Calculus for Dummies
This book takes careful reading if you date back to the forties and second year high school algebra, but put some effort into it and you can certainly gain more than a little insight into the subject. It is well written, holds one's attention, and gives the reader a laugh now and then - a critical element in any book, in my view. I got this book to satisfy my own curiosity, and not for some technical or scholastic effort.
It works.

I've had a lot of trouble in the past with calculus and had to retake it again last semester in college. I bought this book along with the problem book, but it didn't help me as much as I thought it would. The language was the same as the calculus book I was using and wasn't as entertaining to read.

This book helped only because it gave me a different perspective on the material, but I was looking for something worded differently.

I am a college student who enrolled in calculus for the first time this semester. I had ordered this book prior to starting class but it had not arrived before our first meeting. I was really worried that I would not be able to understand the material after the first lecture. I read the text book and it still did not make much sense. About a week after class started, Calculus for Dummies arrives in the mail. WOW! Mark Ryan does such an amazing job of breaking difficult concepts into more than manageable pieces. And since math builds on itself, this book seems to follow so closely with my text book it is as if they were written for each other. I think one of the greatest advantages of this book is that in the very beginning Mark explains WHAT calculus is. What a novel concept! Realizing that calculus is primarily broken in to two sections, differentiation and integration, allowed me to get an idea of what lays ahead. And getting "math speak" explained in a plainer english format makes reading my textbook a breeze. I do recommend using this book as a supplement to your text book though...not as a substitute. Using it to aid the material that you are learning in class will increasing your understanding immensely. I'm proof of that. At this point, we've taken our first mid-term exam and I earned a 94%. Thanks Mark!

I am a college student who enrolled in calculus for the first time this semester. I had ordered this book prior to starting class but it had not arrived before our first meeting. I was really worried that I would not be able to understand the material after the first lecture. I read the text book and it still did not make much sense. About a week after class started, Calculus for Dummies arrives in the mail. WOW! Mark Ryan does such an amazing job of breaking difficult concepts into more than manageable pieces. And since math builds on itself, this book seems to follow so closely with my text book it is as if they were written for each other. I think one of the greatest advantages of this book is that in the very beginning Mark explains WHAT calculus is. What a novel concept! Realizing that calculus is primarily broken in to two sections, differentiation and integration, allowed me to get an idea of what lays ahead. And getting "math speak" explained in a plainer english format makes reading my textbook a breeze. I do recommend using this book as a supplement to your text book though...not as a substitute. Using it to aid the material that you are learning in class will increasing your understanding immensely. I'm proof of that. At this point, we've taken our first mid-term exam and I earned a 94%. Thanks Mark!

Seriously? There's a "Cheat Sheet" in the front of the book I purchased and there are at least 3 formulas incorrect. I hope no student took this in for a cheat sheet on an exam. I'd be cautious in believing what this book says.

This book is great as a refresher and companion to college level calculus books. It may seem, due to the title, that this is for beginners, but it is an enormous help when you draw a blank on that calc. homework assignment. It is also great for a quick review just before a test.

When this book is used with the "Calculus for dummies workbook", it really enhances the standard issue calculus book and helps catch you up in a hurry.

If you need calculus help and your mentor/tutor is just not available, this resource is what you need.

My back-ground: 30+ year old with a BA in Philosophy currently studying comp engineering. The author writes this book for the non mathematician. Explanations of concepts are in plain english. What separates this book from the instructions in a typical text book is the clarity in which the author explains the PURPOSE of each technique and concept. For a non-math type reading the intro to a chapter in a typical text book it is easy to not follow the intent of the concepts involved. Therefore the rest of the chapter seems as if you're just doing more and more complex things, that you do not understand, with functions that have no meaning to you. Without understanding why you are doing what you are doing you will have trouble with the topics in calculus. An example is improper integrals. Without getting to a calculus lesson here if you do not understand what makes an integral improper then you will have trouble solving problems involving them. In general, text books use formal proofs to explain what an improper integral is and how to solve them. This is the case for all concepts in calculus text books. Proofs to show a problem, proofs to show a solution. In C4D the explanations are in simple english with clear descriptions for each step.

The only short comings of the book is that is does not contain problems to practice and it does not offer a very large cache of algebra tricks need for success. I did not find the lack of practice problems to be a serious drawback as practice problems are available from a number of other places e.g. text books, study guides, internet etc... Adding a section on algebra tips and tricks would have made this the best book ever but it is not fair to criticize this book for not having them as no book I have seen has one.

This book is definitely valuable to someone in need of calculus who is not very strong in math.
1) Clearly written explanations instead of mathematical proofs.
2) Tips for remembering how to use the ***load of calculus techniques.
3) Concise cheat-sheet (recommend memorizing it).
4) Covers Calc 1 and much of Calc 2.
5) Helpful in understanding concepts as textbooks (and far too many professors) fail at this.

This is as good as the other "Dummies" books. A good resource or instructional book. Either way, a winner.

I feel like I owe a lot to this book and Mark Ryan. I originally purchased this book two years ago when I ended my enlistment in the Marines. Needless to say, after being out of school for almost six years I had some trepidation about starting college, and especially my math courses (because, let's face it...as much as I love my fellow-Belleau woodsman, Marines don't typically have a reputation for their intellectual prowess). This book, along with it's accompanied workbook, became invaluable to me as a supplement to my calculus textbooks in college. The biggest benefit is that Ryan can explain the concepts in clear, everyday language, unlike most math texts. I ended my Calculus I course with one of the highest grades in the class. I am now a junior in college on my way to finishing my engineering degree, and this book definately helped establish a solid mathematical foundation and gave me a needed academic confidence boost.

I taught my first calculus class over a quarter of a century ago. As always seems to be the case, the thought of having to take calculus had the members of the class nervous. To most it is a daunting task, yet the fundamentals of what is covered in differential and integral calculus are intuitive. Concepts such as continuity, limits, differentiability as the slope of the tangent line and integration as the limit of a sum are all ideas well within the grasp of nearly everyone.
The devil and fear is of course in the details, how to take these principles and apply them to problems. There have been many times when I have had a student tell me, " I understand the fundamental concept, that is easy to follow." However, when it comes time to do something like an epsilon-delta proof of continuity or understand the proof of the fundamental theorem of calculus, the student will say, "I don't know what to do."
In my opinion, that is what will happen to most of the people with no calculus background who read this book. They will understand the fundamental principles and hit a wall when they try to apply them. Knowledge of the fundamentals of precalculus is a necessity, without that, it is unlikely that even the intuitive concepts will make sense.
To paraphrase Euclid, "There is no easy road to calculus." It requires a great deal of thought, study and the acquisition of mathematical skill. Many people, myself included, believe that you really don't begin to understand it until a year after you complete the calculus courses.
Therefore, in my opinion, very few beginners will be able to acquire a great deal of calculus knowledge from this book. Even though I concede that the coverage is broad and the approach is at an understandable level. Learning calculus is a mind-broadening experience, yet it is no simple task. Memorization is pointless; the light bulbs must eventually go off in your mind. I don't see how reading any book without exercises can make that happen. I consider it superb as a supplemental book, but nearly worthless as a primary text.

I've always had issues truly retaining mathematical concepts. So naturally, when faced with having to take college calculus, I had mild reservations.

I purchased this book in January, before the spring semester started, and began tearing through the book, studying everything I could. As the semester progressed, all that my teacher was saying was crystal clear, and coincided perfectly with what this book was teaching.

By the end of the semester, I had not only dealt with calculus, but I actually appreciated the usefulness of it in everyday applications. This book is an absolute must for those who are timid when it comes to math. Want proof of it's success? I finished the class with a 97.5% - an A+!

I used this book a year ago for my Calculus BC class. I was pretty much clueless and felt hopeless, but Dummies helped me understand basic and fundamental concepts of Calculus. I finally "understood" what limits were and derivatives instead of just calculating them. But this review isn't enough for a BC class because there aren't enough examples, practice questions or sujbect depth. But overall, it's good to understand basics of Calculus. I used this along with another Calculus book and my textbook (which I rarely used) and my Calculus class was more tolerable. I ended up getting a 5 on Calculus BC and a 4 on Calculus AB section. I will give some due, not all, to this book for helping me get a 5 on the BC exam and making my transition to a Calculus class easier.

Wow, it's been a long time since I've been in a math class, and to say that I am rusty is a gross understatement. So it was with great relief that I discovered that not only can I follow this book, I actually enjoyed it. I even laughed out loud a few times. Mark's humor made all the difference, and when the going got a little tough, the lively writing kept me engaged.

Mark's experience as a teacher is evident throughout-- he knows where the pitfalls are and addresses them before the reader trips. I would describe myself as a slightly above-average math student, and calculus was not an intuitively easy topic for me. There were parts of the book that I had to read several times and then digest. Fortunately, I was being taught by a great teacher. I could well imagine learning calculus from a lessor instructor and getting totally lost.

Soon my daughter will be taking calculus in school, and I'm going to make sure that she reads this book. Congratulations Mark on writing the definitive book for "dummies," scholars and everyone in between.

I love this book. When I am completely lost in my class I pull it out and it gives me ideas on how to remember things. To this day I still use their integration by parts box.

This book is absolutely amazing!!! I refer to it more than I use my Calculus II textbook. The author, Mark Ryan, breaks all the complicated concepts down into such easy terminology that they are so easy to understand. It is an absolute necessity for anyone taking high school or college calculus. Definitely worth every penny I paid for it!

This book spends the first 8 chapters reviewing basic algebra and geometry. Then it starts with limits, which is a good chapter. After that, the book is out of control. The derivative part makes it more confusing than a textbook and it has minimal examples. It also did not cover many important calculus concepts. Dont buy the Calculus Workbook because those problems are too easy. The only helpful thing was the yellow review card in the front. I would absolutly not recommend this for a college student. It only helps you through 2/3 of the first semester. Just stick with your ol'textbook.

This book spends the first 8 chapters reviewing basic algebra and geometry. Then it starts with limits, which is a good chapter. After that, the book is out of control. The derivative part makes it more confusing than a textbook and it has minimal examples. It also did not cover many important calculus concepts. Dont buy the Calculus Workbook because those problems are too easy. The only helpful thing was the yellow review card in the front. I would absolutly not recommend this for a college student. It only helps you through 2/3 of the first semester. Just stick with your ol'textbook.

A good effort at presenting a difficult subject, but in the end, even though this book helps in understanding the principals involved, the subject matter is still extremely complex and even though I was able to follow all the worked examples, I still find it is difficult to stay on track when working alone.

This book spends the first 8 chapters reviewing basic algebra and geometry. Then it starts with limits, which is a good chapter. After that, the book is out of control. The derivative part makes it more confusing than a textbook and it has minimal examples. It also did not cover many important calculus concepts. Dont buy the Calculus Workbook because those problems are too easy. The only helpful thing was the yellow review card in the front. I would absolutly not recommend this for a college student. It only helps you through 2/3 of the first semester. Just stick with your ol'textbook.

A good effort at presenting a difficult subject, but in the end, even though this book helps in understanding the principals involved, the subject matter is still extremely complex and even though I was able to follow all the worked examples, I still find it is difficult to stay on track when working alone.

for me there has to be a "calculus for pre-dummies", because "calculus for dummies" is not adequate. i had all the basic math courses in high school and college but could not grasp the concepts as presented in these books. for one thing, symbols are not adequately explicated, and if you don't understand symbols in the various types of math, you are hopelessly lost - or at least i am. the one redeeming feature is the humor injected into the explanations.

it helped me alot to understand what is going on or why im doing something for calc. when you understand you can you dont get as confused so you can learn more efficiently.

Currently enrolled in college Calculus (not liberal arts version) and though this book reads very well and is very informative, it's not nearly as indepth or complex as the content I have in my textbook and am encountering in class.

Would highly recommend the book for high school, as a primer/review, but keep in mind it's not going to provide the direct keys to mastering college mathematics department level Calculus.

I took college calculus 30 years ago. Wanting to refresh my memory, I first looked at my original and massive college textbook. Comprehensive but indecipherable. An academic tomb written to prove every theorem in the calculus - nice if you are a math major but not very helpful for those interested in applying calculus to real world problems quickly. I then found Calculus for Dummies which gets right to the key concepts in an accessible and direct fashion. The author's sense of humor is also helpful. With Ryan's book, you'll learn how to do calculus and solve problems. Great book. Highly recommended. While I scored highest in the class a long time ago, I had to study so hard - I only wish we had this book and graphic calculators 30 years ago and math class would have been a bit easier!

After having a rough senior year in precalc I needed something to prepare me for my college calculus coursews and this book completely turned it around. The main part that helped me is he makes sure to fully explain all the vocab and what everything means making it all easier to relate to and understand

I think Mark does a good job explaining differentiation in the first part of the book. He is entertaining! He lost me in the second section on Integration. He explains the concept, glosses over one example and then he's on to the next concept. I became frustrated on two concepts because I could not follow his examples. Why not have some practice problems, with answers in the back?

I am taking Calculus I after having an 8 year gap in my education. I haven't had math in about 9 years and this book really saves the day. Forget about the explanations in your text book - this explains it in plain English! Plus a handy refresher section for all those algebraic things you may have forgotten. I keep it open during class lecture becuase Mark explains it just that better. I'm getting an A so far!

I just finished my first semester of Calculus, and I'm happy to say I did well. Ryan does an excellent job of presenting the idea of derivative as the tangent line to the slope of a curve, and reinforcement of this idea played an pivotal role in my understanding of the subject as a whole. Where other texts seem distant, and formulaic, (My textbook was terrible, and I didn't appreciate their attempts to hock additional good$ throughout) this book presents ideas in a less formal, approachable and common sense way. I appreciated that it's written from scratch, and not just another overpriced regurgitation of a previous textbook edition.

The year I took AP Calculus (AB), the teacher who normally taught the class left and the new teacher was really bad at teaching. If it weren't for this book, I would never have passed the class. It explains the basic concepts so they are easy to understand and the book is easy and even fun to read, unlike my calculus textbook, which might as well have been written in latin. I highly recommend this to anyone struggling with Calculus. I got a 4 on the AP when a quarter of my class dropped the class before 2nd semester because our teacher was so hard to follow.

Recently took college-level calculus and forgot most of what I had learned in high school. Bought this along with "Trigonometry for Dummies" and used both to help me survive the course.

This book is definitely not comprehensive, but I still have to give it five stars for its great plain-english descriptions of some difficult concepts. I wouldn't buy this book as my only source to learn calculus, but as an accompaniment to a good class or as an assistant to help with homework, it does a great job.

I checked out several books from the library after reading "The Calculus Gallery." Newton made comments about terms in an infinite series that intrigued me. C4D explains & illustrates examples such that broader application is quickly made possible. Ryan has really cool visuals on pg. 25 -- for the non-mathematician to "zoom in." If u like koans, read the 1st paragraph on pg 210 -- it applies equally well from engineering to Buddhist meditation. This book may target the "dummy" audience but it is written by a true teacher -- inspired. Oh, and BTW Ryan makes the actual math of calc accessible. After browsing several, this is the book i bought for pleasurable dabbling.

I checked out several books from the library after reading "The Calculus Gallery." Newton made comments about terms in an infinite series that intrigued me. C4D explains & illustrates examples such that broader application is quickly made possible. Ryan has really cool visuals on pg. 25 -- for the non-mathematician to "zoom in." If u like koans, read the 1st paragraph on pg 210 -- it applies equally well from engineering to Buddhist meditation. This book may target the "dummy" audience but it is written by a true teacher -- inspired. Oh, and BTW Ryan makes the actual math of calc accessible. After browsing several, this is the book i bought for pleasurable dabbling.

This text is an excellent resource if you are going to be taking any calculus courses in school (high school or college). I used this book and the accompanying workbook (ISBN: 978-0764587825) to prepare for Calculus I and Calculus II courses I would be taking in an upcoming semester. These texts not only assisted me in obtaining an A in both courses but also allowed me to maintain a good pace within the courses and retain much of the knowledge.

I highly recommend you purchase the accompanying workbook with this text so that you can study and do problems on Calculus at your own pace. It really helps with Calculus courses especially if you have not been exposed to math recently. To me the text was a great supplement between pre-calculus course and calculus courses.

This text is an excellent resource if you are going to be taking any calculus courses in school (high school or college). I used this book and the accompanying workbook (ISBN: 978-0764587825) to prepare for Calculus I and Calculus II courses I would be taking in an upcoming semester. These texts not only assisted me in obtaining an A in both courses but also allowed me to maintain a good pace within the courses and retain much of the knowledge.

I highly recommend you purchase the accompanying workbook with this text so that you can study and do problems on Calculus at your own pace. It really helps with Calculus courses especially if you have not been exposed to math recently. To me the text was a great supplement between pre-calculus course and calculus courses.

I find the book helpful but not quite enough to cover all incuding preparation for calculus. It serves as a good textbook supplement.

After a 13 year hiatus from school, I found "Calculus for Dummies" indispensable for re-learning calculus 1 and carrying me through calculus 2. My official text was Stewart's "Early Transcendentals," but I used Dummies as my primary text with great success, referring to Stewart only for homework problems.

I'm now tutoring calculus students and recommend that they first approach new concepts by reading Dummies, then follow up by reading through the examples in their primary textbook.

For calculus 1 students, the benefit is the review of algebra/trigonometry and gentle introduction to the concepts of limits and continuity. Calculus 2 students will benefit greatly from the author's strategy for trigonometric substitution and clear treatment of infinite series (two common trouble areas for calculus 2 students).

I highly recommend this book to anyone taking, preparing for, or reviewing calculus 1 and 2.

This book atually fills in the gabs that the text books leave. I found the book easy to read and understand. When I bought it, I had not done any calculus or anything else in years. It took the rust right off.

In the world of engineering it's essential to know basic mathematics and calculus. For those of us just starting out in technical math, I can recommend three outstanding references. You cannot do better than this matched set; "Calculus For Dummies" and "The Idiots Guide To Calculus". Both are wonderfully lucid and yet cover the essentials. They should be bought as a set since they approach many concepts in ways that differ yet in a cooperative fashion. If your just starting out with calculus or just feel shaky on the basics I also very strongly recommend "Effortless Algebra" by Maran Publications. I call these books The Three Kings. The problem with math books generally, is that they are either trivial and aimed at children or are so daunting that they intimidate the math-impaired. These books strike that magic median. Thorough but accessible.

After a long break from college math, I recently headed back to get a math degree. I have a fairly good handle on College Algebra and Trig, but previewing this book helped me quite a bit in my Calc Classes. It's coverage of the essential principles of beginning Calculus is well done and simply explained. Sure some short cuts in explanation were inevitable, but it doesn't hurt the learning, and Ryan generally explains when he is doing this. The only shortfall is a slight lack of sample problems to work, but the _Calculus Workbook for Dummies_ helps in this regard. I also tend to believe that this work would make a good self-study introduction to Calculus if one were so inclined.

It is okay, if your teacher is terrible this will help A LITTLE. Honestly, this book tries so hard to make calculus interesting that it ends up making it worse. The examples are useless. The explanation of limits is so confusion. It barely spent 2 pages on continuity. I don't recommend it, its not "user friendly". I am going to buy another book because this one failed to meet my satisfaction.

I am an AP Calculus student

...but I strongly advise reviewing your trig first. This book has one of the better sections on implicit differentiation and for that alone, it's worth buying.

For a geezer like me who's been away from math an infinity+ (pun intended), I'd recommend checking out the prereq Dummies book first. But, once you do, Calculus For Dummies and the accompanying workbook are a fun adventure thanks to the author's merciful and witty style. Just don't leave these two volumes lying on your coffee table unless you wish to impress company with your nerdiness !

Calculus for Dummies is a masterfully written exposition that excels in clarity. If you have been out of school for a long time but are looking for a clearly written, quick review, I highly recommend it. I also believe that this book is a must as a companion to the main text for calculus students having a tough time. It does not have many solved examples, but clarifies the concepts in a remarkable way. Covers the standard topics in a first semester course such as limits, derivatives, max-min problems, and integration. I believe they have published a workbook which would be essential to really grasping the subject since this one doesn't have solved problems in abundance.

I took Calculus I and II in college and managed to get a decent grade without really understanding it. This book rectified that. If my kids take calculus, I'll lend them my copy of Calculus for Dummies.

I had this sitting on my shelf for 6 months before i used it. I am 2/3 of the through calc 2. I wish I had this book for calc 1. I got a C and this definitely would have helped. I picked it up and pre read the series chapter (which unfortunatly is at the very end). I am understanding the material better and getting through the homework faster because of it. Once again I wish I had read this sooner. Use this as a supplement to your text, not a replacement. This book doesn't cover the very end of cacl 2 though. We are doing power fourier, taylor, and maclauren series and this book doesn't cover those.

i bought this book for my girlfriend who lives with me - she's loving to study it... so.. for next valentines you might consider this :-)

Mark Ryan is the kind of author you wish you'd had as a teacher when you were struggling with this stuff in college. He makes a very difficult subject not only quite accessible, but almost fun.

I know that's a bit of a stretch for some to believe. But even if you're only hoping for an explanation that doesn't put you to sleep, this is your book.

I especially appreciated the memory aids he presented and the humor with which he dealt with the Math Police.

He gave enough detail on difficult concepts to be thorough without trying to impress you about how smart he is by overdoing it. That is a tough balance to reach, but I feel he succeeded.

One caveat: The workbook that goes with this text is pretty much essential to truly learning the subject and it's very reasonably priced.

I could always DO calculus, but I never really 'understood' it. The explanations in this book worked, where the many textbooks I have used failed. Hats off to the author for a most excellent approach to simplifying the 'whats and whys' of a challenging and confusing subject.

I purchased this book for my son, a freshman at a Missouri college. He is an above average student. Due to scheduling problems, he had to dive right in to Calculus without the normal pre-calc course. Calcalus for Dummies helped him keep his head above water. He is pulling an "A" right now & believes working though this book helped him put it all together.

If you're trying to pass a calculus course, this book is a really good buy because it lays everything out very clearly and the explanations are great. The author gives a clear understanding of why we need to use calculus. For me, a person who's just curious about calculus, this book could have been a lot better by being more in-depth and less "funny". This book gives a decent overview of calculus, but in the end I stopped reading it for two reasons:

First, the book is about one-third silly jokes. Normally, I like a book with a little clever humor, but this book went way too far. I really do want to learn, but it's very distracting when a series of graphs is labeled, "More graphs" (haha) and a paragraph on limits ends with something like, "This sentence is here because my English teacher said every paragraph should have at least two sentences." (haha) The issue was not so much the bad jokes as the distraction. It's annoying when you're trying to grasp a difficult idea and all of a sudden the sentence doesn't make sense because it's "funny."

Second, this book is more of a review for getting through a calculus course (study techniques and all) rather than an overview of calculus for real applications. I would have liked more thorough understanding of how the rules worked rather than mostly just explaining the rules.