Book Description

Susanna Epp's DISCRETE MATHEMATICS, THIRD EDITION provides a clear introduction to discrete mathematics. Renowned for her lucid, accessible prose, Epp explains complex, abstract concepts with clarity and precision. This book presents not only the major themes of discrete mathematics, but also the reasoning that underlies mathematical thought. Students develop the ability to think abstractly as they study the ideas of logic and proof. While learning about such concepts as logic circuits and computer addition, algorithm analysis, recursive thinking, computability, automata, cryptography, and combinatorics, students discover that the ideas of discrete mathematics underlie and are essential to the science and technology of the computer age. Overall, Epp's emphasis on reasoning provides students with a strong foundation for computer science and upper-level mathematics courses. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Good foundation to build upon
I found this text absolutely wonderful for learning / refreshing the concepts - especially formal proofs.

The text is well-partitioned, with lots of examples and practice problems. It covers a few areas very thoroughly, and does it well.

Excellent text!

Almost perfect.....
For anyone having a bit of a problem getting used to formal proofs and number theory, this book is the best I've seen for the beginner, hands down.If you've gotten into one of the top math programs in the country, you will do OK without this book; but as for the rest of us, this book may prevent a lot of grief.It moves slowly and clearly through basic methods of proof and number theory, and it builds confidence quickly. Dr. Epp has written a great book, and the only drawback (which isn't her fault) is the price.If you are pretty good at math through Calculus but got thrown for a loop trying to understand proofs and more formal mathematics, this is probably the book for you (as it was for me).

Used with 2 courses
I took a two course (quarter system) undergarduate sequence spanning 20 weeks of instruction that used this text.I had different professors for each quarter (the author teaching the second semester).

I found the text excellent, making the study interesting, enjoyable, and quite easy.The fact that the author taught the second quarter made no difference; the text stands well on its own.

I am currently teaching at a technical college and am recommending this text for adoption.

Awful,AND THEY JACKED UP THE PRICE $30
Awful, even the prof said so, July 20, 2004
Reviewer: A reader
This book is horrible. I am a graduate software engineering student and took this course at a local university. The prof said that the book is horrible and used his own exaplainations and skipped the books explainations. If I was forced to use the book's explaination and examples I would be S.O.L. The only reason every discrete class uses this book is because there are no other discrete books in competition. If you are a comp sci student they should break discrete math classes apart to discrete for comp sci and discrete from math majors. They should also have comp sci teachers teaching this because math teachers don't usually have a clue how to relate discrete math to computer science.

well-written book w/ enough mathematical rigor
This book is very accessible.Although the myriad examples and descriptions keep the main points hidden a few times, this book is great for self study--something to consider if you have a bad teacher. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Very good for first-time learner of statistics
I agree with the previous reviewer Jason --- this book is very good in helping a first-time learner understand statistics applied to real-life situations. Usually university teachers don't make good choices for course textbooks but in this case, this book is absolutely the most correct choice.

take another look
This introductory statistics book is unlike any other I read, so it is understandable why it received negative reviews. First off, it deals with "the practice" of statistics, so don't expect mathematical explanations of the statistical analyses presented. Second, it thoroughly explains the conceptual basis and applied aspects of statistics, so don't be surprised if it is a bit more wordy or repetitive than other statistics books. Reenforcement is necessary when learning a new language, and it doesn't assume mathematical formulas are understandable without explanations.

Its highlight is its coverage of collecting data. Most statistics books don't even mention how data is collected, or should be collected; they only show you how to analyze it. General principles of sampling and experimentation are licidly covered, as are the implications of using these two fundamentally different approaches to research.

The second strong point of this book is its general overview of statistics. It shows how different analyses are used for different types of data (categorical vs. quantitative), although the general premise is the same--relationship between variables.

Finally, it makes a connection between real data and theoretical distributions. Most statistics books start off saying, "assume the data follow a normal distribution" but real data never does. Moore and McCabe explains how we can use a mathematical formula to model our real data, and the advantages and limitations of doing so. This is the bridge necessary to place the theoretical world of probability and mathematical statistics into the real world of research and data analysis.

This is still my favorite introductory statistics book, it is unique and inciteful, while others are clones and impractical. It is for researchers, not statisticians. If you are a researcher and have reviewed many introductory statistics books you will see the value of this one in explaining how statistics work, instead of just showing formulas.

poorly written text
This text is horrible for learning statistics. Please, instructors, choose something different. This text takes concepts that could be quite simple and explains them so badly they become unrecognizeable. As a student, you have to really dig through the text to extract the basic ideas. If you read each chapter a few times, you eventually realize what they're saying, and it's not difficult at all - they've just made it that way. Exactly what you don't want in an introductory text. There are many good problems to work through, but that is the only real strength of the book. I was interested in statistics before I met this book.

Not good for understanding Statistics
If you are trying to learn Statistics on your own, make another choice. I took a Statistics course via distance learning, and this book did a lousy job explaining the material.

Doesn't convey insight
I used this book as a text for a very large (~150 students) first-semester course in biostatistics for public health grad students. It is lavishly illustrated and has huge problem sets at the end of each chapter. It uses lots of examples. I did not think it did a good job of either conveying either intution or theory. Many definitions are far short of rigorous, and students seemed dissatisfied with the resulting uncertainty. The problems are far too repititive. I would prefer a more terse book which provides definitions and theorems that actually can be used. ... Read more

Book Description

Incorporating new and updated information, this second edition of THE bestselling text in Bayesian data analysis continues to emphasize practice over theory, describing how to conceptualize, perform, and critique statistical analyses from a Bayesian perspective. Its world-class authors provide guidance on all aspects of Bayesian data analysis and include examples of real statistical analyses, based on their own research, that demonstrate how to solve complicated problems. Changes in the new edition include: ·Stronger focus on MCMC·Revision of the computational advice in Part III·New chapters on nonlinear models and decision analysis·Several additional applied examples from the authors' recent research·Additional chapters on current models for Bayesian data analysis such as nonlinear models, generalized linear mixed models, and more·Reorganization of chapters 6 and 7 on model checking and data collectionBayesian computation is currently at a stage where there are many reasonable ways to compute any given posterior distribution. However, the best approach is not always clear ahead of time. Reflecting this, the new edition offers a more pluralistic presentation, giving advice on performing computations from many perspectives while making clear the importance of being aware that there are different ways to implement any given iterative simulation computation. The new approach, additional examples, and updated information make Bayesian Data Analysis an excellent introductory text and a reference that working scientists will use throughout their professional life. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Likely the best survey book on applied Bayesian theory
Overview

This book was the textbook used at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the graduate course in Bayesian Decision and Control I during the fall of 2001 and 2002. It strikes a good balance between theory and practical example, making it ideal for a first course in Bayesian theory at an intermediate-advanced graduate level. Its emphasis is on Bayesian modeling and to some degree computation.

Prerequisites

While no Bayesian theory is assumed, it is assumed that the reader has a background in mathematical statistics, probability and continuous multi-variate distributions at a beginning or intermediate graduate level. The mathematics used in the book is basic probability and statistics, elementary calculus and linear algebra.

Intended audience

This book is primarily for graduate students, statisticians and applied researchers who wish to learn Bayesian methods as opposed to the more classical frequentist methods.

Material covered

It covers the fundamentals starting from first principles, single-parameter models, multi-parameter models, large sample inference, hierarchical models, model checking and sensitivity analysis, study design, regression models, generalized linear models, mixture models and models for missing data. In addition it covers posterior simulation and integration using rejection sampling and importance sampling. There is one chapter on Markov chain simulation (MCMC) covering the generalized Metropolis algorithm and the Gibbs sampler.

Over 38 models are covered, 33 detailed examples from a wide range of fields (especially biostatistics). Each of the 18 chapter has a bibliographic note at the end. There are two appendixes: A) a very helpful list of standard probability distributions and B) outline of proofs of asymptotic theorems.

Sixteen of the 18 chapters end with a set of exercises that range from easy to quite difficult. Most of the students in my fall 2001 class used the statistical language R to do the exercises.

The book's emphasis is on applied Bayesian analysis. There are no heavy advanced proofs in the book. While the proofs of the basic algorithms are covered there are no algorithms written in pseudo code...Additional books of related interest

1) Statistical Decision Theory and Bayesian Analysis, James Berger, second edition. Emphasis on decision theory and more difficult to follow than Gelman's book. Covers empirical and hierarchical Bayes analysis. More philosophical challenging than Gelman's book.

2) Monte Carlo Statistical Methods, Robert and Casella. Very mathematically oriented book. Does a good job of covering MCMC.

3) Monte Carlo Methods in Bayesian Computation, Ming-Hui Chen, Qi-Man Shao, Joseph George Ibrahim. An enormous number of algorithms related to MCMC not covered elsewhere. If you need MCMC and need an algorithm to implement MCMC this is the book to read.

4) Monte Carlo Strategies in Scientific Computing, Jun S. Liu. Covers a wide range of scientific disciplines and how Monte Carlo methods can be used to solve real world problems. Includes hot topics such as bioinformatics. Very concise. Well written, but requires effort to understand as so many different topics are covered. This book is my most often borrowed book on Monte Carlo methods. Jun S. Liu is a big gun at Harvard.

5) Probabilistic Networks and Expert Systems. Cowell, Dawid, Lauritzen, Spiegelhalter. Covers the theory and methodology of building Bayesian networks (probabilistic networks).

good treatment of modern Baysian methods
This is a well written text that is fast becoming a classic reference. It contains a wealth of good applications. It is one of the new books that presents the growing use of Bayesian methods in practice since the advancement of Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach. It includes a whole chapter the Markov chain approach to computation. Other strengths of the book include the chapter on missing data and the chapter that provides expert advice.

Another text in the CRC series Markov Chain Monte Carlo in Practice by Gilks, Richardson and Spiegelhalter provides more detail on these methods along with many applications including some Bayesian ones.

Review by a user of the book and colleague of an author
First, I must admit a bias: I frequently work with one of the authors (Gelman), and I think highly of his work and statistical judgment.

This book's biggest strength is its introduction of most of the important ideas in Bayesian statistics through well-chosen examples. These are examples are not contrived: many of them came up in research by the authors over the past several years. Most examples follow a logical progression that was probably used in the original research: a simple model is fit to data; then areas of model mis-fit are sought, and a revised model is used to address them. This brings up another strength of the book: the discussion and treatment of measures of model fit (and sensitivity of inferences) is lucid and enlightening.

Some readers may wish the computational methods were spelled out more fully: this book will help you choose an appropriate statistical model, and the ways to look for serious violations of it, but it will take a bit of work to convert the ideas into computational algorithms. This is not to say that the computational methods aren't discussed, merely that many of the details are left to the reader. The reader expecting pseudo-code programs will be disappointed.

All in all, I recommend this book for anyone who applies statistical models to data, whether those models are Bayesian or not. I especially recommend it for researchers who are curious about Bayesian methods but do not see the point of them---Chapter 5, and particularly section 5.5 (an example chosen from educational testing), beautifully addresses this issue. ... Read more

Book Description

This clear, accessible treatment of mathematics features abuilding-block approach toward problem solving, realistic and diverse applications, and chapter organizer to help users focus their study and become effective and confident problem solvers. The Putting Your Skills to Work and new chapter-end feature, Math in the Media, present readers with opportunities to utilize critical thinking skills, analyze and interpret data, and problem solve using applied situations encountered in daily life.Chapter 7, Geometry, has been extensively revised and re-organized to include a new section 7.1 on angles and new section 7.4 devoted to triangles. Increased coverage of estimating with fractions anddecimals with new “To Think About” exercises in Sections 2.5, 2.8, and 3.3 and a new lesson in Section 3.7. Coverage of fractions in Chapter 2 has been expanded as follows: Section 2.6 now begins with a discussion of least common multiples so that the subsequent coverage of least common denominators is more complete; a new lesson on order of operations in Section 2.8 offers readers additional review of these rules and practice applyingthem to fractions; and a new mid-chapter test on fractions appears after Section 2.5. Percent applications are now covered in two sections (Sections 5.4 and 5.5) to allow for a more patient presentation of this important topic. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Just the basics
The text 'Basic College Mathematics' is used at the college where I tutor in mathematics as the foundational course for mathematics in all programmes. While many students test out of this level into algebraic topics, for those students whose mathematics is decades old, or was never perfect in the beginning, this book offers a fairly clear and systematic approach to mathematics topics.

The chapters cover the broad topics in this order: Whole Numbers, including the basic arithmetical functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), was well as basics of exponents and rounding; Fractions, including the basic arithmetical functions as well as beginning to deal with mixed numbers and order of operations; Decimals, including the basic arithmetical functions as well as continuing with order of operations and decimal/fraction conversions; Ratio and proportion ideas; Percentages theoretical and applied; Basic Measurements and conversions of units between British/American units and metric standards; Geometry at the most basic level of shapes and arithmetical formulas dealing with those shapes for area, perimeter, etc.; Statistics at a very elementary level, such as reading charts and graphs, histograms, and the three concepts of mean, median and mode; Signed and special numbers, including the negative numbers, as well as scientific notation; and finally a brief introduction to Algebra, which introduces the basic concepts of variables, like terms, and equations.

Each of the chapters deals with things in a mathematical as well as an 'English' way - explaining in words the concepts and operations being carried out in the numbers. Each section of each chapter covers only a few key concepts, with enough problems for solving that reinforce the principles thoroughly. Each section also as word problems (story problems) to test the real-world applicability of the numerical/mathematical concepts being presented, so when students ask (as they always do and shall), 'When am I ever going to use this?' there are examples drawn from typical situations.

Tobey and Slater have also worked to make various connections with geometry, graphs and charts, tables, as well as internet resources to provide the most up-to-date and useful text. There are specific problems along the way that assume the use of calculators (as most of real-life mathematics now involves calculators).

The book's design is interesting from a graphic-design standpoint, but from the standpoint of clarity to the students, the pages are a bit 'busy'. While I appreciate the need to reduce the number of pages in an effort to keep the costs down (text-book prices are typically higher than popular-book prices, and this text is no exception), more white space on the pages would probably help the accessibility and make it a little less intimidating.

This book serves as a good foundation for students to proceed at our college forward into Beginning Algebra (another book by Tobey and Slater on this topic is used for the next-level course), and then further into Intermediate Algebra and beyond.

AWSOME!
Super Kids restored my faith in buying over the internet. Book was perfect and got me fast!

AWSOME!
Super Kids restorted my faith in buying over the internet. Book was perfect and got me fast!

Thumbs Up For This Book!
This book offers great examples which clearly illustrate how to work out a problem from the beginning to the end. I was very impressed with this book and wished that I had this book when I was in high school. I found it to be a wonderful book with good examples. I was especially impressed with the chapter organizer at the end of each chapter. I routinely would copy these to and use these to study before a test. I have maintained an A average in that class the entire time. For anyone having trouble with basic math.... get this book! You will be glad you did.

Basic Mathematics
Basic Mathematics is an informative textbook teaching the basics of mathematics. It has good examples and easy to understand explantations of fomulas. I would recommend this text as a refresher before jumping into a more complex subject. ... Read more

Book Description

This brief version of Gravetter and Wallnau's proven best-seller offers the straightforward instruction, accuracy, built-in learning aids, and wealth of real-world examples that professors AND students have come to appreciate. The authors take time to explain statistical procedures so that students can go beyond memorizing formulas and gain a conceptual understanding of statistics.By integrating applications to ensure that even students with a weak background in mathematics can understand statistics, the authors skillfully demonstrate that having an understanding of statistical procedures help them comprehend published findings, and become savvy consumers of information. Known for its exceptional accuracy and examples, this text also has a complete supplements package to support instructors with class preparation and testing. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

One of the Best Intro to Stats Texts
Having taken statistics before, I know a good book when I see one. This is hands down, one of the best intro to stats book. Unlike other stats textbooks, Essentials gives you the information in a concise manner accompanied by varied step-by-step examples towards understanding all the statistical tests. Psychology students have it lucky to have a book like this.

Understandable Statistics at Last!
This is the first statistics textbook that I have actually understood and enjoyed, and I have read many of them. The authors take students through the material step by step and do not make assumptions about prior knowledge. The charts and examples are very helpful and clearly presented. As textbooks go, this is the best! ... Read more

Book Description

The engaging Martin-Gay workbook series presents a reader-friendly approach to the concepts of basic math and algebra, giving readers ample opportunity to practice skills and see how those skills relate to both their lives and the real world. The goals of the workbooks are to build confidence, increase motivation, and encourage mastery of basic skills and concepts. Martin-Gay enhances users' perception of math by exposing them to real-life situations through graphs and applications; and ensures that readers have an organized, integrated learning system at their fingertips. The integrated learning resources program features book-specific supplements including Martin-Gay's acclaimed tutorial videotapes, CD videos, and MathPro 5.This book includes key topics in algebra such as linear equations and inequalities with one and two variables, systems of equations, polynomial functions and equations, quadratic functions and equations, exponential functions and equations, logarithmic functions an equations, rational and radical expressions, and conic sections. For professionals who wish to brush up on their algebra skills. ... Read more

Book Description

This dynamic new edition of this proven series adds cutting edge print and media resources. An emphasis on the practical applications of algebra motivates learners and encourages them to see algebra as an important part of their daily lives. The reader-friendly writing style uses short, clear sentences and easy-to-understand language, and the outstanding pedagogical program makes the material easy to follow and comprehend. KEY TOPICS Chapter topics cover real numbers, solving linear equations and inequalities, formulas and applications of algebra, exponents and polynomials, factoring, rational expressions and equations, graphing linear equations, systems of linear equations, roots and radicals, and quadratic equations.For the study of Algebra. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Perfect book to reintroduce algebra
I used this book in my first back-to-college algebra class, and it is a great book. Easy to understand explanations and step-by-step instructions made algebra way easier than I remembered! Please note: the companion solutions manual has many wrong answers. The book itself, however, is great. If your class is using this book, you will do well.

best math text I have ever used
I wish he had written all of my text books. Everything is clearly laid out with examples that are broken down into small steps to make understanding even clearer.

Not afraid of Algebra now !
I would really like to thank Mr. Angel for putting together a great book. I have to admit that I was afraid of Algebra until I started studying from this book.

Thanks !

a good supplement
The book was laid out well and establishes a good flow with the reader. Contains helpful drawings and diagrams. This book is well suited for visual learners. ... Read more

Book Description

Elayn Martin-Gay's success as a developmental math author starts with a strong focus on mastering the basics through well-written explanations, innovative pedagogy and a meaningful, integrated program of learning resources. The revisions to this edition provide new pedagogy and resources to build reader confidence and help readers develop basic skills and understand concepts.New and revised topic coverage includes linear graphing, slope, equations of lines, and introduction to functions; direct and inverse variation; factoring trinomials by grouping; slope as a rate of change; and interval notation. In addition, Martin-Gay's 4-step problem solving process-Understand, Translate, Solve and Interpret-is integrated throughout. Also includes new features such as Study Skills Reminders, "Integrated Reviews", and "Concept Checks."For readers interested in learning or revisiting essential skills in beginning algebra through the use of lively and up-to-date applications. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great student text
This book supports students by offering examples that are clear and easy to understand. I enjoyed using this text as it offered students the opportunity to successfully solve challenging exercises. Math textbooks are extremely difficult to read and interpret. Martin-Gay took her book to a level of simplicity that most math texts simply don't have.

Daylight robbery
I had to have this course for my general education credits at OSU and this book sold for 86.00 USED (I emphasize USED and you'll read why later). Today when book buy-back was open, I was informed that they weren't buying back the 3rd edition because a new one was coming out for fall, the 4th edition. I have just looked thru the book and THERE IS NOTHING DIFFERENT BUT THE COVER.
For this they can stop buying the old books and sell the new one for 100.00 or more NEW?? This is ridiculous; students have no choice but to buy their books for their classess. Then they are told they can't sell them back or if they can, they get the rock bottom price. All because publishers have to sell the newest and best thing of the moment. Just because they change the cover doesn't mean it gives license to jack up prices. Get real!!

waste of $ and time
This book was the required book for my college class. It is nothing short of pure torture. Thank God my professor is excellent!! The examples in this book are very hard to interpret and the problems are not much good either. Also, the answers to the chapter problems in the back of the book contain only the odd-numbered problems. Good luck!

This is a Horrible Book
I am taking math this semester and this is the required text. The bad thing about this book is that it has crappy examples.I was afraid to miss a class because if I did, I would not understand the material. The instructor teaching the class explains the material much better. This book is a big waste of money. If I could, I would give this book zero stars.

A Waste of Money and Time
This book may give clear solutions for the example problems, but the actual study problems are unclear and do not follow the examples very closely. I have spent more time attempting to figure out how to set up problems in homework assignments and searching for the 'solutions' that are needed to solve the exercises than I have actually spent doing the math.

This book not only frustrated me, but my tutor as well. The optional "solutions" book is even worse; it lists the chapters, but not the sections or page numbers.

For review, it probably is not a bad book. It's very condensed. For someone who has not been introduced to the concepts in the book prior to this book, expect to have a LOT of time on your hands if you want to work through this book. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This pook totally helps!
Being a mathophobe, I was terrified when I registered for the class. But since I had to buy this book for my math class, then math all of a sudden was really easy! I actually understood the WORD problems with ease and what not!! The only thing that keeps me from giving it a 5 star rating is that there are many typos in the book, especially in chapter 6.2: there are at least three typos in this specific area if and when you are assigned the odd problems; and what's more, if you want a good laugh, check out pages 455-456. You'll see what I mean!

Buy this book now!
I am a 34 year old student that has struggled with math my entire life. I have failed many math classes in college because I just did not clearly understand how to do the math problems. I enrolled at Harbor College in Willmington, CA this fall 2003 and purchased this required book. To my amazement, this book is written in a way that a dummie like me can easily learn all the lessons. I now have a class grade of 95 and FINALLY because of this book, I can do algebra word problems, and I understand how to check them. I am even tutoring some of my classmates, WOW! thats not too bad for a dummie! I thank the author for creating the best prealgebra book I have ever seen. It is written STEP-BY-STEP and in the most basic format that can be explained. Please only purchase this book. You will not be dissapointed and you will pass prealgebra. All thanks to K. Elayn Martin-Gay, what a job you did putting the book together!

Substantial, and Rich exercises
This workbook is packed with a lot of examples and rich exercises; which are presented in incremental development fashion. My two children, 10 and 11 year old, have high math aptitude; two grades beyond their average level. I bought this workbook to help them in the transition to algebra and trigonometry. They are able to go thru most of these execises in one summer. I must admit the quality of the lessons and exercises have this quite enjoyable and intuitive for my children to absorb.

A MUST FOR STUDENTS CONSIDERING ALGEBRA
Being that I am 28 years of age and a freshman in college, I was placed in the remedial math class for which this text was required. I was terrified due to the fact I failed math in high school and even the WORD Algebra scared me. This book has great examples and it really helped me understand the concepts of Algebra. I have a 97% average in my class and when I go onto Algebra I next term, I won't be so terrified! :) ... Read more

Book Description

This work brings together, in a ready-access encyclopedic format, theories, methods, applications, and historical background in the statistical sciences. More than 4,000 entries by leading statisticians, mathematicians, educators, and major figures in the development of statistics cover all the principle subfields including probability theory, statistical distribution theory, computational methods, sampling survey methods, decision theory sequential analysis, and multivariable analysis. ... Read more

Book Description

This text is designed to provide an interactive learning experience between the learner and the exposition, annotated examples, art, and the exercises you will find within.The first book on the market to introduce a "learn as you go" approach by including practice exercises in the margins of the text, this best seller uses real-data applications to help apply mathematics to your everyday life. Concepts and skills learned as you progress through the text are revisited again and again in the form of cumulative reviews, skill maintenance exercises, and synthesis exercises to help you retain what you have learned and see how it all relates together. ... Read more

Book Description

A masterly introduction to the life and thought of the man who transformed our conception of math forever.

Kurt Gödel is considered the greatest logician since Aristotle. His monumental theorem of incompleteness demonstrated that in every formal system of arithmetic there are true statements that nevertheless cannot be proved. The result was an upheaval that spread far beyond mathematics, challenging conceptions of the nature of the mind.

Rebecca Goldstein, a MacArthur-winning novelist and philosopher, explains the philosophical vision that inspired Gödel's mathematics, and reveals the ironic twist that led to radical misinterpretations of his theorems by the trendier intellectual fashions of the day, from positivism to postmodernism. Ironically, both he and his close friend Einstein felt themselves intellectual exiles, even as their work was cited as among the most important in twentieth-century thought. For Gödel , the sense of isolation would have tragic consequences.

This lucid and accessible study makes Gödel's theorem and its mindbending implications comprehensible to the general reader, while bringing this eccentric, tortured genius and his world to life.

About the series:Great Discoveries brings together renowned writers from diverse backgrounds to tell the stories of crucial scientific breakthroughs—the great discoveries that have gone on to transform our view of the world. ... Read more

Book Description

This Seventh Edition maintains the all the winning qualities that have made A FIRST COURSE IN DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH MODELING APPLICATIONS a best-seller over the years. Written in a straightforward, helpful, not-too-theoretical manner Zill's approach keeps students with differing levels firmly in mind.The new edition strikes a perfect balance between the teaching of traditional content and the incorporation of evolving technology. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

good for non-math people
Easy to follow examples. Great conceptual models. This book has plenty of useful applications in the real world: physics, biology, engineering, and chemistry. There is no math flood to drown non-math students. Great intro to Ordinary Diff. Eq.

decent
It's been a long time since I had this book for a course (so take this with a grain of salt...), & I had a pretty good instructor, but this book still helped reinforce the ideas. I don't think it makes a difference whether a book has a solution manual, just plug your solution into the equation to check your answer. A solution manual for a differential equations text is a bit superfluous, IMO, since solutions don't all look the same. Another good text is the one by Rainville/Bedient.

Lacking pedagogical stimuli or skill ?
Maybe this was an attempt to be unique in presentation of the subject ; yet , contorting paraphrased material into a potato - salad of words is an obvious sign of bad technical writing ; perhaps , poor confidence in subject , or who knows what ?!?! . The layout of this text is the worst I've seen in a mathematics text -- both , calculations and " explanations " are blobbed as run - on , rambling sentences contained into page - sized paragraphs ; unbearable amount of conceptual abstraction almost at every definition of critical importance . There lies a clue that descriptive terms were chosen by dictionary research of most subtle synonyms of such; moreover , an overuse of unnecessary adjectives , of same descent , to increment the confusing flush . This text is obviously designed to be NOT USER FRIENDLY on purpose !! .
To me , that defeats the whole goal of even attempting to write books for students . This one should , in its full definition , be banned from all pedagogical institutions -- those , where are those with a desire to learn . I personally did not encounter difficulty of solving this " book's " chapter problems ; however, due to the diffused presentation of theory , am still lacking satisfaction of conceptual clarity of such a rich subject .

An Enjoyable Book Overall
I enjoyed using this book in my DiffEq class. It gives lots of examples and a variety of homework problems. It proved to be very useful for me.

Do not recommend
I am using this book for my D.E. class. The solutions manual [is bad], solving only every third problem. I found the reading quite difficult to understand and the pages are boring and bland!!! ... Read more

Book Description

If you have ever looked for P-values by shopping at P mart, tried to watch the Bernoulli Trails on "People's Court," or think that the standard deviation is a criminal offense in six states, then you need The Cartoon Guide to Statistics to put you on the road to statistical literacy.

The Cartoon Guide to Statistics covers all the central ideas of modern statistics: the summary and display of data, probability in gambling and medicine, random variables, Bernoulli Trails, the Central Limit Theorem, hypothesis testing, confidence interval estimation, and much more--all explained in simple, clear, and yes, funny illustrations. Never again will you order the Poisson Distribution in a French restaurant! ... Read more

Reviews (33)

I'm a Cartoon Guide Addict now...
Have you ever chuckled while reading your mathbook? Ever laughed out loud while crunching numbers? Don't worry--neither had I until I read this book. And any book that makes me smile when I'm doing math has got to be a winner.

Yes, Gonick has done it again. I bought the CG-genetics a while back, and loved it. So when I went hunting for a good 'refresher' stats book, I picked up this one.

I wasn't disappointed. Gonick (et al) has great talent for presenting information in a way that almost fools you into thinking you're not learning, but rather, having fun. And although this book wasn't as "easy" to get into as his Genetics book, I believe it's because I'm less familiar with this subject.

Careful though--as others have mentioned, you can't be fooled into thinking this book is THE way to learn statistics. You have to be pretty comfortable with algebra, and pretty determined to read through the book in order to take anything away from it. And don't try this book as a stand-alone or you'll end up with the same frustration you'd have with a college textbook.

A Good Introduction
"The Cartoon Guide to Statistics" by Larry Gonick and Woollcott Smith was published in 1993. This book is a good introductory level look at Statistics. The authors cover what Statistics is, what the history of the subject is, and a look at some theories, terms, and applications of the subject.

The weakness of the book is that there are a lot of formulas given, and not enough discussion of the formulas, so one would need to use other statistics texts to supplement the material, so this book cannot stand alone in that respect. On the other hand, if one is just trying to get an overview, there is a lot to skip over. The authors do make fun of the formulas, and the amount of math so those that are looking for an overview may enjoy the humorous presentation. There is also a lot to do with the subject that the book covers. It does cover probabilities, but when it comes to distributions it really focuses on Standard Normal distributions. I don't believe it ever mentions Uniform, Poisson, or other types of distributions which most statistic courses do cover.

The best part of the book is the examples, some of which are carried through for several chapters to help the reader better understand the subject. Although, even with the examples they are a bit inconsistent in how complete they are. For example, in one case they started to discuss the use of statistics to compare the salaries of male and female employees in the same job, but they never completed the discussion. The examples of racial bias in jury selection, and the gas mileage comparison of two different types of gas are much better. This is a decent book, but not up to the level of Gonick's excellent "Cartoon History of the Universe" series, and not strong enough to give it more than three stars.

Very funny and cute book. I love it!
If you want to learn complicated things like statistics, but are feeling quite overwhelmed by the complexity, I highly recommend you learn visually from a book like this. Larry has a great sense of humor and is a creative genius.

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

Best intro to stats around
I read this book because I had to take a Linear Regression stats class, and I lacked the pre-requisite knowledge of basic statistics. After attempting to skim some of the 800 page intro books in the library, I decided to give this one a try.

It contains everything you need to know about introductory statistics. Some things are a little unclear, but this stems from the fact that the author's did not want to burden the reader with the derivations of the basic equations. So at the expense of some clarity, they cut out a lot of junk that you will never need, probably even if your major is statistics.

So even though you may need to supplement this book with a more detailed book, and even though the cartoons are far from funny, I give this book 5 stars because it is simply the best intro that you will find. You could easily get through an introductory college course with this book alone, and its a shame more courses don't try to do that.

Book Got Me Through College
I am math phobic and taking Statistics in college made me wonder if I was one of those people who "wasn't cut-out for college". But I got this book and it made statistics fun and a lot less intimidating. After college, an interviewer asked me about Bayes Theorum and I immediately pictured the illustration from the book! Recently, while studying for the GMAT, I recalled the fun lessons from the book - especially probability and nailed that section of the test.
This would be great for High School or college students or ANYONE who is intimidated by math or stats. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Cryptographic techniques have applications far beyond the obvious uses of encoding and decoding information. For Internet developers who need to know about capabilities, such as digital signatures, that depend on cryptographic techniques, there's no better overview than Applied Cryptography, the definitive book on the subject. Bruce Schneier covers general classes of cryptographic protocols and then specific techniques, detailing the inner workings of real-world cryptographic algorithms including the Data Encryption Standard and RSA public-key cryptosystems. The book includes source-code listings and extensive advice on the practical aspects of cryptography implementation, such as the importance of generating truly random numbers and of keeping keys secure. ... Read more

Reviews (86)

A bit out of date, but highly worth reading
Bruce Schneier's APPLIED CRYPTOGRAPHY is an excellent book for anyone interested in cryptology from an amateur level to actually being involved in the development of new encryption mechanisms. Schneier's book begins with a simple discussion of what is cryptography, and then he proceeds through the history of various encryption algorithms and their functioning. The last portion of the book contains C code for several public-domain encryption algorithms.

A caveat: this is not a textbook of cryptography in the sense that it teaches everything necessary to understand the mathematical basis of the science. Schneier does not discuss number theory because he expects those who use the relevant chapters of the book will already have training in higher maths. Nonetheless, the book does contain a wealth of information even for the layman.

One helpful part of Schneier's book is his opinion of which encryption algorithms are already broken by the National Security Agency, thus letting the reader know which encryption programs to avoid. There will always be people who encrypt to 40-bit DES even though it is flimsy and nearly instantly breakable, but the readers of APPLIED CRYPTOGRAPHY can greatly improve the confidentiality of their messages and data with this book. Discussion of public-key web-of-trust is essential reading for anyone confused by how public-key signatures work.

APPLIED CRYPTOGRAPHY was published in 1995 and some parts are already out of date. It is ironic that he hardly mentions PGP, when PGP went on to become the most renowned military-strength encryption program available to the public, although it is being superseded by GnuPG. Another anachronism is Schneier's assurance that quantum computing is decades away. In the years since publication of APPLIED CRYPTOGRAPHY we have seen some strides in quantum computer, even the creation of a quantum computer that can factor the number 15. While this publicly known quantum computer is not at all anything to get excited about, it is certain that more powerful quantum computers are in development and classified by NSA. Because a quantum computer can break virtually any traditional cipher, hiding the message (steganography) is becoming more important than ever. In the era of Schneier's book steganography was unnecessary because ciphertext could withstand brute-force attacks, but with advances in computing power steganography is becoming vital to secure communications. It would be nice to see the book updated with this topic, because cryptography and steganography can no longer be regarded as two distinct fields.

All in all, in spite of its age, APPLIED CRYPTOGRAPHY is recommended to anyone interested in cryptography. It ranks among the essential books on the field, although an updated version is certainly hoped for.

Great fun
This book is readable introduction to real cryptography. It covers a wide range of topics (block and stream cyphers and hashing and random number generation algorithms) in enough depth, and with sufficient theoretical foundation, to give the reader an honest overview of the field. The last section contains code for many of the algorithms and electronic versions are available through Schneier's web site.

Throughout the book Schneier manages to include current references to the inevitable political and legal issues. These references are discussed in an engaging manner and without letting them hog the spotlight. On the other hand, in a fast-moving field like cryptography, they are beginning to get a bit long in the tooth. The book was originally published in 1996 and many of the remarks are noticeably dated (though, perhaps, historically interesting).

Printings before the fifth are also riddled with errors. Fortunately, good errata are available at Schneier's website. They are essential: if you find yourself thinking "That can't be right", it probably isn't.

Read this book first. Without some college level mathematics you may have to skim some of the chapters; still, you can probably curl up on your couch and read it cover to cover. If, afterwards, you get hooked into following up with Stinson's "Cryptograpy", or Menezes "Handbook of Applied Cryptography", don't say I didn't warn you!

Essential reference for any programmer
Over the long term, this is the applied math book that I come back to most often.

The first quarter of the book may come as a surprise. It's not about encryption, it's about secure protocols. This is great stuff. It includes secure key exchange, where you and I can agree on an encryption key in a public conversation, but none of the other listeners know what we agreed on. It includes zero-knowledge proofs, ways of establishing authorization without releasing your identity. It includes lots more, as well. The next brief section discusses different modes for using encryption algorithms, key management, and other logistics.

The third section is what you might have expected: detailed descriptions of many encryption schemes, taking up at least half the book. That includes public key schemes, private key codes, secure hashing algorithms, and all the other details needed for implementing the algorithms. One of the most useful subsections here is a set of pseudorandom number generators. It's not exhaustive, by any means - it omits the Mersenne Twister, for example. Still, it gives a fair set of algorithms, some of which are "cryptographically secure". That means the generator's output strongly resists attempts to find regularities, just the way a truly random sequence would.

The last two chapters give a brief summary of the practice, legalities, and even culture around cryptography.

This won't make you into a crypto professional. Despite its 600+ pages, it barely introduces the world of crypto and certainly doesn't release anything from the "closed" world of government agencies. It will, however, give you useful algorithms, a basic background, and an appreciation of just what real crypto is about. That last may be the most important part. Too many people think inventing a good code is like making love: anyone can do it, and they instinctively do it better than most people. Wrong! Real crypto is not for dabblers, and this book gives some sense of what is involved.

The first edition of "Applied Cryptography" was a landmark text, but the second edition is even better. It's so much better that, if you just have the first edition, you really should upgrade to the second, and I've never said that about any other book.

This book is a labor of love
If you want to buy a book which is a wonderful introduction to cryptography, then you have just found it.
Many books suffer from excessive bloat where the author tries to be everything to everybody.
This book is not one of them.
It's lean and clean and it'll turn you into a mean cryptographic machine.

Some reviewrs seem to berate the author for:
a) losing his job
b) trying to make a buck by writing books
c) not writing a mathematical tome

Well, I have some news for you:
a) Anyone can get laid off from any job at any time - period.
b) All authors write books for money.
c) The author clearly states at the beginning of the book under the heading, How to read this book - 'I wrote Applied Cryptography to be both a lively introduction to the field of cryptography and a comprehensive reference...This book is not intended to be a mathematical text.'

Need I say more.

Only good for beginner
If you have no knowledge on cryptography and want to get some information, this book is suit for you. If you are doing some actual work, it's not a good one. The book does not cover sufficient mathematic knowledge, and contains errors. E.g., the proof of RSA decryption is absolately wrong! Can't beleive! ... Read more

Book Description

Gravetter and Wallnau's proven best-seller offers the straightforward instruction, accuracy, built-in learning aids, and wealth of real-world examples that professors AND students have come to appreciate. The authors integrate applications to ensure that even students with a weak background in mathematics can achieve mastery of statistical concepts. They skillfully demonstrate that having an understanding of statistical procedures will help them not only understand published findings, but also become savvy consumers of information. Known for its exceptional accuracy and examples, this text also has a complete supplements package to support instructors with class preparation and testing. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Gravetter's Statistics book
This is one of the clearest books on introductory Statistics that I have read. Extremely logically written in a straight forward style. If you can't grasp Statistics using this book...try a different pursuit in college. Every concept is precisely explained and one subject builds upon the next. Gravetter provides one example after another in an attempt to hammer the concepts home...and a successful one I might add. This book also provides a solid foundation for the 1st half of an advanced, Stats II course.

This book has saved my life
I am about half way through this book and I actually understand, maybe even a bit excited about statistics. This book is definetly the best math/statisics textbook I have ever used. If you have hidden in fear from math but want to go to grad school, pick up a copy of this and you will not regret it.

A must buy!
This is great book for learning statistics. The best I've seen so far. Statistics is a subject I hate, but this book has given me hope. I know use it as a supplement for other textbooks. It was a book that was written with the student in mind. I am in a class with an awful stats book now, Statistical Methods for Psychology. But, the Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences text will be a permanent fixture on my shelf and I recommend it often. I will continue to look for textbooks written by these guys. Thanks, you made one of my semesters much better.

statistics for the math phobics
OK, here it is: I am a math phobic, have been all my life, as long as I can remember myself! So, when I started studying psychology as a second degree, I was kind of anxious about taking all kinds of statistics courses: it seems that statistics are a major part of any psychology degree, & so it was important for me to learn them well, from the beginning. Well, with this book (which I shopped around for, looking for the best introductory book on the subject) my math-phobia has not disappeared, but is slowly & surely getting smaller & smaller. This is a textbook that guides you, step by step, so you can understand all the basic concepts of statistics, without feeling you're making an effort. Lots of problem-solving & learning checks help, lots of revision at the end of each chapter...the book is organized in an excellent & thoughtful way, perfect for a student who will take the time sto study (it covers almost everything) but who wants to do it in an organized way.

Kudos to these guys!!!
I used an older copy of this book as an undergrad and was asked by a fellow doctoral student what I might recommend for use as a good stats book for the "stat phobic" ... Hands down, I say that THIS is the book to use. I've used thinner stats books that pretend to be cute. But if "cute" is not what you need, and you need to learn the stuff as well as reference the stuff. This is the book for you.

I suppose I ought to update my copy ;-) mine is dog eared!

Need stats? Buy this book to learn. Good stuff! ... Read more

Book Description

This introduction to topology provides separate, in-depth coverage of both general topology and algebraic topology. Includes many examples and figures.GENERAL TOPOLOGY. Set Theory and Logic. Topological Spaces and Continuous Functions. Connectedness and Compactness.Countability and Separation Axioms. The Tychonoff Theorem. Metrization Theorems and paracompactness. Complete Metric Spaces and Function Spaces. Baire Spaces and Dimension Theory. ALGEBRAIC TOPOLOGY. The Fundamental Group. Separation Theorems. The Seifert-van Kampen Theorem. Classification of Surfaces. Classification of Covering Spaces. Applications to Group Theory.For anyone needing a basic, thorough, introduction to general and algebraic topology and its applications. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Standard Topology Text
Most people have a favorite color, fewer people have a favorite baseball team, and even fewer people have a favorite topology textbook. Granted I've only had an extensive relationship with this particular textbook, but given the reviews I've read and other recommendations I've recieved, I would have to go on record and vouch for this book.

When I took topology this text was recommended and our lectures were based on a book (which was required) compiled by the teacher. Often times, we found the lectures/required text to be lacking and were glad to have this text to refer to.

I've seen this book used for both point-set and algebraic topology courses, or some combination of the two. The coverage of point-set is fairly complete while the algebraic section covers introductory material (homotopy, fixed point theorem, lifts, fundamental groups, etc.). The breakdown of the material is approximately 65% Point-set and 35% algebraic thus making it a good choice for someone taking Point-set but personally motivated to glance ahead to some of the algebraic stuff.

Two particular strengths: A thorough introduction to basic concepts of analysis, and, because you don't see many of them around, a good introductory treatment of Algebraic Topology.

A Great Work
Taking a first course in topology could not be better complemented. This clear exposition of point set and algebraic topology is so well written that it could even be used for self study. Motivation from the professor is always helpful, but Munkres actually goes quite far in providing a reason for the topics in question. Furthermore, the examples clarify many of the presented concepts and even show some of the misconceptions a student may have.

Having a course in analysis would certainly make the book flow since otherwise it would just to be a mental exercise rather than an extension of familiar concepts.

The exercises are very well thought out and are meant to be solved by all students given that they have some diligence. They truly help in turning a fog of concepts into concrete understanding.

great!
Not much to add here... there are enough easy problems that I can get the hang of something, but also some really tough ones at the end of each problem section. The proofs and examples in the text are really good guides to doing the problems also. In some sections there are counterexamples for, say, the converse of a theorem which are always really pathological. At the beginning of each section there is some discussion on what to expect, why the stuff is important, what to do with it, etc. Even though I had a really good prof for the topology course I did this book was very helpful out of the classroom.

Excellent Topology Book
My introduction to Munkres was in an independent study of point set topology in my final semester of undergraduate work. A professor assigned me problems from the book, but my learning was largely self motivated. I found that it was an excellent book for independent study. The text was clear and readable and the exercises helped to cement the concepts that are introduced in the reading.

Later at graduate school, Munkres was also used in a topology class at the beginning graduate level. Highlights were taken from the first section (point set topology), and a large focus of the class was on the algebraic topology in the second section of the book. Sometimes I had difficulty following exactly what the professor was doing at the blackboard, but I could always understand what was going on when I consulted Munkres.

I would stress that this is only to be used as an introduction to algebraic topology, as there is nearly no development of homology groups and other algebraic concepts. However, it gives a very good presentation for the fundamental group. As a whole it would be a very good addition to your mathematical library.

Wonderful text in a poor binding
As far as contents is concerned, this is a wonderful textboot for self-studying topology. Full of examples and a bit slow-paced, it describes even the 'clever' proofs (like Tichonoff's theorem) so that it makes their core ideas come naturally. The selection of topics is superb (algebraic topology has a much wider coverage than in the 1st edition).

The only drawback, and it is a serious one, is the binding. For a well-selling book $[...] worth, one could expect a *decent* binding, but the outcome is a *shame*. With time, the covers of my copy got ridiculously bent outwards, quite like if was cooked in my oven (which I didn't, of course). ... Read more

Book Description

Now your students can become intelligent consumers of scientific research, without being overwhelmed by the statistics! Jaccard and Becker's text teaches students the basic skills for analyzing data and helps them become intelligent consumers of scientific information. Praised for its real-life applications, the text tells students when to use a particular statistic, why they should use it, and how the statistic should be computed and interpreted.Because many students, given a set of data, cannot determine where to begin in answering relevant research questions, the authors explicate the issues involved in selecting a statistical test. Each statistical technique is introduced by giving instances where the test is most typically applied followed by an interesting research example (each example is taken from psychology literature). ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Excellent Introduction
The book is up-to-date and effectively presents the basic concepts. Deals with current power and sphericity concerns. Example SPSS-keyed analyses and APA-format results sections are especially valuable for research training. Uses post-hoc Tukey HSD test. Separate nonparametric chapters. The authors know their material (not always the case with statistics texts) and they provide a solid (higher-level) introduction. Good selection of topics and fairly thorough. Perhaps a bit wordy at times. One of the best available introductions. From a long-time teacher of statistics with no connection to authors.

The Best Introductory Text for Today's Students
Jaccard and Becker's preface says it all:

"Introductory statistics, unlike content areas in the behavioral sciences, does not become dated quickly. Many of the concepts taught ten years ago are still relevant t