Conference rusure::math

    look at CALCULUS by Berkey, this is an undergraduate text book on
    calculus, about 1200 pages, and is a text books at a number of schools.
    it is quite good. i rememeber it cost about $65 at Harvard coop book store.
    
    also COLLEGE ALGEBRA WITH TRIGONOMETRY by Raymond Barnett.
    
    another good undergard. text is a British text book "Mathematics for 
    Engineers and scientists" by ALan Jeffrey.
    
    /Nasser
    

    OK.  I bet I get shot at.  But here goes!

    For algebra and trig etc., the "Made Simple" books in paperback are
    quite fine.  Avoid Schaum and other outlines as they are too terse.
    For calculus, and I am a nut for rigor, but for pure learning you cannot
    beat "Calculus Made Easy" by Silvanus F. Thompson.  It dates from the
    turn of the century but it has a nice style.  To quote from the book,
    "What one fool can do, another can."  I think it is out in paperback
    now.  (Don't tell anyone, but that is the book I learned calculus
    from way back before Space Wars or Star Trek or even civilized life.)

    Chuck

    ref .-1
    
    the "calculus Made Simple" is a good book, the one i have has the
    author as H.Mulholland howevere. i bought this in England many
    years ago, paper back for 1.5 British bucks new. i have not seen
    'made simple' books around anymore , guess they'r out of print.
    
    p.s. for those in Northeast of US, a new big book store just opened
    (2 days ago) in Nashau, near the pheasent (sp?) mall. its called Noble&
    Barny (sp?) ,they have good collections of Math books, Engineerings and
    physics and all sort of other stuff, they give 5% off publisher price of
    soft cover, and 10% off hard cover . if you'r in Nashau, you got'a see the
    place, open 9am till 11 p.m.
    
    they have good collection of DOVER math books, they also have the knoop
    5 books on theory of functions.
    
    /Nasser

                 <<< Note 1504.0 by NYTP07::LAM "Q ��Ktl��" >>>
                   -< Basic math textbook recommendations. >-

The calculus text I cut my teeth on is Richard Courant's Differential and
Integral Calculus.  He covers one variable in volume I and several variables
in volume II (that also touches on a few more advanced subjects, such as
calculus of variations and complex analysis).  It's a great text; it's
down to earth without sacrificing rigor.

As a refresher, my favorite is Tom M Apostol's Mathematical Analysis
(Addison-Wesley, 1957).

I learned calculus from the book by "Thomas".  It used to be quite a staple,
and I would still suggest that book.

/Eric

    I used Thomas too -- and I would further recommend it for self-study.
    When I wanted to brush up on my calculus, I found the many problems
    with solutions in the back to be a real bonus.

				    Topher

    Of course what is a good book depends on what one wants.  In .4,
    Courant's wonderful book is mentioned but this is really a hard book
    and perhaps not too good for self study.  (Courant is now out in
    paper.)

    Thomas, Johnson and Kiokomeister (Sp?), Tom Apostal (the two volume
    Calculus - not the Analysis) and on and on are deservedly well worn
    standards.  (Apostal's Analysis book is good too but somewhat advanced
    - I have both the first and second editions which are quit different.)
    These books show up at used book shops and sales which are very
    abundant in the Northeast.

    For a college level text with a very intuitive style, I like George F.
    Simmons' (no relation) Calculus.  It is not rigorous and is easier to
    read than many (most math text books are horrid reading) but covers all
    the material needed for engineering, physics etc.  Both in this book
    and in an ODE book, Simmons has included extensive historical notes
    which are of interest if you like that sort of thing (I do).

    Chuck

    One more vote for what I used, Thomas.
    
    Of course, more than the text, I remember my favorite calculus
    instructor at Michigan, Moise.  He was able to perform tricks like
    turning the stick of chalk into a cigarette while lecturing.  I got a
    kick out of that.
    
    Dick

    I had to use the Thomas calculus text in high school and I thought it
    stunk to high heaven.  I went to the library and found a text I liked. 
    Some of my friends liked it also, so it was always checked out to one
    of us.  I can't remember which text it was...  Apostol, I think.