How to Ace the Rest of Calculus: The Streetwise Guide: Including Multi-Variable Calculus

Rating:
Summary: Quite easygoing
Review: After reading the first couple of pages, I found the book to be quite relaxing and easy-going. The humor involved lightened the load of the book; rather than an all-serious text on upper-division (but not advanced) calculus.

This book has proofs for most theorems, however, there are no practice exercises (excluding the examples worked out in the book) for a student to work on, but it is an excellent complement to multivariable calculus. The plethora of pictures and illustrations offer a tremendous amount of visual help as well.

Rating:
Summary: No Colostomies Here!
Review: I purchased both of the How to Ace Calculus books: "How to Ace Calculus : The Streetwise Guide," and "How to Ace the Rest of Calculus: The Streetwise Guide: Including Multi-Variable Calculus."

Here in Boston, I went to several large bookstores and checked out all the "Calc Help" books. The "How to Ace" books are infinitely superior to the others. As a matter of fact, it is a whole separate species of book. The authors have an unusual ability to explain in a style that is crystal clear, and they make the subject a lot more hospitable with their wonderful sense of humor.

Most math texts are written by Ph.D. mathematicians who have absolutely no empathy or insight into the difficulties that non-math majors like myself encounter when setting out to learn subjects such as calculus. As a result, their textbooks are about as pleasant as viewing the aperture of a colostomy.

I just hope that the authors bless mankind with future titles, such as "How to Ace Differential Equations" and "How to Ace Linear Algebra." If they are so kind as to do so, I can assure you that the world will be a better place to live.

Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: If the prospect of doing math strikes terror into the hearts of students, then calculus can be considered the five hundred pound vampire. Many students shudder when told that they must take it, and some will change their major before even attempting a calculus class. Others consider you a genius for having mastered a two semester calculus sequence. All of this mystique-like treatment of calculus is pure hokum. Most people who possess an analytical mind can master calculus, it is just necessary to show them the proper way to think about it. This book covers the material commonly found in the third semester of calculus: polar coordinates, indeterminate forms, vectors, parametric equations, equations in several variables, partial derivatives, and multiple integrals.
Written in a lively style with groaner style jokes throughout, the authors manage to teach calculus between the quips. Many of the jokes are of the form "Hey, whatever ____ your ____." Examples are "Hey, whatever dunks your donuts" and "Hey, whatever tickles your troglodyte." While many of the problems are standard textbook fare for this material, there are some that are suitably different to raise the eyebrows of students and teachers alike. Written with an embedded joke, once translated, these problems become a basic problem in calculus similar to those appearing in traditional textbooks. Those in this book are far more enjoyable to read and bring a smile to your face.
Legend has it that even large vampires can be destroyed with the proper equipment. In this case, the value of the book is a proven fact and is much easier to use than the proverbial wooden stake.

Rating:
Summary: umm... what can i say
Review: Over the course of my college career I have purchased many supplemental books to accompany my textbooks . I have found that many of these books are just as wordy as the textbooks and merely re-state the material in the text. They rarely give any new insight on the material and hardly ever make bells go off or make me think "ohhhh, that's what that meant!"

This book is not like the rest. Every concept is clearly explained and accompanied by humorous, clear examples. The real life examples help you see why we study such things as Calculus and how the relate to everyday life. They use an arrow frozen in time to explain vectors, mountain climbers as an explanation for partial derivatives, and many other examples that help you "see" the problem.

The worked out examples are easy to understand so that you can get an idea of how a problem should be looked at and worked out. These examples help you understand the basics so that you can graduate to more complicated problems.

There are not any extra problems to work out on your own but after reading this book you don't need to! If you're worried about extra practice, read this first, then work out problems in your text that provide answers in the back of the book.

It was good enough to make me right a review which I have never done in the past. I am looking forward to any other books in the "Ace" series maybe........physics, physical chemistry....

Buy the first book "How to Ace Calculus: The Streetwise Guide" to complete the set; you won't be sorry that you did.

THANK YOU!!!!

Rating:
Summary: doesn't really cover much
Review: The first book in the series helped me get down the basics of calculus. This second book does a decent job too but only covers 1/2 of the topics we are covering in lecture.

Rating:
Summary: This book saved my GPA
Review: This book has been more help to me than my Calculus textbook, and has made tricky concepts easy to understand. After getting a 51 & a 57 on my first Calculus II exams, I got desperate and purchased this book, as well as its prequel, "How To Ace Calculus." I read through both books all the way up to where I was in the course and had a revelation, Calculus finally made sense to me! I did extremely well on the next two exams and got the second best grade in the class on the final, ending up with a B in the course. Not too bad after getting a warning from the department in the middle of the semester, and it's all thanks to this book. It is an easy read, with very concise explanations and a dose of humor for good measure.

Rating:
Summary: This book saved my GPA
Review: This book has been more help to me than my Calculus textbook, and has made tricky concepts easy to understand. After getting a 51 & a 57 on my first Calculus II exams, I got desperate and purchased this book, as well as its prequel, "How To Ace Calculus." I read through both books all the way up to where I was in the course and had a revelation, Calculus finally made sense to me! I did extremely well on the next two exams and got the second best grade in the class on the final, ending up with a B in the course. Not too bad after getting a warning from the department in the middle of the semester, and it's all thanks to this book. It is an easy read, with very concise explanations and a dose of humor for good measure.

Rating:
Summary: doesn't really cover much
Review: This book is not a substitute for a textbook. By itself it seems like the explanations are too simple. This book comes in vary handy when I combine it with my class.
Calculus II gets in to some very abstract concepts, and our instructor presents the material in very abstract terms - what I mean is while I am listening I am thinking that I would really enjoy this class if I was going for my masters in mathematics, but for right now, I am not grasping what is said. Our text explains everything in huge steps leaving wide gaps in the instruction. When I leave class I can turn to this book "How to Ace the Rest of Calculus" to break everything down to my level. I can get hold of the basic meaning and concepts of what is taught, and then I have a foundation to build on.
If you are in Calculus II or III, and you go through the motions doing your homework without really knowing what is going on, this book can help. The book is easy to read, and I find it is best used right after you were taught the material.
I find if I have a good foundation on the material in a way I understand, it is much easier to remember the concepts and apply the formulas. I study hard, but with the help of this book I am not left clueless at test time.

Rating:
Summary: Not exactly 'streetwise', but definitely worth every penny
Review: This is an excellent book for learning calculus 3. I read one chapter on partial derivatives in this book at ths store, and I instantly understood them after trying to learn them for a month. I knew this book was for me.

I've read through 2/3 of the book as of now, and it is superbly written. It's actually pretty humorous at times (and not with esoterically lame math jokes).

I recommend it for anyone taking calc 3 or anyone who wants to learn it.