Algebra and Trigonometry (6th Edition) 6th Edition

Newer than the one I lost =D

It came well enough to be used, with some scratches and torn parts on the cover, but still usable and readable to study.

1)Michael Sullivan (Sr.) is one of the four or five best writersof math textbooks on today's scene. If you can find a textbook written by him that fits whatever current math course you are inbuy the book sight unseen. You will be more than happy that youdid.2)As far as this book is concerned, I used it from chapter 1 to the end (every section of every chapter) and did every problem inthe book. I did not have an instructor and I was not enrolled in a course. I used the book to brush up for calculus after being out of school for 20 years.3)This book is great for a course in college algebra, trigonometry, or precalculus. It serves all three purposes. I know this because after I finished the text and began studyingcalculus, on my own, I was really able to appreciate how wellSullivan's book prepared me for calculus.4)The explanations of each concept are clear, not more rigorousthan is appropriate for a student at the level of the textbook,but certainly not dumbed down.5)The problems and questions are well written, comprehensive, andmost importantly, instructive. I found that the best question Icould ask myself about every problem in the book was "now what isSullivan trying to get me to see by doing this problem or answering this question". I mention this because this is what Sullivan is really good at; he doesn't spoon feed you.6)Look, we all want essentially the same things from a textbook.We want clearly written, well illustrated worked out problemsthat allow us to grasp the concept in question so that we can useit to solve problems and answer conceptual questions. With Sullivan, you get this in great measure.This is a wonderful textbook for both sudents and teachers. It isa great book to learn from and a great book to learn to teach from.

With the sixth edition of this textbook, Sullivan has made significant strides since the fifth edition of the College Algebra portion. The interval notations used to indicate the regions where the value of a function is increasing or decreasing is so much more clear and concise. In contrast to the former use of frequently displaying number lines with pluses and minuses underneath, in which the readings of them were perhaps more of an exercise for the eyes than for the mind, Sullivan revised this mess using parentheses and brackets to indicate test intervals.As a teacher, I say that this is not the most user-friendly book for an instructor who teaches one hour college algebra classes three times a week. Oftentimes, for me to quickly get the fundamentals across, I have to paraphrase what Sullivan lays out in many of the sections. The language is often too theoretical for several of my students (Many are in non-technical majors but have to complete college algebra as a last mathematics course requirement), and I have to put the symbolic logic sequences into terms that can cross over to applied mathematics. This is not meant to be a criticism, however.Perhaps the main weaknesses lie in the shortcomings of applied problems, particularly in the sections concerning maxima and minima, and especially in the inequality segments. On a very positive note, however, I will grant that the sixth chapter, which involves logarithms and exponents is quite fascinating. For instance, you have applied problems involving the amount of interest that can be gained after so many years if, say, [money amount]is deposited into an account and accumulates interest at 6% compounded quarterly. Physics problems are also well presented. One interesting tidbit: if you wondered how long it would take for a 300-degree dish to cool down to 100 degrees in an environment that is at room temperature, the formula that can be used, namely Newton's Law of Cooling, is provided. As another example: suppose that a dead animal was discovered in a barn at midnight and its temperature was 80°F° ; the temperature of the barn is kept constant at 60°F; two hours later the temperature of the corpse dropped to 75°F; find the time of death. The formula for this type of problem is also shown.As added kudos, I especially like the intermittent TI-83 calculator tips. The use of technology in mathematics classes is notably increasing in the community colleges. All in all, this is a finer, more updated version, and it is especially recommended for those who want to go beyond the call of duty and discover new ways of applying mathematics to their daily lives.

The information listed in the "Product Details" section for this book is very misleading. As noted in the other comments, this book is the paperback Student Solutions Manual. It is NOT a hardcover book and the ISBN number is not ISBN: 0130914657 (as listed in the product detail section). This book may prove to be helpful but it was not the book I thought I ordered.

Good quality for a good price.

This book has the solutions for the material presented in the book. The book has helped me alot. The only think I don't like about it, is that the book has to many practice exercises and too many pages.

The cover is better than very good. Inside, the pages are perfect, clean, like new condition. Thank you, McHunter Books ! 5 stars