Precalculus Functions and Graphs: A Graphing Approach 5th Edition (Hardcover)

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

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
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.

About the Author
Ron Larson received his PhD. in mathematics from the University of Colorado and has been a professor of mathematics at The Pennsylvania State University since 1970. He has pioneered the use of multimedia to enhance the learning of mathematics, having authored over 30 software titles since 1990. Dr. Larson has also conducted numerous seminars and in-service workshops for math teachers around the country about using computer technology as a teaching tool and motivational aid. His Interactive Calculus (a complete text on CD-ROM) received the 1996 Texty Award for the most innovative mathematics instructional material at the college level, and it was the first mainstream college textbook to be offered on the Internet.

The Pennsylvania State University, The Behrend College Bio: Robert P. Hostetler received his Ph.D. in mathematics from The Pennsylvania State University in 1970. He has taught at Penn State for many years and has authored several calculus, precalculus, and intermediate algebra textbooks. His teaching specialties include remedial algebra, calculus, and math education, and his research interests include mathematics education and textbooks.

Bruce Edwards has been a mathematics professor at the University of Florida since 1976. Dr. Edwards majored in mathematics at Stanford University, graduating in 1968. He then joined the Peace Corps and spent four years teaching math in Colombia, South America. He returned to the United States and Dartmouth in 1972, and he received his PhD. in mathematics in 1976. Dr. Edwards' research interests include the area of numerical analysis, with a particular interest in the so-called CORDIC algorithms used by computers and graphing calculators to compute function values. His hobbies include jogging, reading, chess, simulation baseball games, and travel.

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: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #151,239 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Correction, December 1, 2004

By	MaxiMiner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Precalculus Functions and Graphs (Hardcover)

Full title is "Precalculus Functions and Graphs: A Graphing Approach".
There is a good supplement to this book: 1997, 2nd ed., ISBN 0669417297 "Study and Solutions Guide for Precalculus Functions and Graphs: A Graphing Approach and Precalculus With Limits : A Graphing Approach" by Bruce Edwards and Dianna Zook (i.e. for ISBNs 0395882710 and 0669417580).

5.0 out of 5 stars Cheap & timely, May 6, 2009

By	Kelsey M. Johnson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This product came in the mail quickly and I was very pleased with the cost since it saved me a LOT on this textbook. The condition of the book is also nice like he said it would be.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Apparently I Can't Speak PhD Mathematics, June 11, 2008

By	J. Avery (Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If your professor is planning on doing an accelerated summer course complete with the book's online functionality, drop the course. The whole book is example based with no explanation as to simple things such as "Why?" or "How?". It's all quite simply this does this, which leads to this, and you finally get that. It will probably work for the people that were calculus addicts in high school, but for an introductory college calculus course for people like me with no prior exposure except high level algebra, it seems that Larson goes with the stereotypical mathematician mindset. That is, he has a PhD in math and he wants you to know it by showing you a lot of arbitrary numbers and terminology without explanation to show how humbling math can be, how little an introductory college student can hope to gain, and to justify having the price tag above $100 and the special online code another $60 if you buy used. The website is just as useless because it's just an online version of the text complete with the exact same examples and practice problems. That is if you can get into the site since it's so buggy. It often times out and wipes your homework AND EXAMS IN PROGRESS which leads to it constantly being down for maintenance. Overall, unless you had pre-calc in high school, it shouldn't be a problem, but if you're just stepping into the subject get a different book or an excellent professor.