Product Description: This is a new edition of the precalculus text developed by the Consortium based at Harvard University and funded by a National Science Foundation Grant. The text is thought-provoking for well-prepared students while still accessible to students with weaker backgrounds. It provides numerical and graphical approaches as well as algebraic approaches to give students another way of mastering the material. This approach encourages students to persist, thereby lowering failure rates. A large number of real-world examples and problems enable students to create mathematical models that will help them understand the world in which they live.
The focus is on those topics that are essential to the study of calculus and these topics are treated in depth.
Linear, exponential, power, and periodic functions are introduced before polynomial and rational functions to take advantage of their use to model physical phenomena.
Building on the Consortium's Rule of Four: Each function is represented symbolically, numerically, graphically, and verbally where appropriate.
Student Solutions Manual to accompany Functions Modeling Change Only shows every other odd answer and doesn't go into much detail about how to do the problems. It is useful to some extent, but i was a bit disappointed.
HORRIBLE BOOK! I am currently taking pre-cac in summer school and I fear I will have to drop the class! This book is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE in presenting concepts and helping to guide you through the process on figuring things out. There is no reason why I should read a book, be confused, read it again, be more confused, ask friends to read it and have them be confused. I don't know how educators get away with writting books of such low quality-- and I have even less of an idea how a school chooses to use such a book. Minimally, instructors should be looking here to see the absolutely horrible feedback on this book and CHOOSE A DIFFERENT TEXT! It seems the only reason why my summer school is using this book is due to the fact that it was written by some professors here. For such a prestigous university that surely strikes of a highly unintelligent decision.
from a student... I did appreciate the applications approach, but I felt like with almost every lesson that there were not nearly enough practice problems. A formula would be introduced with only two practice problems, only one of which is in the back of the book (of course). In my study groups, we would work those same two problems a few times and feel confident, then bomb the exam. If I remember correctly, I believe you can order an extra workbook in this series. I would recommend this text IN ADDITION to a workbook.
The biggest problem that I saw with my department adopting this textbook is that the instructors really do not teach the applications approach. I would go home to study and find that the text did not follow at all what we were covering in class. The innovative approach of the textbook was thereby lost as we flipped back and forth between the chapters trying to cobble together problems to match lectures.
Wonderful precalculus deep inside the functions and modeling I really have difficulties to understand some reviewers given one star for such a wonderfull book. If you read this book before Uni, you will have a stable ground for calculus.
All frequently used functions and their practical usage as modelling tools are lucidly explained. I finally know what hyperbolic functions are, I finally know how the path from given data to an appropriate model. I finally know how can I practically sketch seemingly complex but simple functions.
It's strength based on model oriented approach to functions. This has pratical value for all candidate engineers...
Without any doubt I'll give five stars to acknowledge the authors.
Incomplete, discouraging, Unhelpfull book that only hinders the learning process This is probably the most incoplete, inarticulate book I've ever used so far in my 3 years in college. It fails to COMPLETELY explain ALL THE MANY concepts you will ,sort-of ummmm, need to pass the class,tests or even complete the problems within the book. Expect to buy at least one other pre-calc text to clearly explain EVERYTHING this book consistently DOESN'T. This book is not a student-friendly one, its more of an EXPERT MATHEMETICIAN-FRIENDLY text book, written for people who already have lots of experience with pre-calculous. First time precalculous students should not actually expect to learn from this book or be able to count on this book as a reliable source to turn to during homework assignments or study sessions... As this book consistently fails to articulate even the most simple of precalculous concepts. If you don't beleive mine along with most other negative ratings of this book, go ahead and compare this book to almost any other precalc text book for yourself. You'll quickly see that EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE PAID A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THIS BOOK TO TEACH YOU, this book FAILS TO PERFORM EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THE WAY, PARTICULARLY when you need it to CLEARLY EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO YOU most. REALLY THIS BOOK ONLY MAKES IT HARDER TO UNDERSTAND ANYTHING IT ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN. My recommendation is that you buy "THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO PRECALCULOUS" by W. Michael Kelly, an author who thouroughly prooves his TEACHING SKILLS, COMPETENCE and ABILITY TO SUCCESFULLY ARTICULATE concepts so students can actually get some learning out of the time they spend reading his CLEAR, HELPFULL EXPLENATIONS that will actually help you in precalculous.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
