Book Description
Scoring high on the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams is very different from earning straight A’s in school. We don’t try to teach you everything there is to know about calculus—only the strategies and information you’ll need to get your highest score. In Cracking the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams, we’ll teach you how to

·Use our preparation strategies and test-taking techniques to raise your score
·Focus on the topics most likely to appear on the test
·Test your knowledge with review questions for each calculus topic covered

This book includes 5 full-length practice AP Calculus AB & BC tests: 3 for AB and 2 for BC. All of our practice questions are just like those you’ll see on the actual exam, and we explain how to answer every question.

Cracking the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams has been fully updated for the 2008 tests. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

THE BEST EVER!
I am very content with this book. It has helped me alot with many topics of calculus. It explains everything thouroughly and makes topics seem very simple. ... Read more

Book Description
The mere thought of having to take a required calculus course is enough to make legions of students break out in a cold sweat. Others who have no intention of ever studying the subject have this notion that calculus is impossibly difficult unless you happen to be a direct descendant of Einstein.

Well, the good news is that you can master calculus. It's not nearly as tough as its mystique would lead you to think. Much of calculus is really just very advanced algebra, geometry, and trig. It builds upon and is a logical extension of those subjects. If you can do algebra, geometry, and trig, you can do calculus.

Calculus For Dummies is intended for three groups of readers:

• Students taking their first calculus course – If you're enrolled in a calculus course and you find your textbook less than crystal clear, this is the book for you. It covers the most important topics in the first year of calculus: differentiation, integration, and infinite series.
• Students who need to brush up on their calculus to prepare for other studies – If you've had elementary calculus, but it's been a couple of years and you want to review the concepts to prepare for, say, some graduate program, Calculus For Dummies will give you a thorough, no-nonsense refresher course.
• Adults of all ages who'd like a good introduction to the subject – Non-student readers will find the book's exposition clear and accessible. Calculus For Dummies takes calculus out of the ivory tower and brings it down to earth.

Don't buy the misconception. Sure calculus is difficult – but it's manageable, doable. You made it through algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Well, calculus just picks up where they leave off – it's simply the next step in a logical progression. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

Calculus for Dummies
A good effort at presenting a difficult subject, but in the end, even though this book helps in understanding the principals involved, the subject matter is still extremely complex and even though I was able to follow all the worked examples, I still find it is difficult to stay on track when working alone.

Too Simple
This book spends the first 8 chapters reviewing basic algebra and geometry. Then it starts with limits, which is a good chapter. After that, the book is out of control. The derivative part makes it more confusing than a textbook and it has minimal examples. It also did not cover many important calculus concepts. Dont buy the Calculus Workbook because those problems are too easy. The only helpful thing was the yellow review card in the front. I would absolutly not recommend this for a college student. It only helps you through 2/3 of the first semester. Just stick with your ol'textbook.

it doesn't work
for me there has to be a "calculus for pre-dummies", because "calculus for dummies" is not adequate.i had all the basic math courses in high school and college but could not grasp the concepts as presented in these books. for one thing, symbols are not adequately explicated, and if you don't understand symbols in the various types of math, you are hopelessly lost -or at least i am.the one redeeming feature is the humor injected into the explanations.

calc for dummies
it helped me alot to understand what is going on or why im doing something for calc. when you understand you can you dont get as confused so you can learn more efficiently.

Great Book for High Schoolers - College Maybe
Currently enrolled in college Calculus (not liberal arts version) and though this book reads very well and is very informative, it's not nearly as indepth or complex as the content I have in my textbook and am encountering in class.

Would highly recommend the book for high school, as a primer/review, but keep in mind it's not going to provide the direct keys to mastering college mathematics department level Calculus. ... Read more

Book Description
Both Calculus AB and Calculus BC are covered in this comprehensive AP test preparation manual. Prospective test takers will find four practice exams in Calculus AB and four more in Calculus BC, with all questions answered and explained. The manual also provides a detailed10-chapter review covering topics for both exams. Students who choose to purchase the optional book and CD-ROM combination will get two additional practice tests, one in Calculus AB, and the other in Calculus BC. The authors also offer an overview of the AP Calculus exams, which includes good advice to students on making best use of their graphing calculator. ... Read more

Book Description

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.

• The explanations, theorems, and definitions have been thoroughly and critically reviewed. Additionally, the exercise sets have been carefully and extensively examined to ensure they cover all calculus topics appropriately.
• Questions involving skills, writing, critical thinking, problem-solving, applications, and real-data applications are included throughout the text. Exercises are presented in a variety of question formats, including matching, free response, true/false, modeling, and fill-in the blank.
• The Eduspace online resources have been integrated into a comprehensive learning system that combines numerous dynamic calculus resources with online homework and testing materials. Eduspace with eSolutions combines all the features of Eduspace with an electronic version of the textbook exercises and the complete solutions to the odd-numbered text exercises, providing students with a convenient and comprehensive way to do homework and view the course materials.
• The Integrated Learning System addresses the changing needs of today's instructors and students. Recognizing that the calculus course is presented in a variety of teaching and learning environments, the program resources are available in print, CD-ROM, and online formats.
• SMARTHINKING online tutoring brings students real-time, online tutorial support when they need it most.

Customer Reviews (10)

Outstanding Text - Best in the Market
Larson and Hostetler's math textbooks are the best available, hands down. The calculus text is no exception. With clear pedagogy, lucid explanations, carefully graded problem sets, and concrete applications, the 8th edition of Calculus is simply the best calculus book available. Period.

Quick service
This was needed for my sun's class and he received it very quickly.The condition of the book was excellent.

nothing special
It is hard to understand... by understand I meant you understand what really going on when you calculate something. I am not talking about memorize any method to solve a math problem but understand the math and apply it. The book explains you the method "1" but expects you to know "2" to solve the problems. Try another Calculus book instead.

great calculus book, buy it immediately
great book with plenty of visualizations and examples.i do recommend keeping this book after your calculus classes if you end up taking differential equations and partial differential equations, as well as your engineering classes too.

I learned from it
The thing that's great about Larson's textbooks is the fact that the end of chapter problems are so well thought-out.I learned differential Calculus concepts thoroughly using this textbook.This new edition has great graphics and it's presentations are not too "busy".Any calculus text will be a bit rigorous so searching for perfection is probably a futile exercise.I recommend getting Volumes I and II of the Study Guide/Solutions manual. FYI: You can purchase instructional DVD's correlated to this calculus text from the Houghton-Mifflin website. I paid about $50 for a DVD set and they're great for reinforcing concepts from each section. ... Read more

Book Description
Stewart's CALCULUS, Fifth Edition has the mathematical precision, accuracy, clarity of exposition and outstanding examples and problem sets that have characterized the first four editions. Stewart retains the focus on problem solving and the pedagogical system that has made the book a favorite of students and instructors in a wide variety of colleges and universities throughout the world. In this Fifth Edition, he has made hundreds of small improvements: new examples, additional steps in existing examples, updating of data in existing examples and exercises, new phrases and margin notes to clarify the exposition, references to other sources and web sites, redrawn art, and references to the TEC CD (Tools for Enriching Calculus). These refinements ensure that students and instructors have the best materials available. The number of pages in the book, however, remains unchanged from the 4th edition. Further support for students and instructors is now available through a vast array of supplementary material. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (148)

Bad Book
This is not a very good Calculus book.I used Larson's book for single variable Calculus and it is much better.Since I transferred schools I was stuck with this book for multivariable Calculus and it sucks.

An average calculus text
I've used this book for my multivariable calculus class and did not have a very good experience with it. I don't understand why this required text is so popular, but I think it deserves 3 stars since it does it job (although far from flawless) of teaching calculus. Before I criticize it, I will begin with the positives:

Pros:

-The concepts are clearly explained. There are examples (though, in my opinion, insufficient) that teaches the main concepts clearly.

-It has an appendix that contains proofs of certain theorems and review of the math.

-It has a list of formulas on the back of the book.

-It is hardcover and the pages are durable.

Cons:

-The book is heavy - it includes both single variable calculus and multivariable calculus. It's best if it's split into two.

-Not enough examples. Some of the exercises from the book, although quite good, seem to have nothing to do with the examples. If your professor tends to be one who only goes over examples from the book and derives equations, unless you are great at math, you will have some trouble with some of the exercises.

-Unlike some other calculus texts, the words (not the numbers) are very dry and purely educational. There are no interesting notes on the sides or on the ends of each sections making the math seem more interesting.

Awful experience
I wish I could write my own book on calc at this moment while I'm learning it, so that I know which topics I must explain with great care, not to confuse students. This book took more pages on exercises that it did for explaining the subject. Sections are short, sometimes very short, but exercises--sometimes you'll count them up to 100(!) for just one short section! Man, what kind of reasoning is it? Everyone in the world knows that calc isn't an easy subject to learn, and yet authors do not take their time to explain topics with care.Proofs are so technical, seems like it was written by a computer, not by a human being. Authors like Stewart simply forget that not everybody understands calc the way they do, and that some students, if not all, need extra examples and explanations before they can do a bunch of exercises.

very good calculus book
This is a good book in general for integration and differentiation basics and vector calculus, but some of the more complicated ideassuch as Taylor series and sequences and series could be explained better.In general James Stewart does a great job making Calculus a very approachable subject.I recommend this book.

Poorly presented, difficult to understand
I've had to use this book in a Calculus for Engineers course, and it is very difficult to learn from for someone who has no prior knowledge of Calculus.

The examples in the book barely prepare a person at all for the accompanying practice problems.Around 2/3rds of the problems require applications that were not addressed at all in the examples.In addition, the answers to the odd problems in the back of the book are of no help in understanding how an answer was arrived at.Because of this, it is not uncommon to have to spend 2-3 hours trying to understand how to do the practice problems that accompany a 3-4 page section of the book, simply because the book suffers from poor presentation and design. ... Read more

Book Description
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! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (59)

calculus: good book
It's a very good book which I really enjoy reading it. It's easy to understand and some examples are very specific to comprehend the problem.

Perfect delivery, perfect condition
I got this in panic through overnight shipping, it was at my door at 10 the following morning.Perfect condition.

Ordering was off
I ordered this book a month before classes started but it didn't arrive until about 2 weeks after classes started. If you are looking to get it order it early.
Other than that is in perfect condition and I am not having any issues with it.

best
i ordered it and got it in a very good condition and in time. customer service is awesome. my blessings. keep up the good work.

the greatest calclulus text ever written ,...EVER
How can anyone possible B*tch at such an amazing book. Clear, insightful, helpful, relevant etc...etc.... don't forget that the author threw in proofs for anyone who wants to be math major. O did I mention how f-in clear this text is. Here's the deal, people who don't like this book fall into two categories: wannabe engineers who hate the fact that they have to take calculus in the first place and math majors/mathematicians who say that not enough theory is covered, well duh that's why the course called "advanced calculus" was invented. Let's face the fact'sfokes, there is a reason why community colleges and ivy league schools alike use this text because its student friendly and is designed with COMMEN sense, something I might add is lacking in the mathematical community but definitely not lacking in this book.
P.S. Thanks DR.S I love math because of you
... Read more

Book Description
Calculus Made Easy has long been the most popular calculus primer, and this major revision of the classic math text makes the subject at hand still more comprehensible to readers of all levels. With a new introduction, three new chapters, modernized language and methods throughout, and an appendix of challenging and enjoyable practice problems, Calculus Made Easy has been thoroughly updated for the modern reader. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (72)

Annotations amount to Trisomy 21
Martin Gardner's updates feel like big brother.Silvanus P. Thompson, though a poly-math, was indeed an electrical engineer. The same cannot be said about Gardner.

Even in Thompson's last edition (3rd), he good-naturedly taunted and teased mathematicians.If an update really was necessary, it should have been done by an EE like Paul Nahin (wrote the 1988 IEEE Oliver Heaviside biography and An Imaginary Tale among others), not by a Mathematician like Martin Gardner.

Excellent Calculus Primer
If you have already taken Triginometry and College Algebra, you are perfectly tuned to read and appreciate this book.

Forget the "Dummies" or "Idiots" books that only superficially skim the meanings of the calculus: this one truly *delivers* on it's promise to make calculus easy by explaining not just the "hows," but the "whys!"

I give this book a full 5 star rating.

Best calculus book out there
I wish I had been given this book in high school. I'm currently working on a computer science degree so I bought this as a kind of tutor for stuff I may have forgotten. It's totally worth it, and it makes it easier to understand - for anyone who may be afraid of math.

Best introductory calculus book ever...
Alleluia ! !At last, a book about calculus that gives the reader the motivation to study it further. This book should be given to EVERY freshman in EVERY country. Or even better: this book should be given to EVERY teacher of calculus to show that calculus can ALSO be fun to learn.
Too many students are running away from calculus, simply because they do not perceive what calculus is about and how to use it. This book also transmits the passion of the author for calculus, which is rare enough to be mentioned.

Awsome. A must-have calculus introduction!
What else can be said? A book that flashed Richard Feynman's head...
By the end of the book, one can be confident about knowing calculus basics (and some advanced drops as well).
Great reading! ... Read more

Book Description
Now students have nothing to fear …

Math textbooks can be as baffling as the subject they’re teaching. Not anymore. The best-selling author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Calculus has taken what appears to be a typical calculus workbook, chock full of solved calculus problems, and made legible notes in the margins, adding missing steps and simplifying solutions. Finally, everything is made perfectly clear. Students will be prepared to solve those obscure problems that were never discussed in class but always seem to find their way onto exams.
--Includes 1,000 problems with comprehensive solutions
--Annotated notes throughout the text clarify what’s being asked in each problem and fill in missing steps
--Kelley is a former award-winning calculus teacher
... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

If only I had THIS in AP Calculus and Calc I-II in college...
This is the best calculus book I have ever seen. The author really does understand that quite a lot of people (like myself) struggle with calculus even if they have been strong math students prior to calc. His "refresher" section is very thorough, and I learned things that I never learned the first time around (synthetic division, the formula for factoring a "non-simple," let's call it, quadratic, and a couple of other things). This is in spite of the fact that I (barely survived) Calc III.

When it comes to the calculus portions themselves, somehow Kelley makes sense! I don't know how he has managed it, but he has created maybe the first understandable calculus text.

High schools that teach AP Calculus AB and/or BC, and colleges and universities, need to scrap their "mathematically heavy" textbooks and replace them with this. Ok, colleges and universities will never do this, thinking that they are training mathematicians and such, but if you struggle with even the "pencil-pushing" parts of calc (like I did), how are you going to be able to understand proofs, etc. anyway?

All high schools should use this. Students' AP scores would thank them for it. I was an A or A+ student in math my entire life until I got to calculus...and then this subject made no sense to me at all and I really could not, for the life of me, understand or solve the problems. It really is a different kind of math, no matter what anyone says. I aced algebra, trig, and pre-calc, so that wasn't the problem.

This book really deserves all the praise it receives. Go through this, then get a supplemental text such as Schaum's to work more problems.

Mistake
I bought this for the number of problems and the easy communication.And they are good.

When he looks for critical numbers (possible max and min) where the FIRST DERIVATIVE EQUALS 0...He just found the zeros of the function.This is a big mistake and will not help on the AP Calc test, if my interp is right.If I am wrong, please, someone correct me.

Poorly translated for someone who enjoys math
I purchased this along with Kelley's "IDIOT's GUIDE TO CALCULUS". Neither was of much help. I expected to find problems worked out step-by-step to aid in my homework only to be very disappointed by the lack of content in the books. I am a person that enjoys the challenge of math and found these books to be lacking the help a student is probably seeking. None of the book's examples walk you through entirely.

ExcellentFIRST step to get you going.
This is a great text for someone just getting into Calculus.The author does assume that one has taken high school Algebra and Geometry.Most of the concepts are introduced via the intuitive method rather than proofs but that is what makes the text very accessible.For the cost this is a bargain.Very good for the beginner and someone who wishes to get back into the subject after a long absence.

wonderful
By far the most entertaining and comprehensive coverage of calculus 1 and 2 I have ever seen. Very clear presentation of material that makes the entire topic of calculus much less intimidating.Exquisitely written making it ideal for either self study or quick review. ... Read more

Book Description
Written by three gifted-and funny-teachers, How to Ace Calculus provides humorous and readable explanations of the key topics of calculus without the technical details and fine print that would be found in a more formal text. Capturing the tone of students exchanging ideas among themselves, this unique guide also explains how calculus is taught, how to get the best teachers, what to study, and what is likely to be on exams-all the tricks of the trade that will make learning the material of first-semester calculus a piece of cake. Funny, irreverent, and flexible, How to Ace Calculus shows why learning calculus can be not only a mind-expanding experience but also fantastic fun. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (67)

Teacher recommends
I teach Calculus at the high school level and was very impressed with this book.I recommend it for my students as a supplement.It explains the concepts in "real words" and helps some of them understand.Also, additional examples that are well explained.

Not the quality of calculus study aid I had expected...
...given the mostly glowing reviews.Don't expect miracles from this guide. Nothing particularly enlightening in its contents, if you had stayed awake during classes....

Wow, Amazing, Wow!!!
Ok, I'm the type of person that likes to hold onto my old math books for future reference because we all tend to forget some mathematical concepts and equations as time goes on.This book is amazing.After having previously buying a disappointing DVD on Calculus, I had to find another source to supplement, and cover the ideas of Calculus.I found this book was extremely easy to reader and covers all concepts that you are likely to run into in your Calculus 1 and 2 classes.And best part is this book is very cheap compare to others out there yet it has concise and humorous explanations.I enjoy this book so much that it almost doesn't feel much like studying when reading it, yet I am better able to understand Calculus after each section. This book is definitely a keeper and maybe I'll even sell back my Calculus 1 and 2 textbooks to get some of my college money back.Good luck in your Calculus adventure.

Horrible
I bought this book after seeing the reviews thinking it'd be wonderful but all it's good for is acting as a paperweight. There are no practice problems and the sections are very short. There are charts and formulas in the back but what's the point if they don't help you learn to apply them? IMO- Math takes alot of practice problems for success. I bought this and "The Humongous Book of Calculus Problems: For People Who Don't Speak Math", which I HIGHLY recommend. I'll now be buying "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Calculus" which is from the same author.

Best Side-Text Available
Students of calculus often find that they "don't understand" what the textbook is saying, what the teacher is saying, what the problem is saying/asking. This book explains the mathematics with integrity and humor. Over the past several years I am sure that more than a hundred of my students have purchased this book and the sequel, How to Ace the Rest of Calculus, and to a one they all love it! When the stuff in class doesn't hang together we all turn to "Colin and friends" to see how they explain it. ... Read more

Book Description
From differentiation to integration - solve problems with ease

Got a grasp on the terms and concepts you need to know, but get lost halfway through a problem or, worse yet, not know where to begin? Have no fear! This hands-on guide focuses on helping you solve the many types of calculus problems you encounter in a focused, step-by-step manner. With just enough refresher explanations before each set of problems, you'll sharpen your skills and improve your performance. You'll see how to work with limits, continuity, curve-sketching, natural logarithms, derivatives, integrals, infinite series, and more!

100s of Problems!

• Step-by-step answer sets clearly identify where you went wrong (or right) with a problem
• The inside scoop on calculus shortcuts and strategies
• Know where to begin and how to solve the most common problems
• Use calculus in practical applications with confidence

Customer Reviews (7)

Calculus for Dummies is Not for Dummies
I used this book to brush up on my Calculus before the CSET, however this book was only a gloss over of what Calculus really is.This book is more about memorizing techniques and methods, than learning what Calculus really means and represents.I have my BA in Math and would only recommend this book to people who have substantial background in math, but need to brush up on the concepts.

Perfect Dummy Book Companion
I got this workbook to go with the Dummies Calculus book as a suplement to my classes.It really helps to have additional problem made for you for practice.It has helped me study for tests countless times!

Good transaction
The book came in on time and the supplier was prompt with the whole deal. Actual description described by the seller was what came.Keep it up!

Calculus
Great book helped me through a mid-term when the teacher had lost me and most of the class.so good classmates wanted to borrow it.

Good Practice for Beginning Calculus!
This workbook is an excellent companion to Ryan's book _Calculus for Dummies_. In fact I might go so far as to say the two should be considered one volume. In this book you'll find the extra exercises and problems that may not have been copious enough in the _Calculus for Dummies_ book alone. And of course he also walks you through the solutions. I might have wished for more problems instead of the space to actually work them in the text, but that is a minor detail. Overall this is part of a set that serves as an excellent introduction / preview / study aide to beginning calculus. Although I suppose this work could be used alone by someone just wanting to brush up on their calculus via some worked problems. Either way its a good buy. ... Read more

Book Description
APPLIED CALCULUS, 3/E brings together the best of both new and traditional curricula to meet the needs of today's students. The author team's extensive teaching experience and proven ability to write innovative and relevant problems has made this text a true bestseller. Exciting new real-world applications make this new edition even more meaningful to students in management, life and social sciences. This book will work well for those departments seeking a middle ground for their instructors.

APPLIED CALCULUS, 3/E exhibits the same strengths from earlier editions including the "Rule of Four", an emphasis on concepts and modeling, exposition that students can read and understand and a flexible approach to technology. The conceptual and modeling problems, praised for their creativity and variety, continue to motivate and challenge students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent Choice for the Non-Math Student
This is a magnificant calculus book. It is aimed at students in business, the social sciences, and the life sciences. This is done by first the examples and problems. But perhaps even more important the wording of the text is such that these students will understand what they are trying to convey and to clearly show them how calculus can be used to solve problems in their particular field.

At the beginning of the book, three pages of the Preface, the applications discussed in the text are listed by: Business and Economics, Life Sciences and Ecology, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences. Under these headings are subjects like: Value of a Car, AIDS, Cancer Rates, Abortion Rate and so on. These are subjects that will have some interest and applicability to students rather than the old traditional problems like water flowing into and out of a bucket that used to be the mainstream of teaching calculus.

Finally, calculus marks a transition in the study of mathematics for a student. Up until now he studied arithmetic every year in school, maybe he finally got to a bit of algebra and trig. Now he is exposed to a whole new world of ways to handle problems that go beyond anything he has seen before. This book eases the student into an understanding of how to approach these problems better than any I've seen.

Harvard
Sorry to bother you with this review.The authors of this book are distinguished professors at Harvard University (a fine school, no matter what anyone says).Professor Gleason, in particular, is a mathematician of world-historical importance.In a sense, taking lectures from Gleason is not worse than having a lecture from Laplace or Poincare or any of the other great lights of mathematics.I confess that I haven't seen the book or held it between my hands, but I couldn't just leave it here with only a one star review of a disgruntled student.Really, the book has to be better than a single star if Gleason even held it in his hand once. ... Read more

Book Description

Stochastic Calculus for Finance evolved from the first ten years of the Carnegie Mellon Professional Master's program in Computational Finance. The content of this book has been used successfully with students whose mathematics background consists of calculus and calculus-based probability. The text gives both precise statements of results, plausibility arguments, and even some proofs, but more importantly intuitive explanations developed and refine through classroom experience with this material are provided. The book includes a self-contained treatment of the probability theory needed for stochastic calculus, including Brownian motion and its properties. Advanced topics include foreign exchange models, forward measures, and jump-diffusion processes.

Customer Reviews (24)

The definitive word
This is the most fundamental word in mathematical finance. Those with a background in math will benefit most: ordinary differential equations, probability theory, statistics and multivariable calculus prerequisites. This is a very mathematical approach. Don't look to it for computational implementations of the financial models it covers. But for the mathematical foundations of the models, this is THE book.

Great, easy to understand introduction to mathematical finance
I say it's an "introduction" because I have little background in both stochastic calculus and finance but find this to be fairly easy to read.Unless other texts that present the material in a much more dense manner, i.e. skipping over the majority of derivations, Schreve goes through the derivation for even the most routine of derivations--which is actually great for a newbie like me.

The text is self-contained and covers a wide range of topics.I would like him to cover some practical aspects of modeling in finance, but that's really not what the text is about.For what it set out to explain, it does a great job.5 stars.

Pre-digested chicken soup for the "aspiring quant"
While writing a review for Hull's text, I suggested that an easier (than to start with Hull) way to learn quantitative finance is to pick up one of the more focused books on the subject. There is a huge deluge of these books - I think one comes out every few weeks. They all cover the same topics, in roughly the same manner, so there is little that distinguishes one from the other. There is certainly not much different in content in Shreve than in others - in fact you cannot go wrong by picking any well known book - just pick the cheapest.

What is different about Shreve is that he does not skimp on the details. As another reviewer pointed out, this is not an elegant book. For people new to quant finance, this is actually a good thing. There are pages after pages of ugly equations written in gory detail. In almost any other quantitative book (I don't mean quantitative finance book - but any book that is of a quantitative nature, be it wireless communications or information theory or what have you) these details would have been omited. But not here, and for a good reason: There are PhDs in areas that are only remotely quantitatve - who want to switch to quantitative finance just because they think there is money in the area. These people don't have the mathematical maturity or stamina required to actually go home and do the (mechanical!) math between equations themselves. They want to see it all done, served to them on a platter with fries and ketchup, please - because they haven't done math in a while but are "interested" in it. Shreve obliges. And succeeds beautifully in serving pre-digested food to those that need it.

Shreve even gives you a sense of having done something yourself through his exercies. Again the excercises in his book are unlike anything that I have see in any mathematically inclined text - they make up a whole section in each chapter. Again, Shreve is serving you things on a platter - the exercies essentially come with the equivalent of a verbose TA built-in - Shreve guides you to the solution, in a very tenderly-holding-your-hand manner. Of course, this is a good thing, for those that need it.

The chapters on SDEs and even on jump processes will make good chicken-soup introductions to these topics, and are written in a more rigorous (and, though I repeat myself, verbose) fashion than some of the other books I have seen. The book also strikes a good balance between the PDE approach and the martingale approach to pricing. The chapter on PDEs itself, in particular, is well written and does a good job of pointing out the Feynamn Kac connection between the two approaches. In general, this book covers everythying that my friends who are faculty in mathematical finance courses teach in a (continuous time finance course in a) typical MS in Qfin program.

While my review may sound negative, the verbosity of the book is its asset, because most people approaching it are looking for it. When grad students, who otherwise are not interested in talking to me, learn about what I do for a living and suddenly become extremely ingratiating, (and start drooling a bit from the side of their mouth) and go on to ask me for what to read, this is the book I recommend to them. It will take them from cluelessness to the point where they can actually see what Hull has been sweeping under the carpet.

Let me say it again, this is not a negative review for the book. The book does its job beautifully. But it doesnt have a soul. But then, nor does the greedy grad student who is suddenly interested in quantitative finance.

Good for introduction
This book introduced Symmetric Random Walk and then proved its properties before introducing Brownian Motion. More detailed proofs should be included in Ito integrals.

Shreve has done a tremendous job in communicating the concepts
Although I work in a major global bank at a senior level I don't use stochastic calculus in my job.My maths and physics background goes back to the 1970s when stochastic calculus was not part of undergraduate studies. Indeed, one usually did stochastic theory at postgraduate level.I have memories of reading Halmos for measure theory, Feller for probability theory,Wiener and others.None of this was easy.

Suffice it to say that there were a lot of abstract building blocks one had to erect first before one could actually do anything useful.

Stochastic calculus is not easy.It is less intuitive than ordinary calculus.The vast majority of textbooks launch into a wall of definitions that seem divorced from the motivation for them.I am always suspicious of authors who do that.It's fine if you are writing for a very specialised audience but I am with Richard Feynman who reckoned that if you can't provide a simple explanation you don't really understand what is going on.In that context read his PhD thesis - it is most readable and understandable.

What Shreve has done - and this is a significant achievement in my view - is to present something that is rigorous enough (and we all know that in this and other areas of mathematics one can go on and on with minute points of detail all in the name of rigour) yet grounds the concepts in something that is understandable.

The simple pedagogical fact of life with this type of material is that there is a large overhead in getting toa particular point and Shreve had done a very good job in getting readers to a good standard without destroying their will to go on!

When one looks at areas of mathematics with much longer pedigrees - and Fourier Theory is an example - there are some extremely good presentations of the theory at both mathematical and physical levels.Elias Stein, for instance, has done some marvellous work in the area.Stochastic calculus is really very young in terms of mainstream appeal.I can recall actuarial subjects I did in the early 1980s that had no stochastic calculus at all in them.All that has changed and I think Shreve's attempts in this area can be improved upon too but this will only happen over time.

My colleagues in quant like Shreve's books so I guess that says something too. ... Read more

Book Description
Cast off the curse of calculus!

Students no longer have anything to fear: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Calculus, Second Edition, is here. Like its predecessor, it was created with an audience of students working toward a non-science related degree in mind. A non-intimidating, easy-to-understand textbook companion, this new edition has more explanatory graphs and illustrations and double the number of practice problems.
• First edition of this book has sold more copies than any of the other 70+ books on the subject
• Twice as many practice problems in this second edition
• More college students are now required to take calculus in college than ever before
• Author is an award-winning calculus teacher praised for his ability to make this topic fun and approachable
• His website, calculus-help.com, reaches thousands of students every month ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Better than textbooks for understanding the basic concepts
I used this book to help both my high school junior and college freshman understand the basic concepts of Calculus, and in that respect it was way better than the dense textbooks that they have. Highly recommended!

waste of time and money
I purchased this book given the title "idiot's guide" thinking it would simplify the teachers lecture and show step by step how to work out problems. Boy was I wrong! It did help explain a few things, but not enough to really help. I also bought the HUMONGOUS BOOK of CALCULUS. That book claimed to have 100's of problems worked out. None of them were worked out with step by step instructions. Spend your money elsewhere.

If this book had been around 30 years ago, I would have passed Calculus!
Calculus totally flattened me 30 years ago. Now, I have a son taking the course, and I bought this so I could help him over the rough spots. This book totally demystifies everything that seemed (and still seems) so impenetrable in the textbook. The author uses regular, readable English, and lays out the simple steps that are actually involved in solving calculus problems. It's not just lists of mechanical steps, though: He also includes the "what's the point?" and "why are we doing this?" information that's completely lacking from the textbook.

I can't praise this book highly enough.

Sufficient depth and effective enough to be an excellent supplemental aid to the learning of calculus
As a college math teacher, I am always on the lookout for supplementary material that I can recommend to my students. Like all other people in the profession, I regularly encounter students struggling with the topic, so I often hear a question equivalent to the following. "Is there any other book that you can recommend that I examine to help me understand calculus?"
From this point forward, I will recommend this book. It is not deep by any means, but it does provide a more relaxed and occasionally humorous view of the principles of calculus. The coverage is fairly broad, differential and integral calculus are covered and in some internal breadth. Differential equations, power series and convergence tests are all examined, so all of the topics normally covered in a two-course sequence are at least mentioned. Problems are also interspersed within the text and solutions are given in an appendix.
By itself, this book will not teach you first year calculus; there is not enough depth for that. However, if your goal is to learn the basics or your need is a supplement to your calculus text, then it is an excellent choice to satisfy your requirements.

it will make you idiot
i do not see that it will halp it will make you more dam in calculus because he dose not explaine the move he do or tell you why -- which will make you the idiot --i suggest calculus for dummies it s the best ... Read more

Book Description

Students can gain a thorough understanding of differential and integral calculus with this powerful study tool. They'll also find the related analytic geometry much easier. The clear review of algebra and geometry in this edition will make calculus easier for students who wish to strengthen their knowledge in these areas. Updated to meet the emphasis in current courses, this new edition of a popular guide­­--more than 104,000 copies were bought of the prior edition--­­includes problems and examples using graphing calculators.

Customer Reviews (26)

Beginner's Calculus
This book is great for when you're beginning Calculus, but it doesn't give intense hard problems for it. Great study guide to review the basics but isn't the hardcore stuff.

Worth the investment
I bought this book to supplement my class textbook when I was having trouble in Calculus I. I chose this book over the many other supplements available because I knew I could carry forward into Calculus II and Multivariable Calculus.
As mentioned in many other reviews, this book provides plenty of practice problems, so if you're having an issue in one particular area in class or in the class's textbook, this is a good place to go to really thoroughly understand it. They provide a decent number of examples and solutions. Within each chapter are explanations of the lesson, followed by example problems with step-by-step solutions, and finally "Supplementary Problems" for you to solve on your own (though there are no answers in the back for you to check your work). It's also got some really good lists of trig formulas, geometric formulas, common integrals, and common derivitives.
The only thing I dislike about the book is that the explanations are rather poor compared to a textbook, but it's hardly surprising seeing as how this is an outline and that it covers topics from the beginning of Calc I all the way through differential equations of first and second order in under 600 pages.
I would totally recommend this book for the student looking to supplement a confusing textbook, or looking to brush up on concepts that have gotten a little rusty.

alright
This book does provide coverage of all major material in traditional calculus,however the manner in which the material is presented is similar to that of a condensed textbook which is niether entertaining nor completely clear. If you want a quick study guide then this is the book for you provided you understand most information you read in a textbook.All in all this book is alright ,but I would't depend solely on it.

I am VERY Happy with this Book - great 4 self-study
In order to take an advanced statistics course (since I have been out of college awhile) I have to take a calculus test. They gave me a sample of 60 questions from prior years and recomended a text that cost $180!!!

Well for 1/15 of the price of the expensive text, I can get about 55 out of 60 questions answered through this one. The ones that are not covered in this book pertain to complex integrations - I'll buy the Schaum's Advanced Calc text and get my answers and still have tons of money left over.

*** Another thing is that the first few chapters are an excellent review of pre-calc, something I did not think I would need but it turns out to be more useful than I thought. ****

The covering of some topics, like LaHopital's rule is better than most texts.

I have not encountered typos yet - when I have that that I did - once I plunge into it more - turns out he is right and I was mistaken.

****Having numberous worked out problems and problems with at least the solutions to check yourself is GREAT FOR SELF STUDY ****

kinda pointless, same examples you'll encounter in your book
not that great, if you have a good text, you'll notice that the examples are pretty much the same ... Read more

Book Description

Stochastic Calculus for Finance evolved from the first ten years of the Carnegie Mellon Professional Master's program in Computational Finance. The content of this book has been used successfully with students whose mathematics background consists of calculus and calculus-based probability. The text gives both precise statements of results, plausibility arguments, and even some proofs, but more importantly intuitive explanations developed and refine through classroom experience with this material are provided. The book includes a self-contained treatment of the probability theory needed for stochastic calculus, including Brownian motion and its properties. Advanced topics include foreign exchange models, forward measures, and jump-diffusion processes.

Customer Reviews (14)

Good book
excellent book for anybody who is a student of financial calculus . One can get some insight into how financial managers plan portfolios and how they make investment decisions.

Great intro for discrete-time models
I studied this book for the first half of a fourth year financial maths subject at univerisity of melbourne. Binomial models are the only feasible model for pricing american derivatives at the moment, so it is worthwhile to learn the mechanics of such practical models. The author proves all his theorems elegantly using mathematical induction. He even uses proability theory and discrete-time martingale theories to simplify the valuation of European-type derivatives (just take conditional expectations and discount straight back to the current time -- instead of doing those backward averaging and discount node by node; both methods are done under the risk-neutral measure).

fantabulous!!!
i have read so many books on financial engineering but this one makes all theories so streamlined!!! I read Neftci and I liked it. After reading this, all steps come out clear. The part 2 is fascinating as well. Hail Mugambo!

Great balance between technical and intuitive
This book seemed to strike the perfect balance between going through the necessary math and getting the points across without pushing the non-PhD reader overboard.This is a great book for semi-mathematical types who practice in finance, or for mathematicians who are looking to understand the basics of finance.I, being the former, enjoyed having the concepts of stochastic calculus and martingale theory being presented in the absolute simplest of fashions.

Good book
I agree that most concepts are clearly explained....emphasis on *most*. OK, I'll nitpick. And I admit I'm nitpicking. For example, the proof of Jensen's inequality (which he oddly dives into without defining convex functions), is rather non-intuitive, and seems to be more an appeal to the accompanying picture rather than a proof. The proof given under the Wikipedia entry for "Jensen's Inequality" is much clearer, and makes much more sense, at least to my way of thinking. Other than the occassional gaffe such as this, it is a highly readable, informative, and dare I say enjoyable text! ... Read more

Book Description
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! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

GOOD DEAL
It is the most cheapest that i can find online. Also it is cheaper than any other online bookstore. Love it. it is 50-60 cheaper than the campus bookstore.The book include the reference paper and can be teared easily. I love this book and the amazon.com. (^-^).

Calculus: Explained
This is your basic Calculus Course Book. The book is written very well, if you have any misunderstandings of how to work a problem this book help greatly.

Meh...
I taught Multivariable Calculus using this book as a TA. You will learn multivariable calculus, it's just as good as any other calculus text but with two major problems!

1) It does Taylor no justice! The multivariable version of the Taylor Approximation is absent. The author mentions linearizing a given function [of two variables] and thats it! C'mon! This is such an important aspect of math, physics, engineering, etc... why drop it?

2) The chapter on Gauss' Theorem, Stokes Theorem (Green's as well), and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculusis poor, it provides little by way of intuitively understanding these integral theorems. As an added bonus (sarcasm), students, I find, have a harder time geometrically and physically understanding what the Curl and Divergence of vector fields represent! This is most unfortunate, especially for future physicists and engineers!

There are books out there that would complement Stewart on this: "Div, Grad, Curl, And All That" by Schey is one of them; the book written by Marsden and Tromba is also a good place to go for both the integral theorems and the Taylor Polynomial.

Other than this unfortunate turn of events, Stewart IS a good book. I do recommend Thomas' Calculus instead - the problem with that (as well as with Stewart) is that the price is so high. Get an older edition, you won't be missing much, you'll only gain insight and an appreciation for calculus as an undergrad.

Excellent if you are interested in Calculus
The book is well organized and touch many aspects of calculus. It would be too much for someone who just want to browse through the subject.
Hints: I find it is easy to read through the book without doing the exercises at least two or three times to get the whole concept of calculus and then read it again with the exercises.

Calculus Textbook
It's good for a calc textbook, kind of complicated math lingo though -- i'm not the biggest math fan. but its used throughout my colleges calculus courses I believe.. ... Read more

Book Description
Be Prepared for the AP Calculus Exam is your indispensable guide to scoring well on either the AB or BC AP Calculus.This book features an outstanding team of authors and practice exam contributors: veteran AP Calculus teachers who have served on the AP Calculus Test Development Committee and are College Board consultants, exam grading leaders, and AP award recipients.The book expands Skylight's Be Prepared series, and it is crafted with the same care, attention to detail, and respect for the student as our Be Prepared for the AP Computer Science Exam, which has helped many thousands of students get a good grade on AP exams in that subject.

A serious introductory chapter describes the exam format and requirements and offers important tips for successful exam taking.Eight review chapters thoroughly cover all of the AB and BC material.Embedded in these chapters are 200+ multiple choice and free response questions with solutions that show you effective strategies and shortcuts.Five complete practice exams with answers and solutions (three AB and two BC exams) will give you plenty of practice material and help you decide whether to take the AB or BC exam.This book's companion web site contains annotated solutions to free-response questions from past AP exams.

Whether you sit in the front row, the back row, or anywhere in between, Be Prepared will help you focus on the AP Calculus exam requirements, review the material, and fill the gaps in your knowledge.Review, practice, and take the AP Calculus exam with confidence, knowing that you are well prepared. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

One of the best study guides for AP Calculus
Let me preface this by saying that I took the AP calculus test in the mid 1980's and now have helped my daughter with a self-study course on calculus in preparation for the 2007 test. After going through a total of 4 study guides, 2 textbooks, and the last 7 years of available free response questions from the actual AP test, I found this guide to be one of the best AP calculus preparation books.

The AP calculus (AB or BC) has become considerably harder in the last 4 years. Most other books seem to have been developed for the test as administered in the 1990's.In order to pass, not only do you need to know your calculus - it is also mandatory that you know how to use your calculator in order to solve calculus problems.Most other books, completely ignore this point (see my other reviews).Rather than focusing on techniques of integration (which was a big deal for the earlier test in which calculators either weren't allowed or weren't capable), the emphasis has switched to integration via the calculator.
This book addresses the issue clearly.

One last point of advice is that this book does stress the concepts that are in turn stressed on the current tests - fundamental theorem of calculus, average value of a function by integration, and problems thatdepend on interpreting graphs and data points.

When chosing a book, keep in mind that the test is no longer a simple can you integrate and take a derivative by hand type of exam.If you can solve the problems in this book, you indeed will be prepared for the AP test.

Best AP calculus review book!
After having read the rave reviews online and wanting something different from the typical princeton review/barron's books, I ordered this off Amazon because my local Borders/Barnes & Noble did not have any. It is as good as people say it is! Filled with tons of practice problems and concise notes. Unfortunately, the 2007 AP Calculus was unusually hard nation-wide in both the multiple choice and free-response so I'm not going to say I will get a 5... but, this review is the only thing that got me through the exam so I highly recommend it!

good review, bad practices
good reviews, you can probably even take it as a textbook, however, the practices have no thorough explanations, but to say that one of the practice exam is extremely hard

Everything You Could Want in a Review Book
Trust me on this.I have gone through about every AB book out there, and this one is your best bet.Unlike the others, it is actually very up to date, and it contains the most recent changes to the AB curriculum such as slope fields.

Many books out there are much too easy, such as the book published by Princeton.Easy does not necessarily equal good preparation for the test!This "Be Prepared" book will challenge you and actually get you to see the level you will see on the actual AP exam.Plus, this book gives great hints at far as successfully using the calculator.This book has everything you could want in a review book, and I recommend it over all the other AB titles.

very helpful :)
This review text really helped me do well on the exam (along with my other AP's this should help a lot with college apps!).Obviously this isn't the kind of reading for a day at the beach, but it got the job done, so no complaints! ... Read more

Book Description
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 mathe