ISBN0-471-47244-1

I used this book for a three semester Calculus regimen. At times, during Calc I, I wanted to throw it out the window; the material was sometimes presented in poor order (related rates introduced before implicit differentiation -- talk about confusing?!) and important concepts were even introduced in the homework sections. I survived the class, though, and found the rest of the book much more helpful for Calc II and III. On the whole, it was a pretty good book.

The book does contain a few errors and misprints which is something I find almost unforgivable for an 8th edition textbook. Furthermore, the solutions manual often skipped far too many steps.

Finally, I continue to find the book a helpful reference when I need a refresher, and have grown to like it more as time passes. I'd still recommend a Larson text over this one, though.

Every concept is presented first in very obtuse symbology and proofs. You have to wade past that to the examples to see what is actually being said. This book was written first to impress other calculus professors. The proofs come in handy as examples when you have to write proofs, but they should not come first when explaining a new concept. I want to learn how to do something first, and then, having mastered the how, I have some frame of reference to help me understand the "why". I had to supplement the book material by foraging around the web for more examples and explanations.

There are also too few practical suggestions on strategy. Every once in awhile there is a little blue box with some tips in it, but they are terse. There are no strategy examples showing a problem and then explaining how one integration technique is much better/easier for that problem type than another.

If I had it to do over again I would have bought the solutions manual. If you get one wrong, it is often difficult to tell from the book answer what the process for arriving at the solution was. There are too few examples in the text.

I think the text is hard to understand and the solution manual's answers are not worked out and are identical to the answers in the back of the textbook. Don't buy the solution manual! Not worth it!

I read the text from page to page because I have a bad professor who can't teach and can't speak English. He knows his stuff, but he can't teach so if you happen to be in my shoes with bad teacher and bad book,
I say 'screw' the class and take it another time! The text is difficult to understand.

The primary problem with this book is it does not explain the concept using more then a cryptic 1/2 page of text. It then proceeds to bombard you with examples that make virtually no sense because you will most likely not fully understand the concept. This method is repeated over and over again.

I also had the impression that the example problems were overly complex and instead of demonstrating the concept being taught, they added unnecessary complexity for complexity sake.

I am a fan of the building block method of learning where you keep a subject simple until it is mastered and then you build upon it. This book does not follow that process.

Lastly, if you are purchasing this book I would recommend you try to find other sources from your local library to reinforce your learning.