This third edition in the highly respected Swokowski/Cole precalculus series retains the elements that have made it so popular with instructors and students alike: its exposition is clear, the time-tested exercise sets feature a variety of applications, its uncluttered layout is appealing, and the difficulty level of problems is appropriate and consistent.
Rigorous and well done, March 17, 2004
Reviewer: A reader
This book provides excellent coverage of every topic that should be covered in the precalculus curriculum. Despite some negative reviews by precalc. students, if you are not ready to handle the material in this book, you are not going to be ready to pass calculus. There are other so-called precalculus books out there that are watered down, that don't cover as many topics, and that have much easier homework -- as a calculus instructor, I can promise you that these books will not teach you what you need to know to pass calculus. A student who complains that the book "makes you think for yourself" doesn't realize that that is exactly what the book is supposed to do. The real difficulty these students are experiencing is that there is too much material to be covered in precalculus to finish in a single semester. If your school is making you finish this 800-some page book in a single semester, the difficulties you are experiencing are due to the speed with which the material is covered, not the book.
Rigorous and well done, March 17, 2004
Reviewer: A reader
This book provides excellent coverage of every topic that should be covered in the precalculus curriculum. Despite some negative reviews by precalc. students, if you are not ready to handle the material in this book, you are not going to be ready to pass calculus. There are other so-called precalculus books out there that are watered down, that don't cover as many topics, and that have much easier homework -- as a calculus instructor, I can promise you that these books will not teach you what you need to know to pass calculus. A student who complains that the book "makes you think for yourself" doesn't realize that that is exactly what the book is supposed to do. The real difficulty these students are experiencing is that there is too much material to be covered in precalculus to finish in a single semester. If your school is making you finish this 800-some page book in a single semester, the difficulties you are experiencing are due to the speed with which the material is covered, not the book.
