Rating: 
Summary: OK but could be less exhaustive
Review: Overall, this is one of the rather average math books that are out there today. This is well organized into different sections that are easy to follow along and seamlessly flow towards the more complicated and advanced theories of calculus. What I liked the best about this book is the abundance of practice exercises and the well derived proofs that give us a chance to understand how certain equations and theorems originated. This book is very comprehensive and an economical investment because it can be used for all four semesters in a calculus course. However, for all its content, this book is also very complex and sometimes hard to follow around if your instructors decide to skip several chapters. Although the explanations and examples are well done, every section seems to introduce three or four different methods to solve the same equation, which is needlessly confusing. The sections in each chapter, particularly at the end of the book can also get muddled together. For example, the sections in the beginning of the book are easy to follow, introduces one or two subjects and then moves to the next section. Towards the end, an individual section might introduce half a dozen concepts and theorems along with their proofs (which are often superfluous). The sections can also branch off into subjects that were learned in the previous part of the book or go into detail or go into things that are brought out only at the end. If you plan on using the practice problems in this book, I would recommend you also get the student solution manual, it is the only way to do the more challenging word problems in the exercises.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Much, Yet Too Little
Review: (review of 4th ed.) I have used this gargantuan book for three semesters now. This book is proof that quality does not equal quantity (1100+ pages). The book has lots of pictures, which I suppose is why it is so big. How do color photographs of nature scenes aid one's understanding of calculus? Answer: they don't...period.Yet for such a large book, coverage is quite sparse. The coverage starts with a slow introduction to functions, which I suppose is good for high-school students or students who lack the most basic mathematical background, but not for typical college students. Very little of the coverage has any depth, and too many proofs are 'outside the scope of this book'. By the time Stewart gets to vector calculus (covered in a single chapter), the coverage has become pure cookbook. For instance, divergence and curl are given as formulas, with no real discussion of their significance. Also, the book is organized very strangely. For instance, parametric equations and parametric surfaces are discussed in separate chapters. Even worse, the relationships between parametric curves, scalar fields and vector fields (the three types of multivariable functions) are never discussed. Perhaps it was just hard for me to see the relationships because they were on opposite sides of an 1100-page phonebook! Suggestion to Mr. Stewart: If you feel your book really needs to be so long winded, at least break the book into two or three volumes. Carrying my books to class shouldn't feel like boot camp!!! My friends think I'm carrying bricks in my backpack!!! And to the students: if you have a choice in the matter, consider either Apostol's "Calculus" or Spivak's "Calculus". If you are really adventurous, try Courant or maybe even Rudin. Also, for a pretty-good intro to vector calculus, check out Schey's "Div, Grad, Curl".
Rating: 
Summary: Worth the Cash
Review: Absolutely my favorite math book. It's extremely instructional, with helpful examples and useful problem sets. It also makes an excellent reference, with key points clearly identified so that they can be easily found on the second, third, fourth or nth reading. I'm happy I bought this one.
Rating:
Summary: The author and publisher is clear indication of low quality.
Review: Any Calculus Textbook from James Stewart is low quality. This book will teach you nothing. It will just confuse you more.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent college calculus text
Review: Contrary to what some reviewers have written, I feel that Stewart's Calculus book is easily the best textbook I have encountered so far in college. In my opinion, the best indication of a textbook's worth is having to learn the material solely through the text, instead in addition to a lecturer; this book passed that test with flying colors. Of course I had calculus lecturers, but every one of them was horrible. For Calc I (single variable), the professor spoke in a thick Russian accent; in Calc II (advanced integration/series, sequences), the professor was simply inadequate and didn't know how to explain anything; in Calc III (multivariable), the professor was a crazy Polish guy bent on teaching us calculus using his own weird linear algebra/advanced math methods (you'd think Berkeley might assign some better math professors...). In every case, I ended up shunning the lectures and learning everything straight from Stewart. Every chapter was teeming with great example problems, and wasn't saturated with unnecessary proofs (read the Principia or other advanced books if you're interested in that sort of thing). Perhaps the homework problems weren't always as challenging as other books, but I'd rather understand the problems than sit around staring an unsolvable puzzle for 3 hours. Again I say, best college text I've had so far. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent college calculus text
Review: Contrary to what some reviewers have written, I feel that Stewart's Calculus book is easily the best textbook I have encountered so far in college. In my opinion, the best indication of a textbook's worth is having to learn the material solely through the text, instead in addition to a lecturer; this book passed that test with flying colors. Of course I had calculus lecturers, but every one of them was horrible. For Calc I (single variable), the professor spoke in a thick Russian accent; in Calc II (advanced integration/series, sequences), the professor was simply inadequate and didn't know how to explain anything; in Calc III (multivariable), the professor was a crazy Polish guy bent on teaching us calculus using his own weird linear algebra/advanced math methods (you'd think Berkeley might assign some better math professors...). In every case, I ended up shunning the lectures and learning everything straight from Stewart. Every chapter was teeming with great example problems, and wasn't saturated with unnecessary proofs (read the Principia or other advanced books if you're interested in that sort of thing). Perhaps the homework problems weren't always as challenging as other books, but I'd rather understand the problems than sit around staring an unsolvable puzzle for 3 hours. Again I say, best college text I've had so far. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Epitomy of Excellence
Review: I always have learned math only through self-study. For some reason, I always grasped the material more throughly and quickly this way rather than being placed in a classroom setting. When I started my self-study of Calculus, I chose this book not because of its reputation or previous knowledge about it, but only because it was the only book I had at the time (My brother used it in college - I was a High school freshman at the time). I now feel that I got really lucky, because this book is perhaps the epitomy of what a math book should be. The material is presented visually and mathematically, with emphasis on the latter. Its formal approach to the subject only ultimately enhanced my understanding of Calculus. Its paced differently than most High School AP Calculus courses, and it works out for the better. The problems presented are very challenging, which works to your benefit. If you like math and can follow it , get this book.
Rating: 
Summary: An OK Text
Review: I am a freshman currently taking 2nd quarter calculus in college right now, so I did not use this book for 1st quarter (I'm an AP scholar). So far, the book seems fairly straightforward in its explanations and reasoning. I find the book quite helpful in teaching me many calculus topics, although another might not think so. The explanations can be wordy, but I typically ignore them.
Rating:
Summary: Bewildered
Review: I am amazed that this book has any positive reviews. They must be planted here by the author or by theory-oriented professors. I used this book as a student and I think it is dreadful. All of my classmates agree with me. The book talks to teachers, but not to students.
Rating:
Summary: Not Great
Review: I am using the book for my multivariable calculus class. Five examples -- vaguely related to the exercises -- are not enough to learn the material. This book is good as a reference, once you have already learned the material. However, attempting to independently learn topics is very difficult. While the solutions to the examples are thorough, they do not explain the reasoning in choosing a particular approach. It leaves the reader thinking... "I know how to do the example, but I surely don't know how to approach this exercise." More thorough explanations of technique rather than pure examples would be very helpful.
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