Book Description
Stewart's CALCULUS, Fifth Edition has the mathematical precision, accuracy, clarity of exposition and outstanding examples and problem sets that have characterized the first four editions. Stewart retains the focus on problem solving and the pedagogical system that has made the book a favorite of students and instructors in a wide variety of colleges and universities throughout the world. In this Fifth Edition, he has made hundreds of small improvements: new examples, additional steps in existing examples, updating of data in existing examples and exercises, new phrases and margin notes to clarify the exposition, references to other sources and web sites, redrawn art, and references to the TEC CD (Tools for Enriching Calculus). These refinements ensure that students and instructors have the best materials available. The number of pages in the book, however, remains unchanged from the 4th edition. Further support for students and instructors is now available through a vast array of supplementary material.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2007-10-05
Even though I found out I didnt need it, this book is still in great shape! I might even be able to sell it back to my bookstore!
GREAT book for self study.......2007-07-19
I am thrilled with this book. I think all the bad reviews are from kids who have to take this subject in college who's hearts aren't really in it. To be honest, I can't believe all the negative stuff people are saying about this book!! It is really quite easy to read. Some parts are more difficult to understand, but hey: That's to be expected when studying Calculus! If you are persistent, you will suceed. And Stewart's makes learning the difficult concepts as easy as possible. If you like math, (even it you aren't that good at it), you very likely will LOVE this book. It's a dream. If you don't like math, or don't want to learn calculus, you will probably hate it. I am a previously home-schooled 20 year old and I started studying calculus when I was 16, using Saxon's Calculus textbook. It was a great intro to this text, which reads at a higher level. I enjoyed calculus so much that I am self-studing this book just for the fun of it.
Bottom line: GET THIS BOOK! If you like math, you will love this book!
It doesn't matter what people think, if you need to buy it..........2007-07-09
If your instructor assigns the class this textbook, then you have to get it.
It doesn't matter what people think about it, you just have to get it.
I just searched around and found a torrent. Paid zero. I would recommend that to everyone else, also, search for the solutions manual with evens and odds.
commercial or academic?.......2007-06-22
Teaching math for engineering students is what I did for the past 35 years and still do. This book is heavy (~3.5 kg), expensive and my students find it very frustrating!!. Their english (mine too) is at most their second language and it is very painful and agonizing for them to go through it page after page to get an idea that can be gotten in much fewer statements. I think this book is commercially written rather than academically.
Bad Calc Book.......2007-06-15
This book is awful, plain and simple. It is hard to understand, and not very helpful.
Book Description
Stewart's CALCULUS: CONCEPTS AND CONTEXTS, Third Edition offers a streamlined approach to teaching calculus, focusing on major concepts and supporting those with precise definitions, patient explanations, and carefully graded problems. CALCULUS: CONCEPTS AND CONTEXTS is highly regarded because it has successfully brought peace to departments that were split between reform and traditional approaches to teaching calculus. Not only does the text help reconcile the two schools of thought by skillfully merging the best of traditional calculus with the best of the reform movement, it does so with innovation and meticulous accuracy.
Customer Reviews:
Poor.......2006-10-25
I taught this class with this book several times, and it makes the material more difficult. It is one of the poorest textbooks available for this class.
It's actually worth the huge price tag.......2006-07-06
I was turned on to Stewart through his excellent multivariable calculus text. Having been so impressed by that book I decided to fork out the bucks for the this text. Yea - I know - the material in this text is a pre-requisite to the other but I own a kazillion mathematics books and at this point in my life, I've been through various levels of Calc so many times that order is irrelevent. Anyway, for me, this book is really worth the huge price tag. I frequently open it up and read it for pleasure. Sick, huh? But it's that good! Stewart is great at chosing examples to work out fully for your eddification. He also is great at selecting interesting and illustrative problems that aren't presumptuous of the student's abilities at clairvoyance (unlike some other textbook authors I could mention). Lastly, the everything about this book reeks of quality: from the mathematical content (btw - it has excellent graphics!) and Stewart's obvious underlying teaching abilities to the physical characteristics of the binding and page materials. The book is a jewell.
Well, I could go on but you probably get the idea. I wish J. Stewart would do a textbook of similar quality on Linear Algebra or better yet, Differential Geometry! That would really destroy the myth that money can't buy happiness.
Good Calculus Book.......2005-09-22
I've learned calculus long time ago, but recently I need it to read a financial book. This book worked for me. I am surprised to know that calculus is easy due to the book's step by step explanation. This book is good not only for readers who learn calculus for the first time but also for poeple who have some experiences. Depneding on your level and purpose, you can read this book like a novel or do all exercises. Only problem I can think of is that this book may not be suitable for people who need to learn pure mathmatics because definitions are not so strict.
good.......2005-09-19
I received my item wihtin a week of my purchase. I recommed to buy books from this seller
Book Description
New co-authors--Irl Bivens and Stephen Davis--from Davidson College; both distinguished educators and writers.
* More emphasis on graphing calculators in exercises and examples, including CAS capabilities of graphing calculators.
* More problems using tabular data and more emphasis on mathematical modeling.
Customer Reviews:
Used to be a good book..........2006-01-29
I used the 6th edition for a lot of the begining studying on many calculus subjects. While this book is easy, it still teaches you the stuff. You understand the material, not just get these mechanical processes to apply to the freakishly hard problems that you get. I would suggest looking for the 6th edition though...
The 7th edition isn't very good at all, one of my professors had an extra copy of this book so I got it... and well.. It wasn't very good... Look around in your local used book store for the 6th edition... That's what I recomend as a student.
superb.......2005-04-29
This is big, heavy, hardbound freshman text that will take you very slowly but completely into single-variable calculus. It also contains an exhaustive section on analytic geometry.
If you have sloughed off through algebra and trigonometry, or if you are coming to calculus after a long hiatus, this is the book to get.
This is because instead of launching directly into integration, the book's first couple of chapters (long chapters, too) are a careful review of just the principles you'll need from alegbra to get going.
There are even appendices at the end of the book covering various math ideas needed for the study of calculus (e.g., trigonometry), so you can be sure that if you're coming into calculus getting weak in the knees, this book has all the information you need.
In fact, I might be so bold as to point out that a determined student could conceivably skip from a study of elementary algebra directly to calculus because the book is laid out this way.
Also, the book's language is very simple, so if, for example, English is not your first language, this is a good choice for you. Complicated language and difficult cultural points are kept to a minimum.
Having said all that, I should point out that this book is not one for self-learners. This is because, as with any book for children, the answers to the problem sets are not included.
True, the publishers also offer a "students' solutions manual," in which the solutions the text's odd-numbered exercises are worked out ad nauseam, but that comes extra.
Not Happy with 7th........2003-03-11
I loved 6th. ed. But I'm not happy with the 7th. Bivens and Davis have clearly taken over and ruined a great textbook. I'm looking for another textbook the next time around. The other teachers at my college seem to agree.
:) Jc
Excellent Book on a Difficult Subject.......2002-10-25
When my copy of Stewart fell apart awhile back, I decided to order this to replace it, since it was one recommended by CAS/SOA for Exam 1. I am not disappointed. This has more graphs and pictures than Stewart to help explain some of the fundamentals better. While the content and the layout are pretty much the same as other Calculus books, I particularly liked the writing style of the authors, who eplained things well without being really technical. If you are looking for a Calculus text that helps you solve the problems then I think this one is for you. There is a fair amount of rigor (i.e. proofs and theory) here, but no more than other texts. If you are looking for more of the theory behind the applications, I would try Apostol's 2 volume set which is much more rigorous. If you are looking for a text to study Exam 1, then this is the one for you.
Really baddddd, joke stuff,super baaaad........2002-10-04
Don't buy this book, this book is the design for students who don't know math particularly calculus. This book is designed not for beginner or advanced but is designed for mickey mouse. The content is totally horrible just joke stuff that you can answer very briefly without doing any writing in paper/computation. If you want be a mathematician don't even start using this book. You'll be in trouble in the future.
Average customer rating:
- Required for classes
- Rewarding Book
- Used it for Calc1 , 2, and 3
- I would not adopt it for my courses in calculus
- Not good.
|
Calculus: Single and Multivariable
Deborah Hughes-Hallett ,
Andrew M. Gleason ,
William G. McCallum ,
Daniel E. Flath ,
Patti Frazer Lock ,
Thomas W. Tucker ,
David O. Lomen ,
David Lovelock ,
David Mumford ,
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Jeff Tecosky-Feldman
Manufacturer: Wiley
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Student Solutions Manual to accompany Calculus: Single and Multivariable, 4th Edition
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Calculus: Single Variable
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Chemical Principles
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Accessories:
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Student Study Guide to accompany Calculus: Single Variable, 4th Edition
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Student Solutions Manual to accompany Calculus: Single and Multivariable, 4th Edition
ASIN: 047147245X |
Book Description
Striking a balance between concepts, modeling, and skills, this highly acclaimed book arms readers with an accessible introduction to calculus. It builds on the strengths from previous editions, presenting key concepts graphically, numerically, symbolically, and verbally. Guided by this innovative Rule of Four approach, the fourth edition examines new topics while providing readers with a strong conceptual understanding of the material.
Customer Reviews:
Required for classes.......2007-05-17
If I had to learn solely from this book, I would not know anything about calculus. This book is a great tool for professors to supplement their teachings, but not very good as a stand alone if you are trying to learn on your own. There are lots of examples throughout many of the chapters that skip crucial steps and of course the even problems are much harder than the odds which have answers in the back. I'm mostly glad that this book covers three semesters of math credit at my community college.
Rewarding Book.......2007-05-13
If you want to learn integration techniques and become a whiz at basic computational calculus, you need another book. If you want a book that gives you a lot of proofs and tons of examples, you also probably need another book.
So why do I give the book 4 stars? The answer is _the problems_. I used this book for 3 semesters of calculus, and I felt like I actually discovered a lot of the machinery of calculus just by doing the problems. It's a great feeling to discover rather than be taught. That's what this book helps you do.
Of course, this means you will probably have to do a few more problems than the teacher assigns (unless the teacher is very in tune with the book and knows exactly which problems are related). Also, when you get to techniques of integration, you'll probably need to refer to other books for examples.
Another downside is the cost. But, unfortunately, that's a problem with all American text books.
Oh and about the book and solution manual not giving many solutions... Don't worry about it. When you solve most of these problems, you _know_ when you get the answer because everything will click and make sense. This is a fun book for problem solvers.
Used it for Calc1 , 2, and 3.......2007-03-31
It was a nice value, having bought the book new, that I was able to use it for three classes. The book itself, however, needs a lot of help. I agree that it does under explain and then do a lot of examples. The problem is that the examples are often nothing like the exercises in the book. They are often oversimplified or overly complicated compared to the exercises used as homework. The student solution manual is good for what problems it has. But with only every other odd, there are not nearly enough.
Mathmatica is used with this book. Which is nice, if you enjoy using a computer program that is not as good at a TI-89 graphing calculator.
I would not adopt it for my courses in calculus.......2006-12-22
I teach mathematics and computer science at a small college, so I examined this book for possible adoption as a text in our three class sequence in calculus. Since it does cover calculus all the way through flux integrals and the calculus of vector fields, there is certainly enough material for the sequence. One characteristic that I approved of was the lack of "using technology" segments.
In this area, I will be the first to admit that I am of the old school, even though I have taught a course in programming with Maple and am a heavy user of Mathematica. The reason why I disapprove of using these programs in calculus is that the students have enough on their minds without having to learn how to program a symbolic mathematics package. Learning calculus is very hard, all mathematics, especially calculus, is not a spectator sport. Some people liken it to a contact sport, as it can be very exhausting to learn it. Forcing the students to simultaneously learn programming is in my opinion too much to ask. There are plenty of exercises and solutions to the odd-numbered ones are included.
However, I will not be adopting this book or recommending that it be adopted. I do not think the depth of the explanations is adequate. For example, on page 50 there is the epsilon-delta definition of a limit. After that, there is only one example (limit of 2x as x goes to 3) of how this definition is used to determine a limit. On the next page there is a theorem listing many of the properties of limits but no explanations as to why they are true. Proofs are largely nonexistent, the pedagogical style is to say, "here is something that is true" and then go immediately to an example of how it is used.
I will readily concede that if that is your style of teaching calculus, then this book will work for you. However, if you want to occasionally give a true proof-style explanation as to why a property holds, then you are on your own.
Not good........2006-10-13
I used the James Stewart 5e for the first quarter for calculus. But I switched schools and this school used the Hughes Hallett book.
Pros: None
Cons:
There not enough reference pages.
There only a total of 2 pages back and front for the whole calculus book. This book is used for 3 quarters of calculus and this book ONLY has 2 references. It would be nice to able look back in reference page to refresh my head from first quarter calculus formula but this book has a short list. James Stewart is better in the way that it takes an extra step to include lots Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry formulas.
Solution manual only has every other odd.
I bought solution manual without looking at it. They only have a solutions for problem 1, 5, 9, 13, and etc. The review problems are the same thing where they only work out every other odd problem. I was able to return this solution manual. I am super happy I didn't have waste any more money into this book.
Those two cons make me hate this book.
I would recommend that if you had to buy the book, look to other books for reference pages. Unless your teacher assigns every other odd, I wouldn't buy the solution manual.
Book Description
The mere thought of having to take a required calculus course is enough to make legions of students break out in a cold sweat. Others who have no intention of ever studying the subject have this notion that calculus is impossibly difficult unless you happen to be a direct descendant of Einstein.
Well, the good news is that you can master calculus. It's not nearly as tough as its mystique would lead you to think. Much of calculus is really just very advanced algebra, geometry, and trig. It builds upon and is a logical extension of those subjects. If you can do algebra, geometry, and trig, you can do calculus.
Calculus For Dummies is intended for three groups of readers:
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Students taking their first calculus course – If you're enrolled in a calculus course and you find your textbook less than crystal clear, this is the book for you. It covers the most important topics in the first year of calculus: differentiation, integration, and infinite series.
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Students who need to brush up on their calculus to prepare for other studies – If you've had elementary calculus, but it's been a couple of years and you want to review the concepts to prepare for, say, some graduate program, Calculus For Dummies will give you a thorough, no-nonsense refresher course.
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Adults of all ages who'd like a good introduction to the subject – Non-student readers will find the book's exposition clear and accessible. Calculus For Dummies takes calculus out of the ivory tower and brings it down to earth.
This is a user-friendly math book. Whenever possible, the author explains the calculus concepts by showing you connections between the calculus ideas and easier ideas from algebra and geometry. Then, you'll see how the calculus concepts work in concrete examples. All explanations are in plain English, not math-speak. Calculus For Dummies covers the following topics and more:
- Real-world examples of calculus
- The two big ideas of calculus: differentiation and integration
- Why calculus works
- Pre-algebra and algebra review
- Common functions and their graphs
- Limits and continuity
- Integration and approximating area
- Sequences and series
Don't buy the misconception. Sure calculus is difficult – but it's manageable, doable. You made it through algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Well, calculus just picks up where they leave off – it's simply the next step in a logical progression.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book for High Schoolers - College Maybe.......2007-09-22
Currently enrolled in college Calculus (not liberal arts version) and though this book reads very well and is very informative, it's not nearly as indepth or complex as the content I have in my textbook and am encountering in class.
Would highly recommend the book for high school, as a primer/review, but keep in mind it's not going to provide the direct keys to mastering college mathematics department level Calculus.
Far better than ponderous academic texts.......2007-08-24
I took college calculus 30 years ago. Wanting to refresh my memory, I first looked at my original and massive college textbook. Comprehensive but indecipherable. An academic tomb written to prove every theorem in the calculus - nice if you are a math major but not very helpful for those interested in applying calculus to real world problems quickly. I then found Calculus for Dummies which gets right to the key concepts in an accessible and direct fashion. The author's sense of humor is also helpful. With Ryan's book, you'll learn how to do calculus and solve problems. Great book. Highly recommended. While I scored highest in the class a long time ago, I had to study so hard - I only wish we had this book and graphic calculators 30 years ago and math class would have been a bit easier!
this book can help anyone.......2007-08-14
After having a rough senior year in precalc I needed something to prepare me for my college calculus coursews and this book completely turned it around. The main part that helped me is he makes sure to fully explain all the vocab and what everything means making it all easier to relate to and understand
appalling lack of examples.......2007-08-10
I think Mark does a good job explaining differentiation in the first part of the book. He is entertaining! He lost me in the second section on Integration. He explains the concept, glosses over one example and then he's on to the next concept. I became frustrated on two concepts because I could not follow his examples. Why not have some practice problems, with answers in the back?
Great Explanations.......2007-06-26
I am taking Calculus I after having an 8 year gap in my education. I haven't had math in about 9 years and this book really saves the day. Forget about the explanations in your text book - this explains it in plain English! Plus a handy refresher section for all those algebraic things you may have forgotten. I keep it open during class lecture becuase Mark explains it just that better. I'm getting an A so far!
Book Description
This volume teaches calculus in the biology context without compromising the level of regular calculus. The material is organized in the standard way and explains how the different concepts are logically related. Each new concept is typically introduced with a biological example; the concept is then developed without the biological context and then the concept is tied into additional biological examples. This allows readers to first see why a certain concept is important, then lets them focus on how to use the concepts without getting distracted by applications, and then, once readers feel more comfortable with the concepts, it revisits the biological applications to make sure that they can apply the concepts. The book features exceptionally detailed, step-by-step, worked-out examples and a variety of problems, including an unusually large number of word problems.
The volume begins with a preview and review and moves into discrete time models, sequences, and difference equations, limits and continuity, differentiation, applications of differentiation, integration techniques and computational methods, differential equations, linear algebra and analytic geometry, multivariable calculus, systems of differential equations and probability and statistics.
For faculty and postdocs in biology departments.
Customer Reviews:
This book sucks.......2007-03-25
I've taken calculus in the past and have had much better books. I currently own this book because my current class requires it, but it is terrible.
Why so bad?
1) A lot of wrong answers in back of book
2) Not enough examples
3) Examples given are very brief and unhelpful
4) Uses mathematical terms that are not the standard for professors and the mathematics world. Making it difficult to transition from pre-calc
5) Teacher hates it too but got stuck with it from prior professors
Just avoid it all together and get a substitute.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2000-04-08
This is a useful book for anyone involved in mathematics. This book has many practice problems as well as solutions. It also contains many problems that pertain to everyday life at home or office. This book is a must for any high school student wanting to get a head start on the college mathematics. This book reads very well, and contains excellent drawings to enhance the comprehension of the topics discussed.
Book Description
Thomas Hungerford's CONTEMPORARY PRECALCULUS text is highly praised and well respected for its clear writing, outstanding applications problems, and integration of technology. Many adopters like the use of real data in examples and exercises, and they appreciate the flexibility of the book. This market-leading text is now accompanied by an outstanding array of innovative supplements that facilitate teaching and enhance learning.
Customer Reviews:
You do not NEED this book........2006-01-06
I have had the misfortune of teaching from this book and I have also had to take courses from this authors other more advanced math books.
Unlike calculus, pre-calculus is not a standardized class so any book on the subject will range over many different topics. This one does so with a surprising amount of randomness.
This book takes shortcuts that are not mathematically accepted: for example to explain inverse functions he uses the "Round Trip Theorem" and later suggests students learn something he calls the "difference quotient."
[The "Round Trip Theorem" states that an f composed with its inverse is the identity.]
[The "Difference Quotient" is the definition of the derivative without including the limit at the beginning.]
If you are a math teacher and have not taught from this book, the chances are you don't know what these phrases mean, and that is because they are not common terms. Indeed, this concepts, while critical for students to understand, are dealt with in the book as a recipe to memorize with funny names and mneumonics. With out the concept of limits which will come in calculus, most students find "difference quotients" completely pointless -- and I don't blame them. With inverse functions, students fail to see that inverse functions are defined completely by what Hungerford calls the "Round Trip Theorem" and this is largely because at this stage in their mathematical developement they do not yet have a grasp at reading theorems and satisfying hypotheses. In other texts this concept is (appropriately) used as the definition of invertiblity not a consequence.
While some of these problems can be fixed by teaching, it is unfair to insist students suplement their class lectures with a text that subverts the arguments carefully crafted by the teacher.
Finally the trigonometry in the book is heavily unmotivated, although this is a problem in every trig book.
Other suggestions? Search on-line for web lecture notes on specific topics, such as "What are inverse functions?" or "How to factor a polynomial?". Web notes are generally shorter and more direct about the problems being asked and the fewer exercises get at the practice needed with the theory. At this stage, lengthy textbooks wander off the topic too much.
Absolutely Awful.......2005-01-10
This is the absolute worst text book I have ever had the misfortune of using, in any subject. Hungerford only provides part of the information you actually need to do the problems, and the answers in the back of the book are not reliable. I was forced to use this book for a class in college. If you have a similar misfortune, GET THE SUPPLEMENT. It is the only thing that will help to keep you sane. Make sure you check out the amazing resources availible online, like purplemath.com. This book sure won't be of any help. My professor is just like the author, so it made for a very difficult class.
Good book, although the images are not to my tastes.......2004-09-26
This book is different from many others, as the graphing calculator is an integral part of the instruction. A large number of the images are nothing more than what a graphing calculator will present when asked to plot a segment of a particular function. Since the material is standard precalculus, the decision whether to adopt this text will be largely based on your opinion concerning the role of graphing calculators in mathematics education. While there is no question that graphing calculators can be of help, they can also be a hindrance. Graphs are just another tool that enable us to better understand the concepts and are not a complete solution. All mathematicians are aware that diagrams can be inadequate and at times appear to be accurate when they are not.
While their resolution is improving, the visual aspects of the graphing calculator are still somewhat crude. The diagrams in this book can at times be confusing, as the points are still tiny squares and if the student takes the figures too seriously, they can be misleading. As we all know, if there is an opportunity for students to be mislead, some will avail themselves of the opportunity. In some ways, it is a step backwards. For years, publishers have labored to create very high quality diagrams with a great deal of contrast between the different parts. This has made the diagrams much easier to read, but in the images of the calculators there is very little contrast and the figures are crude.
Of greater concern is the real problem that students will use the calculator as a psychological crutch and fail to learn the mathematical justification of the results. For example, when we are dealing with the graphs of functions of the form y = (x - h)*(x - h) + k, out interest is in their understanding concerning how the position of the graph changes as h and k changes. If they rely on the graphing calculator too much, they will never learn the fundamental reasons for the shifts.
In terms of presentation, I found the book to be soundly written, the explanations are understandable and complete. The level is appropriate and the material is the usual precalculus fare. The last chapter deals with limits and continuity, which of course is the beginning of calculus. Considering that there are over 800 pages of material without it, one can argue both positions as to whether it should have been included. A large number of exercises appear at the end of the sections and answers to the odds are included at the end. A CD-ROM with over 8 hours of video instruction is included with the book and qualified adopters of the book can receive content-specific videotapes.
I will not be adopting this book, largely due to the emphasis on graphing calculators. To me, graphing calculators create more problems than they solve in education. However, if you feel otherwise, then this book will likely be exactly what you are looking for.
This book has too many flaws........2002-06-19
The most obvious problem with this book is that there are too many errors in the answers at the back. This results in a lot of time spent reworking the problems in attempts to get the "right" answers. I know it is very difficult to edit to a point that is closer to perfection, but such careful editing is of crucial importance in a math book.
The book's layout and design are poor. For example, a bold line is used to indicate the beginning of an example instead of the beginning of a concept. This has the unfortunate effect of making it appear that the explanation of a new concept is part of the previous example. Though I did get somewhat used to this technique halfway through the book, I never learned to like it, and it continued to confuse me occasionally.
I would have appreciated more exercises for practice at the end of each section. Often, I would get the hang of a concept by the second or third problem, but then there would be no more problems on which I could reinforce my newfound understanding. I will say, though, that there were plenty of applied problems and they were frequently useful, challenging, and even fun.
I rated this book at 3 stars (instead of 2 or 1) because much of the material itself is good. I learned a lot and I did fairly well in the course (A-). However, I know a good textbook when I use one, and this one needs more work to fit that description. This book made taking the class more difficult, time-consuming, and frustrating than it needed to be.
there are better books out there, this is not one of them.......1999-12-05
to be blunt, this book is not good. hungerford does not explain how to do precalculus very well in this book. it is difficult to read and to understand. a good example is if you were programming a VCR when the instructions are japanese (no offense). this is probably the reason why it is so difficult. if hungerford made this book more student friendly, then maybe he would've gotten a better review. until then, look for another book, this one is definately not one of the best.
Customer Reviews:
VERY different from most introductory calculus books--simply amazing!.......2006-09-23
This book, unlike most Calculus books out there, is meant to be read and understood. The way that Calculus is taught nowadays, people use books that are 90% problems, exercises, and examples, with an emphasis on computation. This book is 90% prose, and the emphasis is on cultivating a deep understanding. In addition, the book does away with the gap between "Calculus" and "Analysis", choosing to begin with a more mathematically mature perspective...but providing ample explanation for students who have not seen the material before.
This book is exceptional for self-study. I would recommend it to anyone learning calculus on their own, who actually wishes to understand it. This would make an excellent supplement to one of the standard Calculus textbooks, since it addresses just about all the classic weaknesses of these texts. I wish colleges would use this as a textbook, but alas, that would require a drastic restructuring of the curriculum.
This book may come across as "hard" to students, but this is only because it is structured in such a way that one cannot not get through it without understanding the material. Also, a student finishing this book will be ready to dive into more advanced analysis courses, whereas students using basic intro calculus textbooks will find themselves very poorly prepared for these things. The current calculus books with their emphasis on mechanical computation, allow students to get through without understanding the material, and that is why they come across as "clearer". In reality, they are much less clear than this book.
Great book but only if you want a deep treatment.......2005-09-14
This is one of the best math books I have ever used; Apostol does a great job of giving you intuition and telling you why the topics are important. The exposition is very clear.
However, this is not your usual Calculus I book. The level of approach is halfway between an intro to calc class where you learn HOW to calculate derivatives/integrals, and a real analysis class where you learn why derivatives and integrals are related and their axiomatic foundations.
Bottom line: this is a great book if you want to understand calculus deeply. It is a warmup for real analysis. However, there are probably better books if your only interest in calculus is for using it to solve engineering or physics problems.
Not for the faint of heart!!.......2005-09-03
Both this book and the second volume were used in my Honors Calculus classes, and let me tell you, it's not for the faint of heart!! The book is very good, but unless you're willing to get into it and really go at the problems and theorems, it's not going to do you much good. If this is your first calculus textbook, don't expect detailed explanations and pretty summaries of the chapter, since it doesn't have them; do expect lots of theorems and complicated proofs.
If you want a Calculus book, don't think twice - it's Apostol!.......2005-07-28
I would say that if you were only allowed to have two math books on your shelf, these books should be the two Apostol Calculus volumes. It's really hard to find texts which are both elegant and rigorous. Mr Apostol gives Calculus a so beautiful treatment that the book is suitable for both a serious study and a pleasant reading. The exercises are also great - you will have a lot of fun doing them.
The best math book I have ever read.......2005-04-21
This book is extremely well-written and leaves you with the feeling that it couldn't have been better. A tribute to this fact is that it is still in its second edition from 66 and, though it is rather old, has kept its quality.
It has a good number of exercises (usually between 15-30 per section/topic), which is less than most standard calculus book, but the difference is that the quality of the exercises here is much higher, and you will be surprised when some months later, when tackling some problem for another course, you will remember having done the exercise in Apostol. It also has answers to all the exercises (except for the ones which require a proof, rather than a number as a result). The problems range from easy to very hard, but usually there won't be more than two problems per section that one won't be able to do upon first reading and a little thinking.
The writing of the book is very good and rigorous, and it covers some topics that are not present in most calculus books. For example it has a small seciton on partial derivatives, it covers the weighted mean-value theorem for integrals and rearrangements of series. There are many other topics that don't usually fit in a calculus course, but the introduction of these when you are still learning it makes the connection between the topics much clearer. After having read the book from cover to cover, it has now become a very useful reference that never leaves my table. Also, because it is rigorous and has a broad number of topics, if you learn this and vol. II now you will save a lot of time later in more advanced courses such as analysis, differential equations, linear algebra and to a lesser extent even differential geometry and probability.
Because of its nonstandard approach, I think that this book is unsuitable for most people learning calculus for the first time (especially if you are taking a course and not just studying at your own pace). However, it (along with vol. II) is mandatory reading for anyone who wants to study math, in my opinion.
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