Vector Calculus

Rating:
Summary: A cryptically written, non-versatile mess
Review: If your professors are exceptional, then I imagine this book has a lot of potential, but if this book becomes more than a study guide, meaning that it will be read extensively for the purpose of learning multivariable calculus for the first time, it fails.

The layout and order of progression isn't optimized for thorough understanding. For example, the reader is put through several sections of iterated vector integral conundrum before he or she is shown how and why they are actually valid.

The diagrams aren't very helpful as the monochrome printing often runs together. For 90 some dollars, is 6 color printing too much to ask? In addition, enormous expanses of intuition and trigonometric simplifications are often traversed in single steps as the authors attempt to prove mathematical axioms and theories. It is hard to follow.

But by far the worst part of the book is that it concentrates on what I call "BS Math" (that's not Bachelor of Science, either). BS Math is just like normal math, but instead of being remotely presented in any sort of real-world fashion, it is just presented as "Compute [two integrands]s (curl F)dS," for example. This leads to no understanding of what the math is actually supposed to do or the reason why these axioms were developed. In the last chapter, the authors touch briefly on real world scenarios, but in my opinion EVERY question in this book should be Physics related, because that's why Calculus was invented: To solve physics problems. The only reason I can think of for Marsden and Tromba to write the questions and the book as they did is LAZINESS.

I bet Marsden and Tromba can teach their book very well because they know what to elaborate on and what to stress in real world scenarios, but teachers who don't really care should not use this book.

Rating:
Summary: I recommend the study guide (to the fourth edition)
Review: The study guide to the fourth edition contains summaries of what one should learn from each chapter. I found these helpful in clarifying what the textbook was trying to present, and wished I had started using the study guide earlier in the semester than I did. I do not see a study guide to the fifth edition, so I suppose that one may not exist, but the summaries in the study guide to the fourth edition are still quite usable in conjunction with the fifth edition because the fifth edition of Vector Calculus is quite similar to the fourth edition.

Rating:
Summary: This book tells how to supplement multivariate calculus
Review: The way this book explains calculus relating to multiple variables is somewhat different from old others. After reading from cover to cover, I come to settle many why and why in multiple calculus. If I have to read only two books in college, I will not hesitate to read this first.

Rating:
Summary: APESTA!!!
Review: This book .... big time, the examples are too naive and the explanations are too incomplete, if you have never seen a number before this book will confuse you, and if you know some math this book will confuse you even more. DON'T BUY THIS BOOK, UNDER ANY CIRCUNSTANCES!

Rating:
Summary: Very unclear text
Review: This book doesn't present the material in a very clear way. The graphics are not helpful either.

Rating:
Summary: Best Single Volume on Vector Calculus
Review: This book in its fourth edition benefits from revisions to earlier editions. For a short quick reference the book by Schey is delightful. Marsden and Tromba give a more thorough and complete work. It is well laid out and has good illustrations. One could look at this book as Calc III with applications. For most people that part of the calculus sequence was far too quick and terse. This book is the antidote. It is definitely worth considering for use in the junior-senior level course on vector calculus.

Rating:
Summary: I hate this book!
Review: This book is terrible. It is confusing, boring, and the cause of many headaches.

Avoid this text at all costs!

Rating:
Summary: A CONFUSING MESS
Review: This book was used in my second year vector calculus class at my University. All I can say is that this book is one of the most confusing and useless books i have ever read. I did not learn a thing from it. I got a 70% in the course with no help at all from this book. If you want to achieve greater, this book is not for you. Bottom line AVOID THIS BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good though not always easy to follow
Review: This is a pretty good book, but it is somewhat more difficult to use for self-study. The 'easier' subjects are understood fast enough, but when it gets more difficult, you'll probably need some help to master the topics well. However, I liked working with it. It really amazes me that some reviewers think it's no good at all. Because it is.

Rating:
Summary: This is so confusing...
Review: This is so confussing... the Calculus and specially the vectorial is itself a little complicated, but I think that you can explain it in other way.. may be writing more pages and destroying the big thoughts in smaller ones.