This is the best calculus book I've used. I purchased as a student after finding it in the library, despite it not being the required text for school. Concepts are explained well and a variety of examples are clearly worked out in each section. I highly recommend this book.

textbook for college algebra.

As with his other texts, Larson approaches subjects from an analytical perspective AND from a graphic/geometric perspective.
This allows students who despise the Xs, Ys, and Zs of algebra to "see" what might otherwise escape them if approached only analytically.

Excellent text.

I have to agree that larson's calculus is a very comprehensive calculus text. It includes a lot of material and applications.

If you are going to selfstudy calculus, i have some advices:
1 Not every section is necessary. Some sections are mainly about applications in mechanical engineerings(actually, most applications). If you are not interested in ME, just skip them.

2 Don't go too fast. If you don't have time, just skip some sections of the end of each chapters. Especially at the end of the book. Chapter 14 is quite confusing. Read them slowly, understand piece by piece.

If you are a math major, particularly pure math, this is not a book for you. You need a book that talks more about theory.

After one confusing (first) semester of calculus using Thomas' Early Transcendentals, my school's math department switched to this text for second semester. Thank goodness! This text is much more clear, with examples that take you through the important steps of the problems. Sometimes the text will leave out a step in the example, but usually it's something from trig or pre-calc. The use of graphics in the examples are very helpful as well; the important theorems are boxed/highlighted, as are useful tips to solving the problems.

The exercise problems at the end of each section are never huge surprises. As for their difficulty, they tend to start out easy and end with the more challenging word problems. When I was confused or frustrated, it helped to go back and re-read the examples. The Thomas text's examples were extremely difficult (for us non-MIT level math students) and unrelated/inconsistent with the exercises.

The editing of Larson's text is fantastic, because there are relatively few errors (whereas Thomas' was full of them). And I especially liked the photographs and brief biographies of the famous mathematicians sprinkled throughout each chapter, because they humanize this mysterious and feared subject.

I'd say that this book made calculus less scary and much more manageable. I still had to study really hard to ace the class, but at least it wasn't because the book was overly confusing.

This is the only book I recommend to someone learning calc for the first time.

Larson's approach is practical, logical, thorough, and most importantly, CLEAR!!!!

This book would be good for someone who already knows calculus and wants to refresh their skills. In the mathmatical examples there are gaps where more explination is needed. If The book where more thorough in its explinations then the student could learn the subject with a lot less trouble.

This book was the textbook for a Calc 2 class that I took. It had been a long time since I took calc 1, and had forgotten most of the information. This book did a nice job of providing clear examples, and thoughtful exercises. It is one of the most readable math books that I have read (and there are a lot of bad ones out there). I would strongly recommend getting the answer guide also, since the answers in the book do not show how the problem was solved. Sometimes your answer could be correct, but appears different than the answer in the back because of the algebra involved.

I'm studying my major and I really need to learn Calculus. Even this book is for people who have studied this subject before it makes you think and imagine what you are doing. Sometimes it explains shortly some chapters, but it helps you to improve your skill and to learn by the way of thinking and imagination. I'll recommend this book for everyone who likes Math (specially Calculus) and who really wants to learn it well. In my own opinion is a nice book and what makes it special is the MATHEMATICA sofware it uses as well as it teaches you Calculus. If I have someday to teach Calculus I will use this book. The only problem... is ... as the MATHEMATICA software.

A lot of nice problems for the students to understand without the help of an instructor.

This book is great in that it shows detailed steps to get to the correect answers on all problems. Any student having a time with Calculus, 6th edition by Ron Larson should definitely buy this.

This is your average math textbook. I haven't had any problems with it. It gives pretty good examples and explanations for each section.

Sorry the book I meant to post was "3,000 Solved Problems in Calculus".

This book is good because it give you clear (easy) examples of the material it is explaining. The practice problems are also very good because they start off from the most basic then progress to advanced. This books has a lot of practical real world problems. Some of the material can be difficult at times, that's why I suggest you purchase "3000 Solved Problems in Precalculus (Schaums Solved Problems Series)" in addition to this book. The Solved Problems Series helps when you're studying quick examples just before the test.

A FOURTH EDITION IS NOW OUT COPYRIGHT 1997 NEW ADDITION HAS MANY WHITLES AND BELLS

If you are buying this book because it is required for your course, I strongly suggest you cancel out of the class and find another that uses a better book. If you must take the course with this book, by sympathy to you. Dugopolski's College Algebra and Trig is vastly superior.

This book is full of confusing and inadequate explanations. It is infuriating in places. Typical is the sample solution on p. 544 to a system of 3 linear equations. It is a series of minimially explained steps that is a devil to follow, and does not emphasize the basic underlying technique of eliminating variables.

It relies on graphing calculators. This is fact, not criticism, since such reliance is in the area of personal preference. Some like to use calculators as an aid, other's feel it hinders learning.

There are much better books on the market!

I am very intelgent. I am a geneys. I know math much well. I read book. This book is extremely flammabul. It hurt you. I know becuse i sneese on it. My sneese in fire. I am a draqon. I burn it. It no good for genyes. The book is hot. Don't buy it.

Precalculus with Limits, unlike other precalculus books, easily teaches and reviews the basic mathematic background needed for further studies in the area of Calculus. The book contains many examples and less theoretical explanations - briefly outlining how to solve certain problems and then practicing those theories with many examples. Additionally there are plenty examples for economics students, engineering students and students of physics. Simply a great book!

This "solution manual" is a total waste of money. Only a few problems each chapter, and most of them are the easy ones. Save your money. You can spend the same amount and get the REA problem solvers book which will serve you a million times better.

I recommend not even looking at this book! It only solves the problems that are in red in the text book and usually there is only 5 or so! Don't waste your money or time!

After trying to use the associated textbook for 2 semesters without the solutions guide, I appreciate what it has to offer. I'd like it to contain solutions for all the problems, but then it would cost as much as the textbook.
I find it particularly useful for deciphering the "answers to odd problems" given in the back of the textbook, especially when the authors transform trig functions and factor polynomials for seemingly no reason.