Review by Choice Review
Illustrator Klein and "stand-up economist" Bauman (Univ. of Washington) have authored a fresh supplement to the traditional calculus textbook. They concentrate on the central ideas of calculus, minimize the customary emphasis on formulas, and show how calculus is a cornerstone within the larger context of mathematics. Every page features at least one cartoon. Humor is incorporated throughout the book, yet mathematical rigor is not abandoned. The only narrative text appears in the form of captions or as part of the cartoon content itself. The fundamental theorem of calculus is the unifying motif of the book. The core topics of limits, derivatives, and integrals are all represented, as are subtopics such as extreme values and optimization. Application areas ranging from physics to economics are also presented in cartoons, as well as information regarding the seminal discoveries of Archimedes, Cavalieri, Leibniz, Newton, Ramanujan, and other famous mathematical scientists. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. --David P. Turner, Faulkner University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
