Book Description
Revised and expanded text based on Wilding's classic Greek exercises and readings, including all points of grammar and syntax fully explained for first-year Greek students.
Customer Reviews:
Some Fatal Flaws Mar What Would Otherwise be a Valuable Addition to the Repertoire.......2006-05-09
I've just had a look at this book. I was drawn to consider it for my beginning Greek classes because of its admirable concision: it covers all the basics in 32 chapters, which occupy 168 pp. of this book. At my college, we try to get through the basics in two nine-week terms, so Shelmerdine's stated intention of delivering students as quickly as possible to "reading the authors who inspired them to learn the language in the first place" is my intention too.
The explanations are clear, reasonably complete, and reasonably adapted to American students' prior unfamiliarity with grammar (this last apparently not a feature of Wilding's original before Shelmerdine revised it). There are plenty of sentences (Greek to English and English to Greek). These have a decidedly military bent (as fits in with the passages selected from Xenophon and Herodotus), but they are not as outrageously "made up" and un-Greek as in some of the other textbooks. The passages adapted from the original can also be counted as a strength--while as I've suggested they retain the flavor of Wilding's day (the "military bent"), they are many, interesting, and sometimes delightful. (They are nowhere listed. In general, this book, while it has the expected glossaries and morphological tables in the back, skimps on such aids--apparently an index of topics treated in the textbook was an extra the publisher thought we wouldn't miss! Wrong.)
Why won't I be assigning this textbook? Another reviewer hit the nail on the head with this observation: Ten made-up Greek sentences on the last page are the ONLY practice students are given with -mi verbs--weird. Such major constructions as future more vivid conditions come in Chapter 30 of 32. I don't feel comfortable reserving such topics to the effective status of footnotes (though I can easily imagine teachers who are comfortable reintroducing these topics rigorously in the follow-up reading course).
I would have recommended the book for independent learners (there's an answer key) or grammar-reviewers who want some good passages (which Mastronarde gives too rarely) to liven things up. But after consulting an online review (ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/2005/2005-05-14.html), I realized that my quick glance at this book failed to catch some major weaknesses. In my copy, fresh from the publisher, the errors mentioned by Professor Clayton have NOT been corrected. And I was shocked to be informed that Shelmerdine's textbook nowhere treats the potential optative--one of the most ubiquitous constructions in real Greek texts.
Without significant improvements, I'm afraid this book won't serve anyone too well, after all. (As I edit this review, Amazon is not allowing me to change my original star rating, which I would no longer bestow.)
Not so great.......2004-12-11
The book is ok. If you are looking for a summary or just straight grammar, then this is the book for you. It does have some exercises; however, it is too short and does not give the reader enough practice or ability to play around with the language. Something that I feel, as a classical studies student, is a must to master the early stages of the language. I am most disapointed with the summary in the back of the book, because it is not organized well enough for the reader to use until they start to reach the end of the book.
In conclusion, this is a good book only when combined with others.
Wilding's Greek for Beginners.......2004-06-24
Previous review of this text is unfair. I worked through nearly every Greek sentence in this book and found a couple of mistakes. What does "FORMS ARE MISQUOTED" mean? By implication, this text, which is a useful and competent introduction to the language, is dragged through the mud. It is pretty easy to recommend the monster volumes of Hansen and Quinn under the assumption that more is better. I found that students advance to serious reading of Greek quickly and enthusiasitically with this text. What is the problem?
Warning, Contains Errors.......2004-02-05
Although a replacement or update for Hanson and Quinn's "Greek an Intensive Course" is desperately needed, this book is not it. This book does have some strong points. These include small, logically ordered, accessible chapters (BUT, see below); clear charts (BUT, see below), and a preference for reading extended passages adapted from Greek authors (cf. H&Q's exercise sentences, which are awful). However there are a number of flaws, which preclude me from recommending this book. First, saving the athematic "Mi" verbs till the last chapter is inexcusable. These verbs are way too important and way too common to be so marginalized. Second, saving the principal parts of verbs until Ch. 21 (11 chapters from the end) is likewise inexcusable. Greek principal parts are also way too important, and are an ongoing problem for students and readers of Greek. They absolutely should not have been left for so late in the book. Students need to drill these from the get go. Lastly, there are factual errors in the text; FORMS ARE MISQUOTED. For the teacher to have to correct the textbook is awkward and a few incorrect forms can give the student the impression that no forms can be securely trusted. Students need to trust they know their forms if they are going to make any progress in the language. For these reasons, as a Greek teacher I reluctantly cannot recommend this text for learning Greek. For the time being, stick with (and it pains me to say this) Hansen and Quinn.
Fine Introduction.......2000-10-15
Contrary to the listing here, this book is still in print (re-printed fall 1999), but you have to go to British sources for it (Blackwell's I think). I like the way this book gets into the language fast and doesn't hit the student with complex forms off the top. I also don't mind the way Wilding refers back to another book for grammatical forms, as this trains the student to work with grammar books, a very useful skill. I do wish it covered the 'mi' verbs, but I can do this near the course end anyway.
Customer Reviews:
The high art of problem investigation and software debugging.......2006-06-14
(long review)
I have just finished reading through the book Self service Linux from Wilding & Behman.
Let me point out, that when I read the description first I thought that it would be a troubleshooting & performance tweak guide.
However when I read through the first chapters I believed hat the title should say "Troubleshooting (GNU) Linux using Compiler and Debugger".
Finally after I read the whole book I decided the book deserves a different title something like
"The high art of problem investigation and software debugging". - I explain why below.
O.k the title issue out of the way lets focus on the contents of the book.
Table of Contents
Preface.
1. Best Practices and Initial Investigation. - (40p)
2. strace and System Call Tracing Explained. - (50p)
3. The /proc Filesystem. - (30p)
4. Compiling. - (30p)
5. The Stack. - (40p)
6. The GNU Debugger (GDB). - (80p)
7. Linux System Crashes and Hangs. - (20p)
8.: Kernel Debugging with KDB. - (10p)
9.: ELF: Executable and Linking Format. - (85p)
Appendix A: The Toolbox. - (13p)
Appendix B: Data Collection Script. - (12p)
Index. - (10p)
You can already conclude just by looking at the TOC that most is compiling and debugging related stuff.
So to make it clear, this book is NOT for the faint hearted neither is it for beginners. It is for the professionals class room, Power users,
Sysadmins, engineers etc. which either have 3-5 years Linux experience, are in need of a thorough understanding or are looking into developing software.
This is also backed up by the fact that Wilding has 15 years experience writing software and Behman 10 years
experience with (GNU) Linux alone.
Now, if you think 10 years back (1996) you will probably remember that GNU Linux was not that major yet.
So you can assume that Wilding and Behman carry "some" pioneer spirit which is reflected in their book all the way by
the rich details in every single chapter.
The book doesnt loose a lot of time and explains in Chapter 1 (The Intro) an overview of the investigation methods
and also spends an extra 10 pages for the symptoms versus cause explanations with its possible solutions.
That described experience alone can be an invaluable and a BIG timesaver.
If I may make a recommmendation: Make sure you read Chapter 1 thoroughly and DONT SKIM OVER IT !!
I made the mistake and skimmed over it. Almost at the end of the book I realised that many of the questions that
came up for me where caused by not having read the first Chapter thoroughly enough.
Having never done an strace before I found the strace chapter to be very detailed *almost a bit overwhelming for a second chapter.
Developers and senior IT professionals might feel here right at home. I found that the book is overall very detailed and contains so much information that I have
to admit I did not crasp all on the first read ;-). Especially the chapters about Compiling, the GDB and ELF are incredible detailed
and very thoroughly describe many steps which are absolutely necessary investigating software issues.
It is this thoroughly prepared "learned lessons" which the authors describe which makes the book so valuable.
Many people out there may have some experience with debugging and compiling and the typical three commands
"configure or make config, make and install", may have read the one or the other howto.
It is this book which takes those bits and puzzle peaces and allows you to put it together to see the whole picture
of how the software stuff works on the inside of your box.
Instructors and Teachers might use the book for prepareing tutorials and howto*s for classrooms or study courses.
There is enough info inside to make lots of them. It is also a very nice self study book.
The book is very readable, which is especially surprising considering the complex topics Wilding and Behman
are takling.
I personally enjoyed most the chapters about the /proc filesystem and the ELF. However I have to admit that ELF
(the default format for shared libraries and executables) is by no way a simple topic and I had to take a break several times in
order to be able to stay focused and remind me where I am. f.e. In the ELF chapter Wilding and Behman describe 17 of 29
Section names and types * which is a lot *.
They do not only describe their functions, but also their correlations and their importance in the debugging process. A this isnt enough,
Wilding and Behman step you through several debugging process and documented almost each single step I could think of - a gesture
which is very helpful, not only for beginners. They also explain the symbol resolution thats going on internal of the ELF files.
Finally they even explain 2 interception methods, including one showing you how to attach to a running process and debugging it !!
I could feel that this book is written with a lot of passion for a great topic. This is not only a compliment for the authors but also for the team behind the book.
The book is a VERY VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION - not only but - especially for junior members in the open source community.
I also believe that it is a very nice text for the classroom or selve study courses.
If you read until here, chances are high that you will like the book.
Summary:
Its nice to see such a thoroughly prepared text about compiling and debugging which is so readable.
The book allows anybody who has read a few howto's and was wondering how this all relates to each other, to finally get the big picture.
On top of it, Wildman and Behman put a lot of "best practices" tips and advices in the book.
Soo, to sum it up in one sentence:
FINALLY an easy understandable and very readable book about debugging and compiling. If you want to get only one book about compiling and debugging, this is it !
Note: This review was edited to remove some mispellings, however you may still find some typos in the text.
Required reference for power users and administrators.......2005-12-15
Whether you are a power user or a Linux system administrator if you like to work through and resolve problems yourself then you will want a copy of this book. The purpose of the book is to provide the reader with a best practices manual and guideline for how to approach and resolve problems in Linux. The first chapter is an introduction that includes the four phases of investigation and determining the difference between a symptom and a cause. From there the author leads the reader through how to use various tools to locate exactly what is happening. The rest of the book examines the details of the Linux system and includes items like using strace to trace system calls, using the information in the /proc filesystem to troubleshoot a problem, compiling the Linux kernel and how to deal with various compilation problems, the GNU debugger (a particularly good chapter), dealing with Linux crashes and hangs, using KDB to debug kernel problems, and the executable and linking format. Appendix A is a listing of common utilities for resolving problems, when to use them, and where to find them. This is a very good resource to keep handy when you are looking for the right tool but really don't know what it is. Self-Service Linux is highly recommended for all Linux power-users and administrators.
Will likely have a long shelf life..........2005-11-14
If you build software targeted for the Linux operating system, odds are you're going to run into a sticky problem now and then. You'll need to know how to debug either your program or the Linux kernel to see what's going on. This book can help you with that chore... Self-Service Linux - Mastering the Art of Problem Determination by Mark Wilding and Dan Behman.
Contents: Best Practices and Initial Investigation; strace and System Call Tracing Explained; The /proc Filesystem; Compiling; The Stack; The GNU Debugger (GDB); Linux System Crashes and Hangs; Kernel Debugging with KDB; ELF: Executable and Linking Format; The Toolbox; Data Collection Script; Index
This book has some pretty heavy-duty stuff it covers. It starts out with a well-thought-out methodology for debugging a system problem. These first 40 pages are like gold, and they'd be well-applied by *any* system developer, not just a Linux programmer. You'd think that developers would already know this stuff, but sadly it seems like a lost art all too often. From that point, things get deep into the different techniques for debugging problems specific to different areas of Linux. You many not need all the different sections, in that it may just be *your* program, not a problem with the kernel. But having all the information on debugging techniques in one place should cut down on a lot of research time, and will lead to much quicker system resolutions.
As Linux continues to grow in the market, I see the need for solid debugging skills to also be on the rise. This book will likely have a long shelf-life...
nice chapter on explaining GDB .......2005-10-16
Wilding and Behman take us deep into diagnosing problems that can arise under linux. It seems best suited for an experienced developer or sysadmin. The issues it deals with tend to require this. For example, in many instances, the text gives example assembler code, for the x86 architecture. Most programmers, even when debugging, simply do not need to know the assembler version of their code. Or how the stack works.
However, for those of you who do, the text can be very useful in explaining what really happens under the bonnet, when you compile and run a program.
The book's cover suggests that it can also be useful to power users. I'm somewhat dubious of this. The most that a latter user might do or can do is to hand over a core dump or a screen capture of some diagnostics, to a programmer. Where the latter is the one who avails herself of this book.
The book devotes an entire chapter to the GNU debugger, gdb. More readable than the official GNU documentation on gdb. Given gdb's widespread use across of linux, and indeed over most versions of unix, this chapter may be the most helpful in the book, to some readers. It's a usage exposition that is distinct from a reference manual. Also, given the wealth of user interfaces these days, the text shows how to use a UI front end to gdb, called the Data Display Debugger. While some gdb purists might scorn this, and revert to their trusty command lines, others will welcome the DDD.
If you have been looking for help on gdb, the book is a good answer.
I don't give 5 stars lightly.......2005-10-13
I'm not sure I've ever given a book 5 stars, but this hits me where I live. The only complaint I have is that the title is misleading: it should have been "Learn how to troubleshoot any Linux problem you ever see" or something like that.
I once thought I'd like to write a book on trouble shooting and problem diagnosis. I'm glad I didn't, because this would make me feel like I had wasted my time.
This is truly excellent. I have already learned more here than I have anywhere in the past year, and look forward to spending a lot more time with this.
Book Description
Explores the dangerous economic and social consequences of extreme individualism. New sections on Enron, sex scandal in the Roman Catholic Church, and the war in Iraq.
Customer Reviews:
Stranger at Wilding .......2006-12-03
When a young girl is turned out of her home, she runs away. She is lucky when a kind man from the circus takes her into his family. She becomes "Chantal" a trapezee artist, and is content with her new life. After she finds Martin, a man who can not remember his past, beside the river, mystery begins to flow. Then there is a dire warning from a palm reader, Chantal's trapezee breaking, and Chantal's past reaching out to claim her. Who cut her trapezee? Why does it seem like someone is trying to kill her?
Madeleine Brent, female pseudonym for novelist Peter O'Donnell, weaves the story with intrigue always keeping the reader on the hook. His well written books don't need sex to keep you reading. Capable, intelligent heroines who have been raised outside the norm of English society usually find themselves surrounded by challenges that they did not anticipate or create. Madeleine Brent is a great author to read.
Customer Reviews:
Another EXCELLENT Brent romance!.......2006-10-13
How I adore Brent's books! And this one is one of the best. We get the plucky English heroine who as a child suffers calamity at the age of thirteen and is headed for the orphanage but ends up running away to the circus and becoming an accomplished trapeze artist. I was surprised by how interested I was in reading about trapezing and about circus life at the turn of the last century. I detest circuses. We find her in Austria and Hungary at first, learn about her daily life and adopted trapeze family, encounter various people along the way, including the hero and villain, and gradually learn about her past childhood and birth as incidents unfold. I never knew what was going to happen next nor what had happened in the past. Very exciting. And just which personable fellow was the hero and which the the enemy? Hmmm. She chose the name Chantal but who was she actually? Hmmm. And those trapeze skills sure come in handy when one needs to make an escape. Never a dull moment for Chantal or the reader.
I really liked this book.......2005-03-21
The characters were very realistic. The story was entertaining. It left me with a good feeling at the end. Also, it was clean, which I enjoyed. It's hard to find books like this.
The circus anyone?.......2003-04-19
Madeleine Brent, aka, Petel O'donnell, introduces us to Chantal in this, his third novel. Our heroine, after running away from a daunting past, joins the circus as a trapeze artist. She's settled into her new life, enjoys her quixotic circus friends, and is, generally, happy. A dark cloud emerges, however, with the entrance of Martin. He's a man with a shady background and a bad case of amnesia. It's left to Chantal to unravel the mysteries of her past, test her faith in friends, find the real bad guys, overcome troubling emotional tendencies and, finally, discover who she really is.
This is classic Brent, with familiar story format but new twists and turns! I just love the geography also; this time we're in Hungary before getting shipped into England. Another great read from the master of Gothic Romance/Suspense.
Oh- and this novel was originally published as, "Kirby's Changeling", but is typically available only to the consumer willing to pay exorbitant rates!
Wonderful! A definite must read........1999-09-15
This book was great. I liked this book because it had adventure, romance, and lots of twist. If you like mysteries and great literature, you'll love Stranger at Wildings
Gothic Adventure Romance.......1999-01-08
Wonderful! Gothic setting with strong female character. Heroine has adventure, romance and brains. Twist ending.
Book Description
Welcome little ones to the world with the things they love best---bright colors, fuzzy textures, and wonderfully whimsical quilts! Use these portable project cards to whip up adorable designs in time for the baby shower.
* Twenty quilts use quick piecing, simple appliquC), and frayed-edge techniques
* Designs for boys and girls feature frogs, hearts, trucks, caterpillars, and more, plus a patchwork "I Love Mama" quilt
* Project cards include step-by-step directions, full-color illustrations, and templates; a bonus card walks beginners through basic techniques
"These fantastically fun quilts are easy to make and are sure to delight that special baby in your life."
--Ursula Reikes, author of the bestselling "Quilts for Baby" series
Customer Reviews:
A quick, take-along inspirational project card........2007-07-07
Jenny Wilding Cardon's The Little Box of Baby Quilts is a set of project cards that can be used to produce inspirational and quick designs for boys and girls. These are portable cards in a box, each holding step-by-step directions, a color photo and templates, and even an introduction to basic techniques for beginners. The quilts use a blend of quick piecing and easy applique techniques. While not appropriate for library lending, they are perfect for the quilter who wants a quick, take-along inspirational project card.
A Sensory Sensation for Baby!.......2007-03-29
I may be biased, as I am the author's sister-in-law, but these quilts are darling! I've never seen baby quilts that make such wonderful use of color and texture. If you're looking for unique designs that will catch baby's eye, this is the box of designs you want.
My favorite design for its use of rich color contrast is "Sad Days, Hippie Days" which combines a tie-dyed background fabric with blocks of happy and sad smiley faces. A close runner-up for me is "Elementary!" which features green, yellow, and red striped blocks on a deep violet background.
If you're looking for a textured quilt, take a look at "Inch by Inch", a pattern that turns fuzzy fabric into cheery caterpillars with bright, smiley faces. And, I think most of us love the "I Love Mama" pattern, with the big fluffy heart right in the middle.
Any pattern you choose from this 20-pattern collection is bound to be baby's favorite blanky.
Book Description
The tribal Braxana-created to become the ultimate warriors. The Azeans-raised to master the power of the mind. Two interstellar civilizations fighting an endless war over a long-forgotten cause. Now, after two centuries, the legacy of their greatest military leaders threatens to tear apart both empires.
Customer Reviews:
I was disppointed.......2007-06-29
When I discovered that this was a "sequel" to In Conquest Born I was quite excited. I've been reading Friedman off and on since I read ICB. She does what she always does which is to say she populates her story with fascinating charaters and concepts that make one think. However, she introduces so many characters and subplots that I had difficulty getting through the first half of the book. The last third of the book where she concentrates on the most important characters and their dilemmas if far more interesting and less difficult to follow. Even though I'm not crazy about this book, she's still a very special writer.
Sigh..........2007-04-09
This author has been one who continually leaves me in a state of awe. The depth of her abilities, from futuristic stories to ones set in primitive societies... It's incredible. I have absolutely loved every book of hers that I've read.
This one, however, was disappointing. I loved the original in the series, thought it was well written, a captivating ride. The sequel here seems just too shallow, too preconceived, too hollow. The depth of the character development just seemed to be lacking here, there was no sense of being able to sympathize with any of the characters. Even in the most outrageous sci-fi moments of her other novels, the characters still *feel* human, you can still relate to them on some level, see things through their eyes and understand. This novel gave me none of that feeling. Contrived and almost violently pushed into almost a cookie-cutter plot line, there was little sense of flow and even less credibility of the characters. Granted, I liked the last chapter, but the whole story could've been told in a fraction of the time without sacrificing anything.
Shame on Daw books - quality control issues.......2007-02-17
I thought this book was great. In fact, all of Freidman's books are just phenomenal. So, has anyone else noticed that DAW along with other publishers have switched to low quality materials for their hardcover books? Take a look at the paper for instance. Just compare this book and the Colfire Trilogy in hardcover. You won't be thrilled in about 5 years, when those still look great and this one has begun to yellow with age.
Why oh why is DAW books releasing books printed on low quality paper - and at the same if not higher prices!
Hello?! DAW, stop this garbage right now. As consumers we kind of notice when an awesome author like Freidman has her books printed on pulp that will yellow with age in about 5 years.
I hate this new trend with book publishers just to save a buck. None of us get a deal on the price, but they can sell inferior goods to us because they know we want to read the books anyway. Please watch out and if possible, complain to the company. If enough of us do, they will return to the quality we have come to expect. When you look at the earlier books and this one, ther really is no comparison.
Sequel in Name Only........2005-10-10
Although "The Wilding" is billed as a sequel to the unforgettable "In Conquest Born," which was written more than a decade and a half ago, if you're a newcomer to C.S. Friedman's works, don't worry. While this novel picks up the "Never Ending War" generations later, the characters are new, and the situation is very different.
Friedman uses the old twins separated at birth plot as central to this episodic work dealing with the overthrow of a tyrant. Less a novel than a series of incidents that coalesce at the end, the point of view keeps shifting, even within chapters sometimes.
With this author, there are always complications, and you need to be on the alert for foreshadowings and surprises. You need to keep careful track of the characters, too--fortunately there's a glossary to help out.
Friedman writes well, and she creates fascinating characters, all of whom become pawns in a game that's greater than they know. I hope it doesn't take another 15 years before the author drops back into this universe.
Not one of her best........2005-07-29
For an author to return to a universe she created years (and several novels) ago requires some daring, and 'daring' really should be Friedman's middle name. She tackles thorny ethical issues and moral questions--and the consequences of the chosen answers--without flinching.
I'd been waiting years for this book. I'm sorry to say it did not live up to my expectations. "The Wilding" is the long-awaited sequel to her debut novel, "In Conquest Born". I was expecting a return to that universe, perhaps a return tothe characters whose ultimate fates were left dangling so tantalizingly.
Instead, the story begins three generations after the conclusion of ICB, and introduces one of the most morally repulsive male characters ever to be passed off as a protagonist. (Gerald Tarrant wasn't a shining prince, either, but he never made light of rape, or taunted women with the threat of it.) Whatever high points this book had were quickly sunk by this repulsive, sickening man for whom we were supposed to empathize.
Sadly, many of the most intriguing characters were killed off, the most promising plotlines and sub-plots never developed. The scientific theories (many of which are hot-topic debates in the real-world) are sound, and could well hold the attention of readers who wish to read about the mystery of twins living parallel lives, the long-term effects of war on a cultural psyche, and the truly nebulous definition of 'enemy.'
One of Friedman's gifts is that she can take even minor characters and make them memorable, even if they appear only forthe purpose of being killed off a few pages later. Many authors, writing violent stories, downplay the fact that the "people" being killed are indeed people, with names, personalities, and hopes/ambitions/fears. Many people die in Friedman's books, but none of them die as strangers to the reader.
In my opinion, this book would have been far more interesting if we'd been allowed to *learn* about the Diaspora, to *see* the effect of the Plague on the Braxanna, to see how the characters we spent so much time learning of in ICB became the figures of legend so briefly mentioned in "The Wilding." I would have loved to see more about the motivations of the half-blood, about the household of the mysterious supreme leader of the Braxanna, of the history of the Azeans, and the changes in its culture, away from telepathic development and genetics to...what it is in "The Wilding."
(At the risk of spoilers, both sides of the Great War have diminished, greatly. It was sad, to see so much potential reduced to a few pages of exposition, when whole novels could have been produced from it.)
This isn't a *bad* book. It has some unique characters--apart from the repulsive male lead--some interesting questions and conflicts. It is, by many measures, a good book. It is, however, a poor sequel to "In Conquest Born."
I would have given this book a lot more leeway if there *hadn't* been an expanded, revised 'anniversary edition' of ICB released prior to this. The story universe, then, wasn't that far off then, so the clumsy fit with the previous work stands out much more sharply.
If you are a completist, you will want to read "The Wilding." If you want to know what's happened in that story universe since ICB... it may leave you right back where you started.
Book Description
Social Policy has been a key dimension of dynamic economic growth in East Asia's 'little tigers' and is also a prominent strand of their responses to the financial crisis of the latte 1990s. This systematic comparative analysis of social policy in the region focuses on the key sectors of education, health, housing and social security. It sets these sectoral analyses in wider contexts of debates about developmental states, the East Asian welfare model and globalization.
Customer Reviews:
clear explanations.......2007-07-04
This book helped me greatly in understanding AP Calculus BC in 12th grade. For example, once my calculus teacher taught a concept which I completely failed to understand. I read the corresponding section in this book the night before the quiz and scored a high A--the highest in the class.
It will help you.......2006-09-26
I wasn't the best at Calc BC in my class, but I got this book and studied like crazy. I read this entire book from cover to cover and took notes. However, I didn't do any of the tests in the back because my teacher had his own for me to do. I tried most of the problems and such. I earned a 5 on the BC test for all my efforts though I was close to a C+ average in the class.
The author provides some challanging and some easy problems. Best of all, this guy has a sense of humor which makes dry math seem much better. This is the best book to own.
Keep in mind I did have a good teacher, this book just gave me another way of looking at everything. In most cases this book is what got me to see how to do things. It also taught me some things my teacher didn't that saved me time and got me the right answer. Taken alongside what you learn in class, this is sure to help anyone (though it still didn't get series straight for me, but it did help me feel comfortable with series problems).
This book does have a few inaccuracies, but you're sure to spot them. Or you could just read the review posted by the other guy on this site for a list of them all and corrections.
I encourage you to get this book if you are looking for the best guide (though slightly out of date).
AP Calculus Teacher Recommends this book for Students.......2005-12-12
I have been teaching AP Calculus for more years than I am willing to admit. Whenever I have a student who says, "I need more practice problems" or "I'm just not getting this" or "Is there ANYthing you can do to help me?" I ALWAYS recommend this book.
Some of my students just use it at the end of the year to review, but others use it during the year as a supplemental text.
Yes, even the best of teachers sometimes can't deliver the message in a way that EVERY student understands. That's why Mike Kelley's book is so helpful.
Buy it. Your brain will thank you.
good effort, but many errors.......2005-09-24
I bought this book to study for the AP Calculus AB exam and possibly teach myself some of the BC topics. I think the book overall does a good job and is well intended, but it has various problems. First of all, it is strewn with errors. I am referring to the 3rd edition when I write about these. Some examples are:
- on page 22, there is a graph labelled as a ln graph (y=lnx), but it actually shows a square root graph (y=x^(1/2)0.
- on page 55 in Exmaple 17 it says coordinates are A (3, pi/2), B (-3pi/4,1), C (5pi/6, -2), flipping all the x- and y- coordinates with each other. (It should be A (pi/2, 3), B (1, -3pi/4) and C (-2, 5pi/6).
- on page 63 it says "AB [with arrow over it to indicate vecctor] = 7 i [i in bold] + 3j [j in bold] = 7 i [i in bold] + 3j [j in bold]". It should say "AB [with arrow over it to indicate vecctor] =
<7,3> = 7 i [i in bold] + 3j [j in bold]".
- on page 83, it says "lim x -> -2 r(x) = lim x -> -2 (1/ (x-2)) = 1/ (-2 - 20) = -1/4". It should say "lim x -> -2 r(x) = lim x -> -2 (1/ (x-2)) = 1/ (-2 - 2) = -1/4"
- on page 137 we are trying to fine h'(e), but first you of course find the general formula for h'(x) and then plug in e. But whoever typed it must have thought they were all supposed to say "h'(x)". First, at the top of the page it reads "Example 14: Find h'(x) if h(x) = [equation]", and it should read "Example 14: Find h'(x) if h(x) = [equation]" since the problem ends up solving for h'(e). Then a few lines down it reads "Now find h'(e), and remember that lne=1. That will remove some of the grime. h'(x) = arc cot e [etc, rest of equation with es in it]". Again. clearly that is an equation for h'(e), not for h'(x).
- on the bottom of page 173 on example 9 of chapter 5, the tangent line equation should read "...=17.696(x-(pi/4)), but it makes some error where pi/4 is (I whited out the original and wrote that over it so I don't remember what the error originally was.)
- On page 237 on the Chapter 6 practice problem #8 the radius should be 36 feet, not whatever was written in.
And after chapter 6 it gets suddenly better. Maybe they hired a different typre for the rest of the book or something. Or maybe I just never got as far as the rest of the book/ =P
Anyway, the long and the short of all that is that if you are going to be confused by lots of typos. maybe this book isn't for you. For me, I had enough familiarity with the topics to begin with that I figured out what they meant (though it did waste a bit of my time.) However, if you don't have a good background prior to this book, things like this might confuse you (although you do have an enumeration of all the errors (well, through chapter 6 at least) right here, assuming this still coordinates with the edition of the book they're selling now. (Or maybe, of course, they've corrected these errors by now!))
On the other hand, I think it provides pretty good review in general. In the start in Chapter 2 which is Calculus Prerequiaiates (relations, functions, trig) it gives lists of all the things to memorize, in only a few places, so you have them all there to study. In addition, there is aformula page in the start of the book with the basic formulas, besides these ones which are like the pre-calc ones (trig identities, sum and diff formulas, etc).
Also, the writer attempts to write with humor and flair, to avoid the typical math-book type book. I'm not sure if this is a plus or a minus, though. His jokes are really lame, but I suppose they still do lighten up the math of it.
There are hands-on activities that attempt to get the student to figure out for themselve (sorry, him or herself) math rules by going through steps of mini-questions and then it asks you what is the relation between such-and-such or the general formula for such-and-such. I think some of these are pretty good.
And in general I think things are explained well.
Overall, I think this is a pretty good book, but there are a ton of errors. I bought it based upon the previous reviews that said it was THE calc book to buy to review for the AP exams. (BTW, I took calc, AB; I don't know how this book is for BC, though I think it would be ok, but I have heard BC is a ton harder, so I don't know. It has each section separate and the ones that are for BC only are labelled "BC Only", that's how it organizes that.) If it is true that this book is really so much better than all the otherrs, I'd say buy it in spite of the typos unless you think that would really throw you off. However, I haven't heard anything bad about the other books from people I know.... I've heard that Barron's sucks in general and Princeton Review is good, but I have no idea really. I can't imagine anything being so much better about this book than others, unless the others really suck, but I don't know. Anyway, if this book is really better I'd say go for it but otherwise it has lots of annoying errors. I give it a 3 out of 5 assuming it really is a better book in general, a 2 out of 5 if not.
Information on the book:
It has 11 chapters in 2 parts, the first being pre-calc and differentiation, the second being integration. the third part of the book is practice exams, one in AB and one in BC. I honestly never got that far and haven't looked at the practice exams; I just practiced with old exams from the collegeboard website.
Part 1
- Ch. 1: Intro to the AP Calc test, etc
- Ch 2: "Calculus Prerequiaiates" - functions, trig stuff
- Ch 3: "Limits and Continuity"
- Ch 4: "Differnetiation"
- Ch 5: "Advanced Topics in Differentiation"
- Ch 6: "Applications of the Derivative"
- Ch 7: "Integration"
- Ch 8: "Advanced Methods of Integration" (u substitution, and then mostly BC stuff, like integration by parts, improper fractions, uv substitution)
- Ch 9: "Applications of Differentiation"
- Ch 10: "Differential Equations"
- Ch 11: "Sequences and Series (BC Topic only)"
Book Has Changed Title, This Edition No Longer In Print.......2005-02-11
This book is now available under a different title, "Peterson's AP Calculus AB and BC." The content is almost exactly the same--I think the "Master" series from ARCO was discontinued.
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