Trigonometry the Easy Way [Paperback]

Douglas Downing Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764113607 | ISBN-13: 978-0764113604 | Publication Date: February 1, 2001 | Edition: 3

Here's a complete, easy-to-grasp course in trigonometry that takes the form of a fantasy novel. The King of Carmorra and his subjects have many practical problems to solve, and their answers can be found by applying principles of trigonometry. Readers follow along and learn to solve many different problems that can be reduced to triangular diagrams. They learn the laws of sine and cosine, trigonometric functions and inverse functions, waves, conic sections, polynomial approximation, and much more. The book is filled with instructive exercises and their solutions, plus illustrative drawings, graphs, and diagrams. This new edition contains updated coverage on using graphing calculators and computer spreadsheets for solving trigonometric problems.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 3 edition (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764113607
• ISBN-13: 978-0764113604
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trigonometry The Easy Way, May 13, 2000

By 

Patricia Paterson (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barron's Trigonometry the Easy Way (E-Z Trigonometry) (Paperback)

This book is terrific! My friend, a lifelong math-phobe, was making a last-ditch effort to pass Trigonometry -- the final class she needed in order to graduate with her Bachelor of Science degree. She was trying again for the third time (both her previous attempts had ended in WPs) when she found Trigonometry The Easy Way. The biggest problem she was having was this: while the college textbook gave the formulas, it didn't give her the "why" that she needed in order to understand when the formulas needed to be applied. Memorizing formulas is one thing; understanding when to use them is quite another. She and I (a reknowned math-moron) formed a study group, using Trig The Easy Way. We found that it filled the gaps, allowing both of us to gain a basic understanding of the reasons behind trig. It's written in a simple, fun, storybook-style, and it explains the practical reasons behind the formulas, not just the dry calculations. By using Trig The Easy Way in conjunction with her textbook, my friend passed her class. She made a B, in what had previously been an impossible subject. I can't recommend this book highly enough for people needing a simple way to understand a difficult subject. And in fact, now that she's studying for her doctorate in psychology, she's planning on buying a copy of Statistics The Easy Way, too. You can't argue with success.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to trig - an inductive approach, August 13, 1998

By 

Kevin C. Layman "Kevin" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Barron's Trigonometry the Easy Way (E-Z Trigonometry) (Paperback)

Trigonometry the Easy Way is an excellent way to learn trig. The best thing about this book is author's teaching method: it is completely inductive. The book is in the form of a fantasy story that takes place in an imaginary kingdom. The reader discovers trig as the characters in the story discover it. From their experiences, the characters draw principles or formulas of trigonometry. Most math books take a deductive approach: they present the general principles first, then apply them. I find that the inductive approach works much better, because the student learns to understand, rather than memorize, the principles. I highly recommend this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a Decent Book, August 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Trigonometry the Easy Way (Paperback)

I think Trigonometry the Easy Way is a fairly good book. I read it, it made sense to me, and the storyline was rather interesting. It does have some problems: The exercises at the end of each chapter are much harder than what was covered in the main part of the chapter, there are relatively few examples, and the principles of trigonometry are introduced in an unclear way. An example of this is, "Will you get sick to the subject!" Recordis cried. You always go off on tangents!" "Very well," the king declared. "We will call the other ratio the tangent ratio." Overall it was pretty good book for people wanting to learn trigonometry in a fun way.