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Title: The Mathematica Book, Fifth Edition by Stephen Wolfram ISBN: 1-57955-022-3 Publisher: Wolfram Media, Inc. Pub. Date: 22 August, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $49.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.56 (9 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: An essential reference for Mathematica users
Comment: It's a shame that the spotlight review for this book is a tirade by a frustrated student who envies Stephen Wolfram's ability to make money. So much for Amazon's ability to separate the wheat from the chaff!
Here's my opinion: I've been a Mathematica user since 1989 and have found the various versions of the book to be essential references. Mathematica has become an indispensable tool in my work as a teacher, researcher, and consultant, and I've even written a book about Mathematica applications in my field. If I were limited to only one piece of software, this would be it (ok, an operating system would be good, too). Maybe it's because I learned to progam by writing mainframe FORTRAN programs on keypunch cards but, whatever the reason, I disagree with just about all of the comments in the negative review. I am continually amazed at the things I can do using Mathematica and, in general, how quickly and easily I can do them.
Sure, a person needs some mathematical saavy to get the most out of Mathematica. Maybe that was the negative reviewer's problem. The reason that the particular inequality of interest to him or her isn't specifically addressed may be that almost anyone with rudimentary knowledge of Mathematica, some insight into problem solving, and a curious spirit can easily think of at least three or four ways to accomplish the task at hand. I looked at his or her inequality, thought about it for a minute or two while I had a sip of coffee, and then made a contour plot in a few seconds. No need at all for Calculus Whiz, although people just learning calculus may indeed find it helpful.
It is, though, important to distinguish between the quality of the book and the need to buy a copy. Mathematica does come with both digital and paper copies of the book, so many people may not need to buy an extra copy. If you don't need one, don't buy one. It might be nice to have one, though, if your old copy has worn out from heavy use or if your only access to Mathematica is via a network and site license. People enrolled in the Premier subscription plan received an upgrade to version 5 but no paper copy of the book, so they might want one as well.
The bottom line is this: The book is outstanding and an essential reference for anyone using Mathematica. That's why I give it 5 stars. If you need or want a paper copy, then buy one. If not, don't.
Rating: 5
Summary: the definitive guide to the Mathematica software
Comment: I bought the 2nd edition of this book back in the early 90s when a student edition of the software was available to me inexpensively for the Mac. The book was very helpful in learning how to use the Mathematica program. There are examples galore and many graphical illustrations. As other reviewers have said, the whole book comes online with the software and you can easily search it, but I liked having an offline copy too. The later versions are just extensions of earlier ones.
It is easy to learn how to do simple examples from the book. Suppose you want to plot the expression |x-y| + |x| + |y|. On page ix, before the book really begins, there is an example of the syntax to make a plot: Plot3D[ Sin[x y], {x,0,Pi}, {y,0,Pi} ]. In chapter 1 (p. 49) you learn that the absolute value is given by the Abs[x] function.
So, you can type Plot3D[ Abs[x-y] + Abs[x] + Abs[y], {x,-2,2}, {y,-2,2}] to get a nice 3D plot of this expression, with x and y in the range -2 to 2. If you want to see a plot where the value of the expression is <= 2, you can restrict the Z range of the plot, as illustrated in chapter 1 (p. 157), like this:
Plot3D[ Abs[x-y] + Abs[x] + Abs[y], {x,-2,2}, {y,-2,2}, PlotRange->{0,2} ].
Rating: 1
Summary: why buy it?
Comment: the entire text of this book is included with mathematica, and if youre not going to buy the software, why buy the book? and if you are going to purchase the software, since it is included in the help file, why buy it? hmm. i suppose i lack the abstractive capacity to answer this question in any way supplemental to mr. wolfram's income. besides, there are problems with this book which, from the standpoint of an individual trying to learn the use of the software, may be summarized as incompleteness. do you want to plot a graph of the equation |x-y|+|x|+|y| <= 2? you will not find instructions on how to do it. for more complex functions, there is some, albeit sketchy, material to assist you; though, if you possess a sufficiently versatile comprehension of mathematics and programming, no doubt you'll puzzle out the necessary steps to produce graphic representations of whatever kind you may wish to plot. for the majority of students, who lack this kind of wisdom, i fear the information to make such graphs must be found in other books. i developed a definite resentment to mr wolfram when i attempted to locate the procedure for plotting the above equation, and, upon following the link to the information found a "buy the calculus whiz at 69.95 to find this out" blurb. stunning. buy this software, buy my reference book, and then, buy other books from me to find out how to use what my software and book--despite an advertised promise to enable, through these materials, the user with adequate information to empower his mathematical needs in toto--will not show you. i say, don't buy it. and, as an aside, don't buy his other book, "a new kind of science", either. that work could have been encapsulated in a monograph of some 30 pages; but then, you'd not have lined mr. wolfram's pockets to the tune of 50.00 dollars, would you? i have a suspicion mr wolfram is committed to said mr. wolfram's pockets, and his new science pretty much amounts to using all manner of shenanigans to stuff 'em. certainly, from the point of view of an irate purchaser of the software, this book, as with the manual "mathematica" is so much misspent dinero. caveat emptor. now i know why matlab is the preferred algebraic program among literate users.
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Title: Schaum's Outline of Mathematica by Eugene Don ISBN: 007135719X Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies Pub. Date: 30 September, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Mathematica Navigator: Graphics and Methods of Applied Mathematics by Heikki Ruskeepaa ISBN: 0126036403 Publisher: Academic Press Pub. Date: 15 January, 1999 List Price(USD): $60.95 |
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Title: Mastering Mathematica: Programming Methods and Applications by John Gray ISBN: 0122961056 Publisher: Academic Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 1997 List Price(USD): $52.95 |
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Title: A New Kind of Science by Stephen Wolfram ISBN: 1579550088 Publisher: Wolfram Media, Inc. Pub. Date: 14 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $44.95 |
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Title: The Student's Introduction to Mathematica : A Handbook for Precalculus, Calculus, and Linear Algebra by Bruce F. Torrence, Eve A. Torrence ISBN: 0521594618 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $32.00 |
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