Calculus for Dummies 1st edition | Date: 20 April 2011, 23:51
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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:
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. 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. 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.Summary: Drop every other calculus book and get this one.Rating: 5The Author, Mark Ryan, bush wacks all the clutter away. This is by far the best Calculus book I've owned and I own a few. He gets right into the concepts in a easy to understand way and breaks all the ideas down into ways you can relate to (no calculus pun intended). There are no long draw out cryptic proofs filled with a gazillion veriables and symbols and hard to understand einsteinian math-lingo. There is just an easy to understand method of learning calculus. If you are learning limits, differentiation, integrals, series or summation for the first time get this book as your primary source of understanding the mumbo jumbo your teacher will be rambling on about in your class. If you want a refesher book this is excellent as well. Summary: Instructor recommended it after seeing a copy.Rating: 5My daughter and her study partner are constanly refering to Calculus for Dummies because they don't understand what their expensive text book says. They brought it into class and showed it to another student who now plans on buying one. The professor saw this, looked at the book, and said it could be helpful to the whole class. This is the second book I have bought in the for Dummies series, and I now look for them.Summary: It's Never Too Late To LearnRating: 5Something my accounting professor taught me (as I was struggling through accounting) was the importance of seeking out the writings of other authors. Where one will assume that you will grasp a concept - another will explain it and explain it again and in a manner that can open doors quickly. Many years back I slugged my way through Calculus I, II & III but to this day was left with the disappointment that I never grasped the practical application of even the basic concepts. You can perform the mechanics of math but its beauty is in the understanding of its application. I was determined to make good on my understanding and purchased Mark Ryan's book `Calculus for Dummies'. I was expecting the same old calculus rigor (dumbed down) but was fortunate to come across a book authored by an individual who has a passion for math and for explaining it in a way that us mere mortals can understand. My 35+ year quest was solved in several `aha' moments as I read through this book. This is a great companion source that will bridge the gaps as you learn calculus (leaving you plenty of time for all that homework)! Summary: Great recourse! Highly Recommend!!!Rating: 5I got this after failing my first calculus test, and I have to tell you, he results are amazing! Mr. Ryan really explains things in a down-to-earth, non-technical way, and it's a breath of fresh air to read. I just wish I had started reading this at the beginning of the semester, now I have too much to catch up on! Also, make sure you know your algebra. Most of the problem isn't the calculus, it's the algebra you have to do afterward.Summary: One major Flaw with this bookRating: 2This book has a major flaw in it--no examples! After reading a chapter, you have no idea if you've truly grasped the concept because there are no--none--exercises or sample problems. I am certain it is a ploy to get you to buy the Calculus for Dummies workbook. This is a frustrating book because of this.
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