put more un-fully-defined bricks to show how your stability goes far.

I am not recommending it to anyone who tries to learn (or remember) the concepts and have a feeling about them.