3 comments about Mathematical Applications: For the Management, Life, and Social Sciences.

1. I was able to contact the seller easily and the book was in the condition as stated. Thank You!



2. Covers a wide range of math applications in different industry and situations you may become part of in your career. The examples used were helpful in elaborating further on the equation and topic. Excellent quantitative book - a must have in your library beyond college life.



3. The attempted reach of this book is so great; nearly every goal appears to slip through their fingers. The first section of the book (577 pages) is roughly equivalent to a book in finite mathematics and the second (approximately 400 pages) to a book in business calculus. With such a broad mathematical swath being applied, the effectiveness is limited. The college where I teach mathematics and computer science recently added a course in basic mathematical modeling, so I examined this book as a possible text. I cannot envision any circumstances where this book will satisfy our needs for the reasons listed above. While the coverage is wide and to some depth, there is so much that only a fraction of the material could be covered in a semester.
   The chapter headings are:
   
   *) Algebraic concepts
   *) Linear equations and functions
   *) Quadratic and other special functions
   *) Matrices
   *) Inequalities and linear programming
   *) Exponential and logarithmic functions
   *) Mathematics of finance
   *) Introduction to probability
   *) Further topics in probability; data description
   *) Derivatives
   *) Applications of derivatives
   *) Derivatives continued
   *) Indefinite integrals
   *) Definite integrals; techniques of integration
   *) Functions of two or more variables
   
   To go from the basics of algebra all the way to partial differential equations in one book is quite a feat, certainly something that cannot be done in a single semester. Therefore, this is a book that would only be suitable for a two-semester course sequence. The only such sequence that I can see where this book would be appropriate is one covering "Mathematics for business." The chapter on the mathematics of finance and the majority of the application examples being from business and economics would almost force this to be the only possible area of application.

1 comments about The Practice of Business Statistics w/CD.

1. I teach a college course in basic statistics at least once a year and for some time have used the book "The Basic Practice of Statistics" by one of the authors of this one. I have no intention of switching to this book, but I did examine it with the idea of determining if it would be appropriate for a course in basic statistics for business.
   My conclusion is affirmative; there are a large number of worked examples that are applications of business scenarios. The discussions are clear, concise and there are a large number of associated diagrams, which are essential to the learning of statistics. I strongly recommend this book for courses in basic business statistics.

2 comments about Introductory Statistics.

1. I have taught a basic statistics class many times over the last several years and the book that I used was "The Basic Practice of Statistics" by David S. Moore. Since I am always on the lookout for a better book, I examined this one. One positive feature was immediately obvious. This book was easier to read. Some of that may be due to the fact that it is approximately ¾ of an inch longer than the Moore book. It is also due to sharper contrasts and more effective use of color.
   The coverage is standard; there are plenty of exercises although the authors commit what I consider to be a cardinal sin. There are no solutions to any of the exercises. In my mind, this is inexcusable, even if they are available on a companion website. Students work problems in many different locations and web access is often inconvenient and sometimes just impossible.
   Sections on using the TI-84, Minitab and Microsoft Excel are included at the end of the chapters. While some people will find them helpful, they are in no means in the tutorial category. Devoting a page and a half to brief visual demonstrations of how to do one problem is to me a waste of paper and ink. My students would require more significant instruction if we were ever to use any of these options.
   While the other features are strong, the lack of solutions to the exercises is an insurmountable hurdle to me. I will not be adopting it for use in the future. In my opinion, it would have been a better use of pages to include solutions to the exercises rather than the small sections on how to use technology.



2. This product was nicely packaged and was practically brand new. This book is wonderful and the condition that it was in was excellent! The shipping was very quick also.

5 comments about Geometry: Reasoning Measuring Applying.

1. This textbook is more useful for the flashy (and admittedly very good) teacher's ancillaries. But this review is not for the ancillaries. It is for the text itself.
   
   The text's treatment of proofs is very cursory and not rigorous enough. The diagrams for the algebraic problems are too confusing, compiling numerous different concepts into one problem. While I agree that students must learn to differentiate one property/theorem/rule/postulate from another, it doesn't make sense that most, instead of some, diagrams are over-complicated. Personally, I don't like the format with the examples, mainly because it downplays the necessity for students to become LITERATE in math, not just a good "example comparer." The text has little actual TEXT to speak of.
   
   I have not been teaching HS for very long, but I do not like this book. I am not a textbook dependent teacher, but I do (woefully) recognize that students have poor study skills and don't reference notes all the time. I do not teach out of the textbook and I spend many hours planning lessons, lecture notes, my own examples, etc. I had many complaints that the problems were confusing, included too many ideas at the same time, etc. Some may be successful in "teaching themselves" from the examples, but I am very disappointed that textbooks no longer have TEXT. I may be a math teacher, but I understand the importance of reading and how it helps a person to process the material.
   
   On the other hand, the teacher resources is a great set of worksheets, study masters, note taking guides, etc. Perhaps the authors spent more time on those resources instead of the text.



2. This is a must have for students that purchased the text book, gives them an opportunity to practice what they learn in the theory.



3. As a long time mathematics tutor and teacher I know this book very well. I don't think the material is presented or explained in a way that is especially helpful for young people. As a tutor I have to constantly reintroduce the topic and/or try to stay ahead of the student's class. Beyond that, the students are asked to do only the simplest of proofs. Additionally, a new topic will be introduced and then no problems appear in the exercise portion of the section to help the student test and practice his or her understanding of the newly introduced topic (and of course, those problems invariably will show up on the chapter exam and the final).
   
   Moreover, I think the book just fails the kids. It seems to omit certain standard concepts by being "accessible" and undemanding of even the most minor critical thinking skills. I believe that both of these shortcomings will leave the student unprepared for the challenging problems on standardized tests and on college entrance exams. Not to mention any sort of subsequent advanced work in high school and college. Another thing about the Larson book is that the answers to many of the problems are so arithmetically peculiar that the student has no feeling that maybe they actually got the right answer. Good problems reassure the student that they are on the right track. Also, once a new concept or definition is introduced it is never repeated.
   
   Overall, I think that the more capable students will be shortchanged and misled into thinking that they know more than they actually do and the less capable student might pass geometry but will perform poorly on college entrance exams and be unable to successfully progress in mathematics if they need to do so.



4. Our school uses this book for all Geometry classes. The book is quite thorough, but serves the teacher more than the students. The students for the most part don't read it; just use it to find the assigned homework problems.
   
   One glaring weakness is on page 306 where Postulate 7 is proven from Postulate 5 in problem 24. After hammering into my students that postulates cannot be proven, there goes the book proving a postulate!



5. Order arrived 2 days later than expected, but I was very pleased with the price I paid and the book was in excellent condition

3 comments about A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers (9th Edition).

1. This textbook is easy to read and follow. The explanations of mathematics, how to teach young children to use strategies, and examples of worksheets make this a great resource for future Elementary school teachers.



2. The books condition was bad, much worse then described. I also payed for express shipping and it took awhile to get to me.



3. Had to send book back because I didn't have to take this class. The seller admitted to recieving the book back and did not refund my money! Will never buy from this seller and will tell friends and family to beware. Have tried to contact seller with no response!

5 comments about Intermediate Algebra: Concepts and Applications (7th Edition) (Bittinger Developmental Mathematics Series).

1. first off, i'm not rebecca stack, but we use the same account. i am self-studying at home using this book. addison wesley were completely and utterly unhelpful when i asked for assistance when i first purchased the book and solutions manual. as for the book itself, i'm very happy with my purchase, although if you have no normal class/teacher resources, i would say it's essential to buy the solutions manual.
   
   since i am wading through every single problem, i'm simply amazed that a 9th edition of any textbook can have so many wrong answers. anyone who has actually worked through a quarter of the problems deserves a case of champagne from addison wesley, in my opinion, and free textbooks for life.....
   
   on the whole, though, i'm highly recommending this book as it is very suitable for anyone wanting to self study this topic with a view to going on to calculus. it's a monumental amount of work, if you're going to attempt all the problems, but even taking the errors into account, i feel more confident with mathematics now than i have ever before. even with my reservations, i look forward to tackling marv's calculus textbook (although i've now learned my lesson and will be buying other texts).



2. I am currently taking Algebra 2, cannot find anyone in the class that likes the book. The author gives very few examples, too brief on discussing topics. This book would be great for someone who has already had Algebra 2 and wants to do a review. I am now reading other material to understand what this book is talking about.



3. I have always had trouble with math. I have also been out of HS for many years, therefore, I started with the edition before this one, just finished a class using this book and will be trying to pass college algebra next semester. I agree with other posters about there not being adequate examples. When you are doing the exercises (homework), there are no problems for the student to reference that are close to many of the problems you are required to answer. And the book is loaded with word problems. My biggest problems with math are when instructors/books leave out steps. I just wasn't gifted in the area of memorization of math facts and formulas so I struggle and this book was not helpful. The internet was more helpful than this book with homework assignments.
   
   If you do struggle, I would look into the student solutions manual. Also, I took intermediate algebra as an online class and the MathXL software package required was way more helpful to me than this book. I give two stars only because I wouldn't have a clue as to what book to recommend as a better resource.
   
   There are 11 chapters:
   1 - Algebra and Problem Solving
   2 - Graphs, Functions, Linear Equations
   3 - Systems of Equations and Problem Solving
   4 - Inequalities & Problem Solving
   5 - Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
   6 - Rational Expressions, Equations, Functions
   7 - Exponents & Radicals
   8 - Quadratic Functions & Equations
   9 - Exponential & Logarithmic Functions
   10 - Conic Sections
   11 - Sequences, Series, & Binomial Theorem
   
   Good luck!



4. I'll have to agree. This text is the definition of vague. The examples given just don't explain anything in great detail, or even in detail at all. Just awful.



5. I received the item within its expected shipping time frame. The item was used and indicated good condition. However it was, in my opinion in excellent condition and I would definitely purchase from the seller in the near future. I am very happy with my order. Thank You.

4 comments about Statistical Techniques in Business and Economics with Student CD.

1. I was pleased from start to finish. It was the correct book, in great condition, it had the CD as stated and it came in a timely fashion.



2. Its a text book, examples are good and the link to excel has been benificial. Good luck on your course.



3. the book was new and was shipped on time! I love it. My books are time sensative and I was able to get them on time. Thanks!



4. The book is a textbook and purchased for class, so of course it fulfills its purpose. I do want to say that Amazon.com's service has been exceptional.

3 comments about Statistics: Informed Decisions Using Data (2nd Edition) (MyStatLab Series).

1. I liked the quick shipment of the book. I had no problems at all with it. The only thing that was a shock was that I recieved the teachers edition rather than the student edition, but there really is not much difference between them.



2. This book was hard to understand. It was in good condition for being used. I think this is a useful tool for anyone wanting to learn statistics.



3. This textbook is a decent introduction to statistics. Usually as an introduction text, its a mile wide and an inch deep. This textbook is no different, you'll learn everything from graphs and charts, to various types of distribution. The CD that comes with the textbook is confusing, but it did have one pdf with a summary of formulas for each chapter which was extremely helpful. The only major problem with this textbook is the problems. They are simply too predictable and often won't prepare you for the real world or even worse... an exam. Overall, this is a decent introductory textbook, not the worst but also not the best on the subject. Its done to earth and the beginner should have no problem picking it up. One final note, it also contains guides on how to use the statistics function on the TI-83, which is almost a must have if you plan on learning from this textbook.

5 comments about Statistical Inference.

1. I find this book very difficult to read. There are no set margins, and the font set is the same for an example, definition or for a Theory. Trying to find what you are looking for is very time consuming. additionally, the examples are predominantly proofs (which are good), but there are few for applied problems, and the explanations are not very thourough. I would recommend Sheldon Ross Introduction to Probability since it covers the same material, is readable with formatting, and has numerous examples. For an even simpler book to understand, choose Ross, Probability a First Course.



2. This is the second edition of an excellent book. Casella and Berger put together a text that many faculty began choosing for the first graduate course in mathematical statistics. This second edition is improved over the first and puts more emphasis on the algorithms than the asymptotics. It covers modern topics like resampling and is verywell presented.
   
   When I was a graduate student we used Ferguson and Cox and Hinkley and we also used Lehmann's book for hypothesis testing. This book starts with basic probability and goes on to cover all the bases. It has everything one needs in a modern text on mathematical statistics. I have seen it referenced very often in statistics articles and I decided that I had to get a copy for myself in spite of the high price. i think this should be one of the preferred texts for the first year PhD course in mathematical statistics. It certainly requires a full year of calculus as would any good math stat book but the level is even higher than that and that also should be expected by the students.
   
   Typically first year PhD students in statistics would take this course concurrently with a course in advanced probability that includes measure theory. So the measure theory knowledge gained by the student in the probability course will and should be needed for the latter chapters of this math stat course.



3. This book is absolute misery! I would like to echo another review that basically stated if you have to take a class with this book, just drop it now and save yourself the grief. Truer words were never spoken! The Preface states that the prerequisite is 1 year of calculus. That is an outrageous lie! Maybe if you took calculus at Princeton or MIT, you will have a fighting chance. Otherwise you better have the sophistication of writing and understanding proofs that are on par with a real analysis background, and you will definitely need a firm grasp of all the major combinatorial identities and proof techniques before you even attempt to read it, let alone destroy your GPA with it! There is a solution manual floating around the internet, and that too is worthless. Most of the proof techniques used in that rotten book end up as handwaving, and if you have a well trained professor, you will get crushed trying to use some of those techniques. Many of the answers in the solutions manual are just wrong as my professor has PROVEN to us on a number of occasions. The bottom line is dont believe anyone who tells you that 1 year of calculus is enough to read and understand this book. It simply does not apply to most of us, and Casella and Berger should be ashamed of themselves for trying to pass this off as a first year graduate textbook for anyone other than a pure mathematician.
   
   To further highlight the absurdity of this book, here is a quote from p 237: "Furthermore, with the current availability of cheap, plentiful computing power, the importance of approximations like the Central Limit Theorem is somewhat lessened." Que idiotas!!!!!



4. This is a fantastic book. It is very well written and is a pleasure to read. The problems at the end of each chapter are extensive and help get a very good understanding of the material. This was the required text for a quarter based graduate level course on Statistical Inference. We had an excellent teacher who picked problems very well and that perhaps kept us from getting bogged down. Many of the problems are by no means trivial and require time to solve, which is where a great instructor helps. If you are planning to use this book for self-study, then I would recommend perusing the problem sets from classes, based on this book, that are being offered at some institutions, in order to whittle down the problems to an illustrative subset, before delving into others. Hope this helps.



5. This text is quite good, with numerous examples, but beware of the many errors or cases of sloppy reasoning. A sampler:
   
   p. 319. The maximum likelihood estimator for the binomial distribution, unknown number of trials, is unique. Not true: n=2, p = .4, sample = (1,6) is a counterexample.
   
   p. 265. If S is the sum of k idd uniform (0,1) random variables, then Prob(S <= t) is t^k over k!. Not true: this would give prob(S <=k) > 1.
   
   p. 62, 82, 84: Moments are unique (or non-unique). Nonsense, it is the pdf's that are unique or non-unique.
   
   p. 444. Method to find a shortest pivotal interval. This is a non-proof. Apparently the authors haven't heard of Lagrange multipliers.
   
   Note also that apparently there's no source for problem answers. This may or may not be considered a drawback.

5 comments about Using and Understanding Mathematics: A Quantitative Reasoning Approach (4th Edition).

1. I really like this book. I'm using it for an independent study class and it is ideal. I don't need to contact my instructor for clarification because it is well-written and has good examples.



2. I needed this book for class. The ISBN number matched perfectly the book was brand new. The price through AMAZON was less than buying from the school bookstore. THANKS! Amazon



3. Using and Understanding Mathematics is the worse math book I have ever opened in my entire life. Chapters 5 and 6 are definitely the worse chapters in the book. Chapters 5 and 6 deal with statistical reasoning, having taken a statistic course prior to this course I found that there were a lot of mistakes in the book. The explanation of surveying and opinion polls was extremely poor. The calculation of the confidence interval was not clearly defined neither was the discussion on choosing bias for samples, nor finding the significant point value within a given sample. I also felt the book did a horrible job at explaining the significance of standard deviation and did a poor job of explaining the 68-95-99.7 rule. On a good note I felt chapter 4 was very informal especially about how to calculate credit card debt, mortgage, and determine loan payments with just simple equations.



4. I ordered this textbook off of Amazon because it was cheaper than at my college bookstore. However, when I recieved it, I found that it was the Instructor's Edition. When I attempted to contact the seller, Lotus Books, to return it in exchange for the correct edition, my e-mail was ignored. I will never do business with Lotus Books ever again.



5. This is not really a review perse. I'm getting this book for a prereq in college. I'm just wondering if anyone knows the difference between the 3rd and 4th editions. Or is this another fantastic move of the publishing industry to save their lives/waste our money?