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Exceptionally accessible and user-friendly, this introduction to precalculus features an abundance of interesting real-world applications that relate to readers' everyday lives. Filled with scenarios, examples, study tips, exercises, etc., it takes the intimidation out of learning precalculus, and gets readers up to speed quickly and painlessly. Prerequisites: Fundamental Concepts of Algebra. Equations, Inequalities, and Mathematical Models. Functions and Graphs. Polynomial and Rational Functions. Exponential and Logarithmic Functions. Trigonometric Functions. Analytic Trigonometry. Additional Topics in Trigonometry. Systems of Equations and Inequalities. Matrices and Determinants. Conic Sections. Sequences, Induction, and Probability. For anyone wanting a user-friendly introduction to precalculus.
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By Lunch Lady (new york)
The product was perfect. The price was comparable. the only thing that needs to be improved is shipping time. It took at least 10 days from ordering until shipping. When waiting for a college textbook--that's a long time. We had to go and buy another one from the college book store and then hurry up and return it. Books ordered from e-bay on the same day arrived at least 7-10 days earlier.
By lessthanpi (Midwest)
Overall a solid Precalculus text. Hits the important highlights but occasionally gets bogged down in "real world" examples that are grossly oversimplified. Good choice of problems, good end of chapter outlines.
The downside, however, is that the only thing that ever changes in the new editions is the price. I've got the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th edition sitting on my desk in front of me and they are virtually identical. Many of the sections are nearly verbatim in each edition. The only thing that seems to change is the pictures, and even some of those have been reused for the 4th edition. There's just no new added content to be found.
By Keasbey Nights
Bob Blitzer has done a wonderful job of compiling a precalculus textbook that can teach a course better than many professors.
The first thing that struck me about this book was the casual tone. Blitzer writes as if he were a friend explaining a concept. He is not afraid to show helpful acronyms or pneumonic devices (ASTC - all students take calculus - to help remember which trig functinos were positive in which quadrants), and he often gives hints in the margin that clear things up or elucidate certain mathematical concepts. I know that these helpful tips have saved my skin on multiple occasions.
The opposite of Blitzer's tone is one of a stern and serious math professor. It was a blessing in disguise that my precalculus teacher was just like this. She lectured from the textbook (and did a much poorer job of teaching than the book itself), so I was able to read ahead, take notes based on the book (instead of her lectures), and finish the homework assignments in class.
Blitzer has identified many ways to apply the math to real life, whether it involves angular velocity in physics or population growth. Obviously, certain topics are begging to be applied (right triangle trigonometry, for instance), but Blitzer does a great job of making the math seem useful.
Another positive aspect about this book is the way Blitzer designed his list of problems. The answer to every odd problem is found in the back of the book, but every even problem is closely modeled after its odd predecessor. Thus, even without a definitive answer, you can be sure that you did the problem correctly because you saw an extremely similar one just a few seconds ago.
Blizter is also able to integrate the widespread technology of graphing calculators. He makes the assumption that a precalculus student should have access to some sort of graphing calculator and requests their use on quite a few problems. When graphs are shown, Blitzer has the foresight to indicate the dimensions and scale of the graph so the student can recreate the graph on their calculator.
After going through every section of this book, the only negative comment in my mind is that simple harmonic motion is explained rather poorly, but this is a math textbook, not a physics treatise, and thus this point can be safely disregarded. Bob Blitzer has composed a magnificent math tome, and I strongly recommend it to everyone.
Chapter P (prerequisites): Fundamental Concepts of Algebra
Chapter 1: Functions and Graphs
Chapter 2: Polynomial and Rational Functions
Chapter 3: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Chapter 4: Trigonometric Functions
Chapter 5: Analytic Trigonometry
Chapter 6: Additional Topics in Trigonometry
Chapter 7: Systems of Equations and Inequalities
Chapter 8: Matrices and Determinants
Chapter 9: Conic Sections and Analytic Geometry
Chapter 10: Sequences, Induction, and Probability
Chapter 11: Introduction to Calculus
By J. Davis (Knoxville, TN)
Blitzer's text gives a clear comprehensive explanation of various topics in precalculus without the vagueness that normally comes with a mathematics textbook. If you are not familiar with your math vocabulary, this is an excellent book to read to give you a foundation for your future math classes. The example problems give a step-by-step detail of how to apply concepts to solving the problem, and it gives a similar check point problem using the same steps immediately following to test your comprehension of the example problem. For the math sophisticated reader, it provides theorems and proofs occasionally, but does not intimidate the reader with them. The only downside to blitzer's text is that it generally lacks difficult problems in many sections. Perfect for self-study.
By Chantal R. Mclaughlin (hotlanta, ga)
The book came quick than I had thought it would. My only negative thought about the book was that it smelled of a smoker. I never thought of asking if the previous reader was a smoker or not. I have a very sensitive nose and it has taken a week or two to get used to the smell.
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