Functions Modeling Change : A Preparation for Calculus

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Guide to Calculus
Review: As a student of one of the books contributing authors, I was able to gain a unique perspective into the material itself. The text was very informative and easy to understand. The real world applications (yams, fruit, the Quabbin Reservoir, etc.) added to the book, but by no means detracted from the overflowing content. I highly recommend this book as a guide to anyone studying calculus.

Rating:
Summary: Great for understanding functions
Review: Great book! It is especially good for understanding what different functions do, and how. This is very important for understanding calculus. Great examples, always linking functions with things in real life.

Rating:
Summary: I like it
Review: I like pictures of people on bikes. It makes me feel better because riding mountain bikes is fun. So when I work on functions, I feel happier.

Rating:
Summary: Worst Book Ever!
Review: I use this book as a college text book for pre-Calculus. I'm sure if you could understand it, it might be good for calculus. I didn't understand it at all. I went from an A the college math calss previous to this to a C. I work very hard to understand this book (20 hrs. a week). I even went to tutors in my college and they have trouble understanding the book. They say that it takes trivial aspects from algebra and puts a major focus on them. It goes from one topic to another as you do each problem.

Rating:
Summary: Frustrating book
Review: The first half of this text seems be be a bit simple. Many of the problems are confusing at best. The authors are not very clear on what they want. Many students in my class were frustrated by this time and time again. Still other times the questions were way to easy and never really chalanged the students. Basicly the first half does not provied a good solid base for Calculus. The second half is just flat out poorly written. It leaves the students constently scraching their heads wondering what the authors want. Questions are asked in such a way as to not make sence or not to follow the chapters very well. Chapt 7 is very much like this. Bad. The faculty agrees by having to put out an additional book of their own to help provide a better understanding of Trig.
Over all this book needs to be re-thought out. A poor choise for instructors wanting their students to get a solid base so as to takle more advaced math classes.

Rating:
Summary: Frustrating book
Review: The first half of this text seems be be a bit simple. Many of the problems are confusing at best. The authors are not very clear on what they want. Many students in my class were frustrated by this time and time again. Still other times the questions were way to easy and never really chalanged the students. Basicly the first half does not provied a good solid base for Calculus. The second half is just flat out poorly written. It leaves the students constently scraching their heads wondering what the authors want. Questions are asked in such a way as to not make sence or not to follow the chapters very well. Chapt 7 is very much like this. Bad. The faculty agrees by having to put out an additional book of their own to help provide a better understanding of Trig.
Over all this book needs to be re-thought out. A poor choise for instructors wanting their students to get a solid base so as to takle more advaced math classes.

Rating:
Summary: Honestly
Review: This textbook is excellent and well-written. Such examples as the ones involving the Quabbin Reservoir brought a realistic approach to the problems into the learning experience. Perhaps I am biased, since the course for which I used the book was taught by one of the authors (Andrew Pasquale), however, I feel that the book itself was invaluable. Two years later and now a college student, I still have distinct memories of the particular problems within the book and the knowledge acquired from the course. I strongly encourage the purchase and usage of this book in a Calculus curriculum.