Trigonometry Demystified

by Stan Gibilisco

Book Overview

DeMYSTiFieD is your solution for tricky subjects like trigonometry If you think a Cartesian coordinate is something from science fiction or a hyperbolic tangent is an extreme exaggeration, you need... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071416315
• ISBN13: 9780071416313
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Contrarian View

This book was my "aha!" experience for trigonometry. The author started off using circle functions instead of triangle relationships as a way to explain sine, cosine, etc. This made immediate sense to me; from there, it was easy to understand why each is positive or negative in the various quadrants, why sin^2 + cos^2=1, etc. Why all trig courses aren't taught this way is a mystery. No doubt there are some shortcomings to this book. However, if you want to quickly develop a strong intuitive understanding of trigonometry, this is an excellent purchase.

Good supplemental review

My two sons used this book to help them understand their pre-calculus courses. It was also a big help for them in physics and astronomy.

Refreshing, not stodgy

This book presents trigonometry in a relatively informal and understandable way. Emphasis is on the facts, without getting sidetracked in proofs. The drawings are relevant and straightforward. The book is well-organized and proceeds logically from beginning to end. There are some question-and-answer problems in the text (although I'd like to see more) and plenty of multiple-choice test questions with answers in the appendix. The test questions are especially good, because they resemble the standardized tests schoolchildren are forced to take these days. The four-dimentional stuff is cool (but may be over the top for some readers). This book, combined with a standard school textbook, should make high-school students highly proficient in this subject, and get them ready for more advanced courses such as calculus, analysis, and topology.

Good for beginners

I am a math dummy. I bought this book at a local store because it looked like I could maybe understand it. I do. For the first time I feel like I know something about trigonometry. Too many math books are just professors showing each other how smart they are. This book taught me something without making me feel stupid. It's the only trig book I have ever seen like this.