Bruce E Shapiro

Doing Calculus All Night Long Bruce E Shapiro

A concise introduction to calculus that focuses on how to solve problems. Designed for first year students in engineering and the physical sciences.

Fancy-pants calculus books are easy to find. There are so many it's a wonder that we aren't drowning under the crush. There are three times as many "math" listing on Amazon as there are "sex" listings. This may be because nearly a million American college students are expected to shell out some $200 annually to purchase these doorstops that they never even crack open.

This book is not fancy. And it doesn't have pants.

"Doing Calculus? is a giant step backwards in publishing. There are no bells and whistles. Unlike those those other calculus books, the ones with gee-whiz animations that rattle your teeth and on-line assessment tools that blink and flash and pop your cerebellar networks into a seemingly catatonic overload, it's just ink on paper. With lots of snarky comments hidden between the lines. And cool pictures.

Sure, there's a web page (http://calculuscastle.com), but there's virtually nothing useful on the web page, so it is unlikely to drive you nuts. And equally unlikely to crash your computer. Calculus might drive you bonkers, but the web page is unlikely to do more than mildly amuse you.

"Doing Calculus" is not just another doorstop. You might have to buy several, though, and glue them together (and to the floor), to make a really effective door stop. Though it is thin enough that you might actually be able to cram it under some doors. Depends on the door.

From the creator of http://integral-table.com.