Precalculus (4th Edition)

By Robert F. Blitzer

• This is the best textbook on precalculus on the market. Overall, the explanations are very clear, there are plenty of examples to work from, and as with most textbooks the answer to every other question is in the back of the book. The CD that comes with the text is also a huge help, as you get to see an instructor work through problems step by step, and not just a few problems, 20-30 per chapter.
  
  Blitzer also has a website where if you feel there weren't enough problems in the book, you can work more online. The only problem I had with this textbook is that it fell apart after one semester and it appeared other students had the same problem. Its simply too big without the proper binding. However if that doesn't bother you, this is simply the best precalculus textbook on the market.

• Bob Blitzer has done a wonderful job of compiling a precalculus textbook that can teach a course better than many professors.
  
  The first thing that struck me about this book was the casual tone. Blitzer writes as if he were a friend explaining a concept. He is not afraid to show helpful acronyms or pneumonic devices (ASTC - all students take calculus - to help remember which trig functinos were positive in which quadrants), and he often gives hints in the margin that clear things up or elucidate certain mathematical concepts. I know that these helpful tips have saved my skin on multiple occasions.
  
  The opposite of Blitzer's tone is one of a stern and serious math professor. It was a blessing in disguise that my precalculus teacher was just like this. She lectured from the textbook (and did a much poorer job of teaching than the book itself), so I was able to read ahead, take notes based on the book (instead of her lectures), and finish the homework assignments in class.
  
  Blitzer has identified many ways to apply the math to real life, whether it involves angular velocity in physics or population growth. Obviously, certain topics are begging to be applied (right triangle trigonometry, for instance), but Blitzer does a great job of making the math seem useful.
  
  Another positive aspect about this book is the way Blitzer designed his list of problems. The answer to every odd problem is found in the back of the book, but every even problem is closely modeled after its odd predecessor. Thus, even without a definitive answer, you can be sure that you did the problem correctly because you saw an extremely similar one just a few seconds ago.
  
  Blizter is also able to integrate the widespread technology of graphing calculators. He makes the assumption that a precalculus student should have access to some sort of graphing calculator and requests their use on quite a few problems. When graphs are shown, Blitzer has the foresight to indicate the dimensions and scale of the graph so the student can recreate the graph on their calculator.
  
  After going through every section of this book, the only negative comment in my mind is that simple harmonic motion is explained rather poorly, but this is a math textbook, not a physics treatise, and thus this point can be safely disregarded. Bob Blitzer has composed a magnificent math tome, and I strongly recommend it to everyone.