No comments about Essentials of Trigonometry (with CD-ROM and iLrn Tutorial).

No comments about Trigonometry.

2 comments about Merrill Algebra 2.

1. This book is a good source if you want to continue in Math. It helps if you have a tutor or a teacher teach it.



2. Fast service and book is in excellent condition for a very good price.

5 comments about Advantage Series: Precalculus with Unit-Circle Trigonometry.

1. While I have not taught from this book and have not gone through the entire text, from what I've seen this is an excellent text.
   From the preface: "[E]xamples are consistently used to introduce, to explain and to motivate concepts...all of the initial exercise for each section are carefully correlated with the worked examples in that section." Based on my observations, this is true. Exercises following most sections are grouped into three categories: the first consist of these relatively routine problems closely correlated with the examples in the text of the section, and two more categories, each successively more difficult. There are many nice exercises that guide the student through a discovery process. The text is quite thorough and contains many topics not included in the bare-bones precalc text. For example, iteration of (the composition of) functions is presented in the section on composition. But the topic follows, with clear demarcation, that of basics of composition and hence can be omitted cleanly. Elegant results, some of which I had not been familiar with, such as Brahmagupta's theorem, are developed in some exercises. In the section on exponential growth and decay, the logistic growth model is developed in the exercises. But the text works fine even when omitting such challenge problems or those problems developing such optional topics.
   While the book does have calculator applications exercises, I agree with the author's philosophy, that while "The graphing utility is and invaluable tool for learning mathematics... the mathematics curriculum should drive the technology, not the other way around."
   I also use this book as a reference text.
   Apparently the author, Prof. Cohen, was the director of the precalculus courses at UCLA. His experience shows in this book.
   Update 5/4/2005: One reservation I have about the text is that the graphs are not always accurate. I feel strongly that graphs should always be presented as accurately as possible to reflect the true nature of the curves.



2. I learned pre-calculus from this textbook, and now I've been with a youth math program that uses the book for 3 years. This pre-calc book is excellent and is the first book that was of actual use to myself when learning new material.
   
   The examples in the text are clear and helpful, which makes a world of difference with the material. The problems are also well-designed and there are several different types of problems in this book.
   
   Although the price is high and the book is fairly heavy, it is worth it. If you are taking a pre-calc class and this is the required book, rejoice. If you are taking a pre-calc class and it is not and you have problems with pre-calc material, consider getting a 3rd edition of this book (3rd, not 4th, edition -- save on money).



3. After reading other reviews on this book here on Amazon, I chose it for my independent study of precalc. I don't regret the choice.
   
   I find it particularly well-suited for my learning preferences. Accordingly, this will be a text you will love if:
   
   -you like learning systematically; that is, starting from simple concepts and rapidly building upon them
   -you take the time to work many of the problems; the problems are expertly written and do wonders at isolating specific concepts and allowing your mind to be aware of them and master them.
   -you enjoy solving problems of a mathematical and logical nature
   -you have an interest in the subject that may be slightly broader than simply gaining mastery.
   
   On the last item, the author does an excellent job of weaving tidbits of the miscellaneous and sundry of mathematics and using them to keep the mind interested while also teaching a lesson. Often these concepts are treated within an exercise. There is a good balance between including this extra information and sticking to the core subject. The extra information is never off-topic and keeps the material from becoming too dry while not being annoyingly inserted for the primary purpose of filling space. I am not a great fan of lengthy and marginally useful vignettes in textbooks.
   
   If this is what you're looking for in a precalc textbook, this is the book for you.



4. If this is a textbook... you don't have much of a choice: get it, or drop the class.
   
   Other than that, the textbook is OK. Not great, since it does not explain to well. Basically, it gives you a forumla, spends about 1/4th of a page using that forumla once, and then moves on. At the end of each section, there are about 100 questions, at the end of the chapter there are another 100 questions. The concepts in here are not too easy, so you probably need to actually learn it using the book (or teachers lecture). However, the book itself does not help much. Basically, it's just a section with 5 concepts (more or less), and each one has one example. That is the only thing which teaches you. The rest is for you to figure out by doing examples.
   
   If you're a very fast and comprehensive learner, it may be good for you, as it expects you to learn on the first try, and do examples to complete your learning. Otherwise, you will need to spend more time to understand the concepts, or pay good attention to the teacher/professor.



5. the book was in great condition and it came with the CD-ROM which is always impossible to find when buying a used book. I am very pleased with the item though the price was a bit high.

1 comments about Advanced Trigonometry.

1. I an in engineering for signal processing. This book has been a great reference.

3 comments about Precalculus : A Graphing Approach.

1. this book does not cover any new material learned in even a BAD high school trigonometry course and ninth grade algebra other than polar cooridinates and parametric equations. do not use this above the high school level. there is ALOT of stuff you already know. don't use this book even for a review unless you dont know ninth grade math. the topics of functions are so obvious, yet he covers them over about 7 chapters.



2. I have taught from this text for 3 years now. It is excellent. My students like the text and find the explanations helpful. I would recommend this text to any teacher who is hunting for a good preparation for calculus.



3. I was primarily disappointed with the lack of rigor. But it has more pretty pictures than math textbooks I remember from high school, in case you need that sort of thing to keep your (or your students') interest. I would rather have paid less for a black-and-white text that doesn't hurt your arms to hold up to read (the dimensions of the book also make that awkward). There are nice little blurbs about various relevant/famous mathemeticians. The book strives to give a lot of real-world examples, and for that I give it 3 stars instead of 2. If you are looking for a book with that kind of emphasis, you may find this to be just what you want. I have to agree with an earlier reviewer that my highschool trig and precalc course were much more detailed and had more depth.

   PS: I am still searching for an errata sheet.

1 comments about Trigonometry Update.

1. As with all Bittinger books, this is a good textbook for a brief course in trigonometry. It is an excerpt from another book, so the chapters and pages do not start at the beginning. I would like to see more discussion of similar triangles. But the problems are fine and the explanations clear. This works as a textbook for a trig course.

No comments about Aufmann, College Trigonometry Student Solution Manual 6e.

5 comments about Ace's Algebra 2-Trig Exambusters Study Cards (Ace's Exambusters).

1. These cards are in no way a substitute for your book and they will not teach you much unless you have a textbook to go with this. If you are taking a precalculus class (Algebra & Trigonometry), these cards make an excellent referrence. I especially like to use them when I get so sick of looking at the book, I can just flip through the cards and test my own knowledge of precalculus.

   I'm the type of student that would like every possible advantage since I do not have so much time for study, and math is one of those topics that require work. My only complaint is the quality of the cards. They are less than business card quality. If they would laminate them in some sort of coating, I'd give the cards 5 stars.

   Also check out the Chemistry study cards. They are identical to these with the exception of subject matter.




2. These cards are a good supplement to the textbook. They help you test yourself on important concepts and equations. You can't cheat with a flash card because the right answer is on the back, out of sight.



3. I bought the cards for students I tutor for SAT/ACT/GED. I have them memorize the cards first. Otherwise, I'd have to dictate a vocabulary and formula list to each of them and that wastes time better spent on solving problems together and discussing concepts.



4. Every year I recommend them to my students. The ones who buy them seem to do a little better than they might have. The cards are numbered, so it's easy to tell them which ones they need to know, and which they can set aside based on the curriculum. It's harder to accomplish that type of culling of information with a review book you'd buy at the superstore.



5. I bought several courses. The cards offer basic concepts in small bites. The information was relevant to what was presented by my teacher. The cards and CD's gave good review before exams and a head start at the start of the new school year. The cards had a lot of questions; you can carry them in your pocket and learn a few each day. The software was easy to use. It is like the cards but on the screen. You can take a test or just review. Front is question, click for answer on back of card. The software can also show the cards on the screen at random, first the question, then the answer. They change every few seconds. That keeps you reading and wondering what's coming up next. It's entertaining while you're studying.

3 comments about Master Math: Trigonometry (Master Math Series).

1. Students, teachers and parents alike will appreciate the application-oriented focus of this book, which reviews basic geometry and trigonometric functions and pairs explanations of these basics with practical applications. This adds new life and depth to the process of review for those who've had the math before, but want to brush up.



2. This is the best book out there on learning trigonometry. I especially appreciate the visually oriented focus. Each concept is described in all its forms, such as sine. Do you know each of the different ways sine can be described? Like the other Master Math books by Ross, the topics flow logically and are in context with what precedes and follows. It is thorough yet concise, and packed full of everything you, as tutor, or your kids need to know. The real world and fun applications are wonderful! The information is explained clearly and in a way that makes sense, so that a given concept is explained in such a way you understand what is being discussed rather than just memorizing formulas. What a breath of fresh air after the often-confusing text books I was and my children are given in school. I really feel I understand trigonometry after reading this book! If I were going back to school, and taking math or science, this book would be in my backpack. Also recommend: Master Math: Geometry. Master Math: Algebra. Master Math: Basic Math and Pre-Algebra.



3. I bought this book and Trignometry for Dummies to help me prepare for my first trig exam in college. My professor is good, but his explanations aren't always clear and I really needed something to bridge the gap. This book does an excellent job of explaining not only HOW to do things, but WHY. It's even better than the textbook I was required to buy for the class. As for the other book, Trig for Dummies, it's just doesn't hold a candle to this one.