Rating: 
Summary: Chock Full of Delicious Proofs
Review: ...and nothing else. Formal proofs are helpful; indeed, they are a key to mathematics... but without "dulled-down" explanations and gentle prompting, it is difficult to learn from.A better reference to proofs than an instructional text.
Rating: 
Summary: I can't stand discrete!
Review: ...that shouldn't reflect badly on this book though. While I think discrete sucks, I think this book does a good job for the discrete courses I did. I think the examples are good & helpful with doing the problems, and the problems range from easy verifications of theorems or mechanical computations to trickier problems or proofs of theorems. This book was pretty good, IMO. (for a discrete text anyway)
Rating:
Summary: I can't stand discrete!
Review: ...that shouldn't reflect badly on this book though. While I think discrete sucks, I think this book does a good job for the discrete courses I did. I think the examples are good & helpful with doing the problems, and the problems range from easy verifications of theorems or mechanical computations to trickier problems or proofs of theorems. This book was pretty good, IMO. (for a discrete text anyway)
Rating: 
Summary: The best Discrete Mathematics in the World !! (******)
Review: clear, easy to understand, many examples, many histories, from easy to difficult topics, good paper and printing, and is very suitable for CS people I give the book 6 stars (******).
Rating:
Summary: Not an easy read.
Review: Difficult to read. Take this book in small doses. Many examples are not descriptive enough and often leave the reading hanging.
Rating:
Summary: A very clear and thorough introduction to the subject.
Review: Dr. Grimaldi has written an easily understandable, yet
remarkably thorough, introduction to discrete and
combinatorial mathematics. In this book the reader will find
topics ranging from methods of counting, to logic, to basic
combinational digital electronics, to graph theory. Dr. Grimaldi believes in using lots of examples and applications to illustrate topics that otherwise would be very, very dull.
As a footnote, I must admit that I studied this material for
a year under Dr. Grimaldi, as an undergraduate at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Rating:
Summary: A math book that's actually understandable
Review: Finally! A math book which is acutally well written, has enough examples to illustrate key concepts, and has enough problems to keep the math student busy. Discrete mathematics is a fairly involved subject and books on the topic range from relatively basic to extremely difficult treatises which only a PhD or a math professor could understand. Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics : An Applied Introduction by Ralph Grimaldi is a book which will appeal to both sides of the spectrum. The book is written so that most undergraduate students will have little difficulty understanding, but graduate students will also find it indispensable as a reference. The illustrated examples are actually relevant to the homework problems, which is often missing in mathematical texts. Finally, the book does not try to overwhelm the reader with lofty proofs or stilted language. Each chapter builds on the previous subjects learned. That's all I can ask for in a math text. I like the coverage of combinatorics in the first chapter, which does a better job than many probability textbooks. And be sure to understand Euclid's theroem and the examples given in the book. Quite a few high-tech companies will ask you about the problem Grimaldi gives as an example of Euclid's theorem in their job interviews.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent introductory discrete math text
Review: Grimaldi has produced a wonderful book. All the important topics in discrete math are explored, with many applications to computer science, the main client field of discrete math. The text is well balanced between theory and application. Especially nice is the introduction to modern algebra, with applications to coding theory. I highly recommend this text to anyone wishing to explore discrete mathematics. A good understanding of the concepts presented by Grimaldi will prepare the reader for more advanced work in discrete math (Aigner), computer science (Knuth), or theory of computation (Sipser).
Rating:
Summary: Excellent introductory discrete math text
Review: Grimaldi has produced a wonderful book. All the important topics in discrete math are explored, with many applications to computer science, the main client field of discrete math. The text is well balanced between theory and application. Especially nice is the introduction to modern algebra, with applications to coding theory. I highly recommend this text to anyone wishing to explore discrete mathematics. A good understanding of the concepts presented by Grimaldi will prepare the reader for more advanced work in discrete math (Aigner), computer science (Knuth), or theory of computation (Sipser).
Rating:
Summary: A classic introduction to discrete and combinatorial math
Review: Grimaldi surveys the world of discrete math and combinatorics in his book, which is suitable for a full-year college course in the subject. The book is chock full of examples and proofs, although explanations would sometimes be more effective if less terse and more conversational. Grimaldi's book focuses on the practical, focusing on elements of discrete and combinatorial math that are used in engineering, science, and computer science. For example, the book teaches about finite state machines and graph theory; I've made good use of both subjects in my work in the software industry. Disclaimer: I, too, am a former student of Grimaldi's.
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