Precalculus

This book covers all the topics and has plenty of practice problems and yet it's barely an inch thick! Why isn't every instructor using this book?

i ended up making an A in calculus, but i didnt think taking the precalculus course using this book was very helpful. maybe just a little

This review is about two books: Precalculus, by Faires and DeFranza, and the Study Guide for the same book. The reviews above seem to be about the text itself (which is, at the moment, not what is being offered for sale; the ISBN is that of the Study Guide). While the comments from other readers may be valid relative to the uses to which they have put the book, I have found the book an admirable aid for teaching out of. It is compact, has good exercises and examples, is well laid-out and well planned. Books which are good for self-teaching are not often useful for an instructor who can teach with competence. The text is not a substitute for the professor; it forms the third member of the trio who comprise the learning team: teacher, student, and text. The book is not encyclopedic, which is a plus In my opinion. It leaves space for the instructor to supplement it with other topics. The approaches taken in the introduction of various topics are appropriate in the majority of cases; these are experts, who see the subject in perspective, and know how each topic fits into the bigger picture which is applied mathematics. A sophomore writing a book to help his freshman friends will write a very different book--possibly more immediately useful to them in some ways, but ultimately less useful! The reviewers seem not to realize that the book being offered for sale is the very Study Guide which could be of great help to those who want a self-teaching book.

Hi! I am a math teacher in Malaysia. For your information we have Precalculus texts written in our own native language which has about 200 pages. I have been searching for some American preCalculus texts which are short. When I find this title by Faires I acquired a copy and see that it has about 400 pages. Ourtexts cover most topics in Algebra & Trigonometry because we have a different syllabus where we don't make use of a graphing calculator, naturally our math texts look short and lean.I have given this Faires PreCalculus text 5 stars for many reasons. First, it is a short book about 400 pages (which most other Precalculus texts have more then 800 pages). That means American students will find it light enough to carry around. Second, it covers topics which are only necessary as preparation for Calculus. Third, students who are already familiar with Beginning Algebra and Intermediate Algebra can skip materials that would be repetitive and can concentrate more time on what truely are materials for success in future Calculus/Advanced Math courses. This book tells what to learn and master thoroughly.As for other standard PreCalculus texts, they cover most topics in College Alegebra & Trigonometry, which includes partial fractions and trigonometric identity like sin A + sin B = 2sin(1/2)(A+B)cos(1/2)(A-B). This Faires Precalculus text has no topic on partial fractions, as though instructors who choose to adopt this text would prefer not to spend time on this yet, postponing this topic until students encounter techniques of intergration in Calculus. I see why more time should be spent onPreCalulus learning how to manipulate algebraic expressions dealing with inequalities and absolute values, which are very much needed in understanding the concepts of Limits in Calculus and finding zeros of complicated polynomials are that important in determining minimum and maximum values...etc.The pro is. when this Faires text is adopted. students are guided to where they are heading to unsure success in Calculus (the reason for a Precalculus course). The con is, there wiil be students of intermediate level who will miss many topics as foundin other standard PreCalculus texts, as though they will never be taught, for example, how the identity "sin A + sin B" works. You gonna miss many interesting topics in College Alegebra & Trigonometry, it is that when you spend most of your time on selected topics. If your instructor adopts this book, then you need to have a companion book like Dugopolski's Precalculus text(which you need to buy extra to know ALL of Precalculus AlegebraTrigonometry topics). This is because Faires PreCalculus covers just the essentials that FOCUS ON SKILLS you need to succeed in Calculus.My suggestion is, if your instructor adopts other standard PreCalculus text, buy this text as a helper. It really can help you to gain much confidence in choosing what to expect and spend more time on necessary topics. But, if your instructor adopts this