Advanced Mathematics, Grades 11-12 Precalculus With Discrete Mathematics and Data Analysis: Mcdougal Littell Advanced Math

This is an outstanding textbook. I used this book for self-study (in conjunction with the solutions manual), and feel so much more confident in my mathematical abilities for having gone through the process. The other positive reviews give good insight into the book, so I will just add a few observations.If you have previously completed the other McDougal Littell books Algebra Structure and Method Books I and II (Dolciani et. al.) and Geometry (Jurgensen Brown Jurgensen), you will have no trouble with this book and gain a lot. I think the reviewers who struggled with this book entered with an inadequate background. I good teacher is helpful in guiding you through the material, but if you have been properly prepared in algebra and geometry, the teacher won't need to add much substance to what it here.This book puts the math up front. Math courses nowadays often focus too much too soon on applications, leading you through a lot of practical problems trying to tease out solutions approaches before finally getting to the math needed to really tackle them effectively. By the time they get to this, they have spent so many pages churning through their motivating examples that they don't have room to cover the math sufficiently for the student to understand it. You will get plenty of chance to see applications of math in your science, engineering, or business courses, so math courses should make sure you are solid on the math when you go in. Then in those courses you can then focus on their content without being side-tracked on struggling with how they did a calculation in one of the mathematical models they use. Brown's book will see to it that you are confident in the math.That is not to say that Brown doesn't have any applications (word) problems. There are more than enough applications here to give you a feel for how the math is used to solve problems. Fortunately, Brown usually sets those problems up so the arithmetic is pretty clean. Many modern math textbooks are so focused on getting you quickly to real world applications that they use a lot of the actual messy data-set you actually see in the applications. This causes the student to waste a lot of time on messy arithmetic, leaving less time to work through a large volume of problems—which is what you really need to do to learn math. Yes, real world applications of math really are often messy, but you will get plenty of that in your applied courses. Brown wastes little time on the mess, instead spending his (and your) valuable math study time on the advanced mathematical theory needed to solve these problems. I took a college-level precalculus course with an applications-up-front approach while doing my self-study from Brown. Knowing the math first put me light-years ahead of most of my fellow students when it came to solving the applications problems in the class (and its textbook). On the classes assigned problems, I was able to take the mess in stride and solve the problems using the math I knew. But once I finished those problems, I was back to practicing the math with Brown. Not to beat a dead horse here, but when you are getting paid to do math in your real-world engineering or science or business job, they will pay you to take the time to handle the messy data (or tell your computer to do it for you); when you pay in your own time to learn math, you shouldn't pay time for needless messy arithmetic.Despite what a few challenged reviewers suggest, Brown's problems do progress from simple to somewhat difficult. The more challenging problems often involve proofs of concepts or analysis of more difficult applications, but Brown usually walks you through them by setting up the problems as multi-step exercises.Brown is not perfect, and I took a few notes in my book where I thought his explanations could be enhanced when I use this book later to refresh myself on topics that I have forgotten. Some of this may be due to the fact that Brown, like all textbooks, presents things in an order and manner intended for teaching a topic (a "pedagogical ordering"), which might be different than what is best for refreshing oneself later. This might also explain a remark an another, less favorable, review criticizing the order in which Brown presents topics. There are a few cases in which, after developing a more advanced topic, Brown goes back and revisits something earlier, but with new insights into the situation. A fair number of my notes are referencing the earlier topic to where Brown picks it up again later; in some cases, Brown does this himself, but he was not as thorough as I was. Nothing I am referring to here is worth lengthening this already long review by giving details. Suffice it to say, read Brown actively, and take notes as you see necessary to supplement his explanations with your own insights into understanding the topic. Then Brown will be a nice reference on your shelf for later refreshing. For this purpose, I find Brown's presentation superior to books directed toward refreshing, such as Schaum's outlines. Also note that Brown often uses his more advanced exercises to further develop the topics. Some of my notes and cross references in the text sections were to related exercises, and I would put notes next to those exercises so that I would not have waste time jumping into and redoing a more difficult exercise if I later use the text just to refresh myself on a topic. Also note that texts that teach too much through motivating examples are less useful for later reference; you have to wade through too much extraneous material just to find out how to do a technique that you have forgotten.In conclusion, use Brown as a capstone of a solid precalculus program (preferably with the books I list above), and you will be in good mathematical shape for whatever you follow it with. The book can then serve as a resource for later refreshing.

Richard Brown's math texts are the best I've found for high school mathematics. They explain what you need to know, are full of problems at all levels of difficulty, and are far superior to today's "accessible" (i.e. watered-down) math books. This one is no exception. The explanations are clear and the problems start easy but move toward challenges that will make you think. A solution key is available for this book:  Advanced Math: Precalculus with Discrete Mathematics and Data Analysis (Solution Key) . I recommend it; it's very useful if you're doing self-study or teaching.Some have complained that the book doesn't give adequate explanations, but the reality is that this book is for students who have a good background in mathematics. Too many of today's math courses are easier than they should be and cheat students out of learning real mathematics. This book won't do that. Use it, don't give up, and you'll be surprised at what you learn. If you're having trouble, pick up copies of Brown's algebra and geometry books (all available on amazon) and use them to review. You'll be amazed at what you'll learn and at what your school isn't teaching you.

The textbook was in excellent condition and very cheap, got delivered in 5 days after we placed the order. We needed to replace the textbook so this was the best deal ever. Thank you.

The product was brought in very decent condition. I do not anything bad to say about considering the book itself is pretty old, but still definitely held together. In fact it was in much better condition than the copy my school gave to me and about 1/16 the price it was valued at. Amazing what keeping it in quality conditions does. If you need this textbook buy it here.

It is as advertised

I bought this as a spare textbook when I was working with a relative on his schoolwork. Spare copies of what they are using in school make things much easier. If the book is needed for homework and it get forgotten at school, as spare copy is a godsend.

required book still adjusting to change

The book is almost brand new!!

I am Online Maths teacher from India: my Skype address: ykreddy22I am using this book for my classes to New York, New Jersey students