Mathematics Books

Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss

Danica McKellar

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hudson Street Press Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $14.96

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Science, Nature & How It Works -> Math -> Algebra
Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> General
Subjects -> Teens -> Science & Technology -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

From the author of the runaway bestseller Math Doesn’t Suck, the next step in the math curriculum-- pre-Algebra.

Last year, actress and math genius Danica McKellar made waves nationwide, challenging the “math nerd” stereotype—and giving girls the tools to ace tests and homework in her unique just-us-girls style. Now, in Kiss My Math, McKellar empowers a new crop of girls—7th to 9th graders—taking on the next level of mathematics: pre-Algebra.

Stepping up not only the math, but also the sass and style, Kiss My Math will help math-phobic teenagers everywhere chill out about math, and finally “get” negative numbers, variables, absolute values, exponents, and more. Each chapter features:

• Step-by-step instruction
• Time-saving tips and tricks
• Illuminating practice problems with detailed solutions
• Real-world examples
• True stories from Danica’s own life as a student and actress

Kiss My Math also includes more fun extras--including personality quizzes, reader polls, and real-life testimonials-- ultimately revealing why pre-Algebra is easier, more relevant, and more glamorous than girls think.

Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner

Amazon Price: $18.45 List Price: $27.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: William Morrow Amazon Marketplace: 136 new & used starting at $13.24

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics -> Econometrics
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Popular Economics -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1559 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Economics is not widely considered to be one of the sexier sciences. The annual Nobel Prize winner in that field never receives as much publicity as his or her compatriots in peace, literature, or physics. But if such slights are based on the notion that economics is dull, or that economists are concerned only with finance itself, Steven D. Levitt will change some minds. In Freakonomics (written with Stephen J. Dubner), Levitt argues that many apparent mysteries of everyday life don't need to be so mysterious: they could be illuminated and made even more fascinating by asking the right questions and drawing connections. For example, Levitt traces the drop in violent crime rates to a drop in violent criminals and, digging further, to the Roe v. Wade decision that preempted the existence of some people who would be born to poverty and hardship. Elsewhere, by analyzing data gathered from inner-city Chicago drug-dealing gangs, Levitt outlines a corporate structure much like McDonald's, where the top bosses make great money while scores of underlings make something below minimum wage. And in a section that may alarm or relieve worried parents, Levitt argues that parenting methods don't really matter much and that a backyard swimming pool is much more dangerous than a gun. These enlightening chapters are separated by effusive passages from Dubner's 2003 profile of Levitt in The New York Times Magazine, which led to the book being written. In a book filled with bold logic, such back-patting veers Freakonomics, however briefly, away from what Levitt actually has to say. Although maybe there's a good economic reason for that too, and we're just not getting it yet. --John Moe

Calculus (With Analytic Geometry)(8th edition)

Ron Larson, Robert P. Hostetler, Bruce H. Edwards

Amazon Price: $137.87 List Price: $198.95 Usually ships in 10 to 13 days By: Brooks Cole Amazon Marketplace: 69 new & used starting at $110.00

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Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> Pure Mathematics -> Calculus

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Designed for the three-semester calculus course for math and science majors, Calculus continues to offer instructors and students new and innovative teaching and learning resources. This was the first calculus text to use computer-generated graphics, to include exercises involving the use of computers and graphing calculators, to be available in an interactive CD-ROM format, to be offered as a complete, online calculus course, and to offer a two-semester Calculus I with Precalculus text. Every edition of the series has made the mastery of traditional calculus skills a priority, while embracing the best features of new technology and, when appropriate, calculus reform ideas. Now, the Eighth Edition is the first calculus program to offer algorithmic homework and testing created in Maple so that answers can be evaluated with complete mathematical accuracy. Two primary objectives guided the authors in writing this book: to develop precise, readable materials for students that clearly define and demonstrate concepts and rules of calculus and to design comprehensive teaching resources for instructors that employ proven pedagogical techniques and saves the instructor time. The Eighth Edition continues to provide an evolving range of conceptual, technological, and creative tools that enable instructors to teach the way they want to teach and students to learn they way they learn best.

Calculus (Stewart's Calculus Series)

James Stewart

Amazon Price: $137.17 List Price: $197.95 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Brooks Cole Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $137.17

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Subjects -> Science -> General
Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> Pure Mathematics -> Calculus
Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 156 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Horrible for the first-time Calculus student 1 out of 5 stars.
8 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I am a college Calculus instructor, and I find this book terrible for many reasons. For students looking for a solid but much more inviting introduction to Calculus, I highly recommend Larson's book over Stewart's.

Here is a point-by-point breakdown of the faults I find in Stewart's text:

Clarity of Explanation and Content Level

Stewart's explanations are often verbose, unclear, and written at a
level too high for the average Calculus student. Several of my students
have told me reading the book only confused them and did not
clarify the concepts. An introductory text should offer simpler, clearer, and more concise explanations more appropriate to the typical Calculus student.

Presentation

In this day and age, students expect visually engaging presentations that will hold their attention. Stewart's presentations are drab and uninteresting. His book is everywhere packed with dense plain text and
formulas, giving the impression that Calculus is hard, dull, and very
complex, further intimidating students who are already scared of the
subject. Students are much more likely to carefully read a text that is
visually appealing and makes Calculus seem interesting and less
intimidating. This will also help reduce their anxiety over what many
already consider a very difficult course.


Readability

Another important aspect of presentation is layout and readability. Here
Stewart's text is again dismal: His pages are overstuffed with text and
graphics throughout the book, making it difficult to reference a
theorem, particular type of example, etc. It is hard to see where one
example or proof ends and another begins. The average student is not
going to read the entire contents of a section in full detail, but will
rather reference the topics s/he is having trouble with, in order to get
the details on a theorem or to find an example problem to help with a
homework exercise. This is very difficult to do in Stewart's text due to
the crowded and confusing layout.

Homework Exercises

Stewart's text is again particularly poor in terms of his homework sets in that he tends to offer a few low-level problems and then suddenly jump into extraordinarily difficult problems with no warning or transition. Stewart also tends to couch exceedingly difficult problems between a series of relatively straightforward ones, again without warning, which is very frustrating for students who find themselves struggling over what they think is an easy problem.

All in all, I strongly advise against this text, and would urge other Calculus instructors and mathematics departments to choose another Calculus book for their classes.

Editorial Review:

Success in your calculus course starts here! James Stewart's CALCULUS texts are world-wide best-sellers for a reason: they are clear, accurate, and filled with relevant, real-world examples. With CALCULUS, Sixth Edition, Stewart conveys not only the utility of calculus to help you develop technical competence, but also gives you an appreciation for the intrinsic beauty of the subject. His patient examples and built-in learning aids will help you build your mathematical confidence and achieve your goals in the course!

The Basic Practice of Statistics w/CD-ROM

David S. Moore

Amazon Price: $85.05 Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks By: W. H. Freeman Amazon Marketplace: 158 new & used starting at $57.88

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics -> Statistics
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Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Key Points 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I notice that most of the reviews for Moore's THE BASIC PRACTICE OF STATISTICS have been written by students. I found these reviews insightful to read. My students (like the ones who composed the reviews) are not math majors and do NOT want to enroll in a statistics course.

Being sensitive to that fact, I spent a great deal of time selecting a statistic text. I had several concerns which directed me toward adopting Moore's text:

1. Oftentimes, one can find typos in textbooks. This isn't a major problem, but if there is a typo in a formula, the problems for students are enormous! If the professor is from the math or statistics department, he/she can quickly catch the error and explain it to the students. If the professor is from the social sciences, he/she is less likely to catch the error. I've actually found errors in statistics textbooks. These critical errors usually can be found in books which are written by social scientists (someone like me). Thus, I've concluded that stat books written by statisticians are less apt to have typos than stat books written by social scientists. Moore is a statistician with a considerable reputation.

2. I needed a book with excellent graphic illustrations. A good graphic will help a student understand a complex statistical concept better than the written word. Moore's text is filled with great graphics that explain complex concepts. Page 347 is a great example and has produced an epiphany for several students.

3. I needed an introductory book that included information on control charts. Moore offers this. Frankly, I haven't found another intro stat book that does this.

I've reviewed a large number of statistic textbooks. In my estimation, Moore offers the best book for non math majors.

For more reading about the use of THE BASIC PRACTICE OF STATISTICS, check out volume 27 issues 3-4, 2007, pages 199-213 of THE JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN SOCIAL WORK.

Editorial Review:

In the #1 bestselling brief text, The Basic Practice of Statistics (BPS), Moore brings the data analysis approach to the one-term course, with an accessible, fun style that helps students with limited mathematical backgrounds utilize the same tools, techniques, and interpretive skills working statisticians rely on everyday.

This extraordinary new edition of Moore's classic offers a number of innovations, including briefer chapters, a new problem-solving process, a wealth of new exercises, and new all-in-one place StatsPortal, with all the electronic tools instructors and students need.

Calculus: Early Transcendentals (Stewart's Calculus Series)

James Stewart

Amazon Price: $137.17 List Price: $197.95 Usually ships in 1 to 2 weeks By: Brooks Cole Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $99.00

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Subjects -> Science -> General
Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> Pure Mathematics -> Calculus
Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 62 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Horrible for the first-time Calculus student 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I am a college Calculus instructor, and I find this book terrible for many reasons. For students looking for a solid but much more inviting introduction to Calculus, I highly recommend Larson's book over Stewart's.

Here is a point-by-point breakdown of the faults I find in Stewart's text:

Clarity of Explanation and Content Level

Stewart's explanations are often verbose, unclear, and written at a
level too high for the average Calculus student. Several of my students
have told me reading the book only confused them and did not
clarify the concepts. An introductory text should offer simpler, clearer, and more concise explanations more appropriate to the typical Calculus student.

Presentation

In this day and age, students expect visually engaging presentations that will hold their attention. Stewart's presentations are drab and uninteresting. His book is everywhere packed with dense plain text and
formulas, giving the impression that Calculus is hard, dull, and very
complex, further intimidating students who are already scared of the
subject. Students are much more likely to carefully read a text that is
visually appealing and makes Calculus seem interesting and less
intimidating. This will also help reduce their anxiety over what many
already consider a very difficult course.


Readability

Another important aspect of presentation is layout and readability. Here
Stewart's text is again dismal: His pages are overstuffed with text and
graphics throughout the book, making it difficult to reference a
theorem, particular type of example, etc. It is hard to see where one
example or proof ends and another begins. The average student is not
going to read the entire contents of a section in full detail, but will
rather reference the topics s/he is having trouble with, in order to get
the details on a theorem or to find an example problem to help with a
homework exercise. This is very difficult to do in Stewart's text due to
the crowded and confusing layout.

Homework Exercises

Stewart's text is again particularly poor in terms of his homework sets in that he tends to offer a few low-level problems and then suddenly jump into extraordinarily difficult problems with no warning or transition. Stewart also tends to couch exceedingly difficult problems between a series of relatively straightforward ones, again without warning, which is very frustrating for students who find themselves struggling over what they think is an easy problem.

All in all, I strongly advise against this text, and would urge other Calculus instructors and mathematics departments to choose another Calculus book for their classes.

Editorial Review:

Success in your calculus course starts here! James Stewart's CALCULUS texts are world-wide best-sellers for a reason: they are clear, accurate, and filled with relevant, real-world examples. With CALCULUS: EARLY TRANCENDENTALS, Sixth Edition, Stewart conveys not only the utility of calculus to help you develop technical competence, but also gives you an appreciation for the intrinsic beauty of the subject. His patient examples and built-in learning aids will help you build your mathematical confidence and achieve your goals in the course!

The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives

Leonard Mlodinow

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Pantheon Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $11.99

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Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Amazon Guest Review: Stephen Hawking
Published in 1988, Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time became perhaps one of the unlikeliest bestsellers in history: a not-so-dumbed-down exploration of physics and the universe that occupied the London Sunday Times bestseller list for 237 weeks. Later successes include 1995's A Briefer History of Time, The Universe in a Nutshell, and God Created the Integers: The Mathematical Breakthroughs that Changed History. Stephen Hawking is Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.

In The Drunkard's Walk Leonard Mlodinow provides readers with a wonderfully readable guide to how the mathematical laws of randomness affect our lives. With insight he shows how the hallmarks of chance are apparent in the course of events all around us. The understanding of randomness has brought about profound changes in the way we view our surroundings, and our universe. I am pleased that Leonard has skillfully explained this important branch of mathematics. --Stephen Hawking

---

Linear Algebra and Its Applications, Third Updated Edition

David C. Lay

Amazon Price: $95.16 List Price: $137.33 Usually ships in 1 to 2 weeks By: Addison Wesley Amazon Marketplace: 129 new & used starting at $78.33

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Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> Pure Mathematics -> Algebra -> General
Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> Pure Mathematics -> Algebra -> Linear

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Pretty bad 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book starts out well, but eventually the chapters are too short and don't go far enough in depth on the more advanced topics. This book isn't ideal for any sort of self-study, as it does not contain enough information to thoroughly educate the reader on many of the subjects without some supplementary instruction. Also does not go into any detail on using Mat Lab or any other form of programming to solve linear algebra, which is somewhat essential nowadays. Wouldn't recommend.

Editorial Review:

Linear algebra is relatively easy for students during the early stages of the course, when the material is presented in a familiar, concrete setting. But when abstract concepts are introduced, students often hit a brick wall. Instructors seem to agree that certain concepts (such as linear independence, spanning, subspace, vector space, and linear transformations), are not easily understood, and require time to assimilate. Since they are fundamental to the study of linear algebra, students' understanding of these concepts is vital to their mastery of the subject. Lay introduces these concepts early in a familiar, concrete Rn setting, develops them gradually, and returns to them again and again throughout the text so that when discussed in the abstract, these concepts are more accessible.

Elementary Statistics With Multimedia Study Guide (10th Edition) (MyStatLab Series)

Mario F. Triola

Amazon Price: $92.39 List Price: $133.33 By: Addison Wesley Amazon Marketplace: 66 new & used starting at $91.98

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Subjects -> Science -> General
Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> General
Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> Applied -> Probability & Statistics

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Wonderful Textbook 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I had to take Statistics as part of my degree cirriculum. On top of that, I was taking this class distance learning style; no classroom teacher, no nothing. So I was really depending on this book to explain the concepts and formulas in an easy way that I could understand. Luckily, the book did just that.

It is VERY well written and I believe anyone could learn Stats just by using this book, as I did. It also comes with a bunch of CDs that contain study guides, answer sheets, and software programs that makes Stats a snap.

If you take a Stats class, or just want to learn Stats on your own, this is the book to get!

Editorial Review:

Addison-Wesley is proud to celebrate the Tenth Edition of Elementary Statistics. This text is highly regarded because of its engaging and understandable introduction to statistics. The author's commitment to providing student-friendly guidance through the material and giving students opportunities to apply their newly learned skills in a real-world context has made Elementary Statistics the #1 best-seller in the market.

Students learning from Elementary Statistics should have completed an elementary algebra course. Although formulas and formal procedures can be found throughout the text, the emphasis is on development of statistical literacy and critical thinking.

College Algebra (4th Edition)

Robert F. Blitzer

Amazon Price: $107.73 List Price: $134.67 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Prentice Hall Amazon Marketplace: 202 new & used starting at $79.91

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Subjects -> Science -> Mathematics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Best review and ramp up to algebra seen 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Very much liked the review of the prerequisite math rules needed to make progress with algebra. Good examples, good practice problems.

A math book with a sense of humor 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

If you take the time to read the book it is engaging and sometimes funny. The author explains the math very well using real-world situtations. The application problems are great for bringing the concepts home.

Great 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Received via UPS in couple of days. Book was in perfect condition. Couldn't believe it was used. Saved lots of money.

very good text 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2MLUH1X1KFVA2 This is one of the better textbooks I have
on the subject. One will have to put the
time in but the book does a
good job explaining concepts.
If I may suggest something that
has helped my studies greatly, a little book called
Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen!: How to
Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can
Be Read to You!. I know that many students out
there are like me and would rather listen to
material than have to read it themselves. I use
programs like the one that is reading this review
to have my texts read to me. This is a god send
for me. One can get this title on amazon.

Editorial Review:

<>Gets Them Engaged. Keeps Them Engaged

Blitzer's philosophy: present the full scope of mathematics, while always (1) engaging the student by opening their minds to learning (2) keeping the student engaged on every page (3) explaining ideas directly, simply, and clearly so they don't get "lost" when studying and reviewing.