How to Ace Calculus

The Streetwise Guide

Colin Adams, Abigail Thompson, and Joel Hass

Times Books

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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.

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Praise for How to Ace Calculus

"Imagine calculus is a solid old house built on good foundations. When the time comes to sell it to a new owner, a lick of brightly colored, cheery paint can do wonders. This is what Adams, Hass, and Thompson have done in How to Ace Calculus."—Keith Devlin, Dean, School of Science, St. Mary's College (CA), Senior Researcher, Stanford University, and author of The Language of Mathematics

"This is a marvelous, user-friendly introduction to the basic ideas of calculus. It is effective, humorous and eminently practical. The book that 100,000 calculus students have been searching for is finally here."—Ron Graham, Chief Scientist, AT&T Labs, former President of the American Mathematical Society, and author of Concrete Mathematics: A Foundation of Computer Science

"Can a calculus book be lighthearted and engaging? Surprisingly, yes, and here is one that does the job."—Thomas Banchoff, Professor of Mathematics, Brown University, President-Elect of the Mathematics Association of America, and author of Beyond the Third Dimension

"This book is dangerously clear, direct, and funny. It should be suppressed before it jeopardizes the time-tested function of the calculus sequence to befuddle and filter surplus students."—William Thurston, Professor of Mathematics, University of California at Davis, Fields Medalist, and former Director of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute

"Comic opera meets college math in this amusing and edifying roller coaster of an introduction to calculus."—Ivars Peterson, author of The Mathematical Tourist

Reviews from Goodreads

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Jen  rated it  
Aug 5, 2007
My father bought me this book when I was struggling with C's in Calculus while in high school. I managed to pull my grades up and went on to major in Economics and minor in Math in college. A wacky source of inspiration, but a total lifesaver. ...more
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David  rated it  
Oct 12, 2010
This is perhaps a bit of an unusual book for me to have purchased and read. I have never been in a calculus classroom in my life, let alone have any need of "acing" one.

How interesting, then, that I happened to have this book sitting on my shelves when I started the closest th ...more
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Stephanie  rated it  
Sep 7, 2010
I read this about 5-6 years ago when I was struggling with Calc II and III. Aside from helping me understand the concepts and pass the classes, I thought this book was absolutely hilarious. Mathemeticians with a sense of humor. Who knew? ...more
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About the Author

Colin Adams, Abigail Thompson, and Joel Hass

Colin Adams is Professor of Mathematics at Williams College. He is the author of The Knot Book and winner of the Mathematical Association of America Distinguished Teaching Award for 1998. Joel Hass is Professor of Mathematics at the University of California at Davis, and Abigail Thompson is also Professor of Mathematics at the University of California at Davis. Both have held fellowships from the Sloan Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

Colin Adams
Abigail Thompson
Joel Hass

Colin Adams

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Available Formats and Book Details

How to Ace Calculus
The Streetwise Guide
Colin Adams, Abigail Thompson, and Joel Hass

Trade Paperback

Trade Paperback
Henry Holt and Co.
Times Books
July 1998
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9780716731603
ISBN10: 0716731606
7 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches, 256 pages
$20.00
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