» University Calculus, Part One (Single Variable, Chap 1-9) (Chapters 1-9 Pt. 1)

University Calculus, Part One (Single Variable, Chap 1-9) (Chapters 1-9 Pt. 1) Reviews

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Summary: another total rewrite of what was a good book
Comment: Recently deceased at 92, I suspect George B Thomas would, if healthy, sincerely lament this uninspiring and dull, monkey see monkey do, book published for over 50 years now in various forms with his name on it.

It is incredibly dishonest to put thomas' name on these books, at least for the past 20 years or so. although presumably his estate benefits financially from the arrangement, the reader does not benefit at all.

this book owes more to the recently popular book by Edwards and Penney than to thomas, but is nowhere near as good as that book, even in its present degenerated condition,( 6th edition).

preferably one should go back and read the original book thomas wrote, and it is far cheaper. try the old "ALTERNATE EDITION" OF THOMAS, NOT THOMAS HASS AND WEIR.


this book is not just a concession but a complete capitulation to the idea that american students refuse to think when learning science and mathematics, but wish to be given rote rules to memorize.

sadly i am forced to teach from this book this semester. we are really doing a disservice to our students to use books of this low standard, it deceives them into thinking they are learning calculus, on par with the rest of the world.

if you want a decent book, go back and read the first edition of edwards and penney or an early edition of thomas, or the second edition of stewart, or the 9th edition of finney and thomas, or much better, a real book, like courant, apostol, or spivak, or one of the excellent privately published paperbacks by henry helson, professor emeritus of berkeley.

or if you really are ambitious, try an old copy of the analysis course by goursat.

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