Precalculus mathematics in a nutshell: Geometry, algebra, trigonometry

This book tries to present the essentials of geometry, algebra, and trigonometry in one complete volume.
Unfortunately, this text is only 197 pages long, and as a result the information comes in a severely compressed form. There are no long explanations-- just formulas, brief explanations, exercises and answers.
Simply stated, this book is more of a review or reference. It contains a tremendous amount of information in such a tiny book.

This is an absolutely SUPERB text covering three of the most hated subjects in the entirety of the world! Akin to O'Reilly 'Nutshell' titles, this "Nutshell" book is exactly what its namesake implies: this is not a comprehensive or definitive tome of hundreds of pages to make you a geometry/algebra/trig pro. Therefore, don't expect it to be such. (Some people review non-definitive texts on Amazon, give them like one star, and complain that they believed the book was incomprehensive...DUH!)

While George Simmons has a very fresh, crisp, and fluid writing style which makes concepts easy to grasp, he doesn't stop to explain basic concepts or "on the cuff" calculations. Therefore, this very small and "skinny" book would be excellent for someone who may need some memory refreshing of particular topics or a quick overview of certain subjects. And it is in this manner that this book greatly succeeds; in fact, I plan on using it as a desktop reference into the the very forseeable future, probably forever.

Another notch on this book's belt are George Simmons' drawn examples. They are simple, straightforward, and blatantly expand the text in reference to the appropriate figure. These apparently handwritten sketches look like something out of da Vinci's notebooks!

A hands down winner, no question. (This review is in reference to the 1997 edition of this book, ISBN# 0760606603.)

Perfect for those needing to review their algebra/precalc. Includes geometry, algebra, and trig. No bs, completely to the point and still includes proofs where necessary. This book was perfect for me because I haven't had high school algebra for 5 years and needed this to test into pre-calculus while running back and forth between full time classes in community college and my part time job. You can read this thing on the bus and you'll be making progress. Would probably be tough for someone who has never had exposure to anything resembling basic algebra or geometry, but I highly recommend it for those going back to school.

This book is not intended for people who need to learn algebra, geometry, or Trig. It is a very quick and short review of these three subjects. Although short, it completely covers everything you need to know about these three subjects, with additional tips and tricks along the way from the author. There are exercises at the end of each section that help further the review. I personally like the section on geometry. It has simple to mind-blowing proofs. The Author purposely skips steps in his examples so that you "actively" read the book. The book is great, and I recommend it to anyone who is passionate about mathematics.

As many say here: this is not a textbook, it’s a resource for reviewing Algebra 1/2, Geometry and Trig. Basically, it replaces four years of lost or low quality class notes with 50-odd pages of correct, legible and well-written text and some exercises. (If you think that’s depressing, one popular calculus guide summarizes those four years in five pages.) That said, this is so well-written (Simmons is famous for the clarity of his undergrad texts, such as Topology and Modern Analysis) that I’m planning on using it as guided tutoring material for my kid - I can explain it and he can then use the book as his notes.

So cut and to the point it was kind of a shock, in a good way. A must have for any one interested or who works with mathematics.

I learned more after reading this one book than I did in all my years in high school.

Truly in a nutshell - a very slim volume. The trig section emphasizes the functions, and not the classical geometric application - the author himself lambastes trig as being taught for heights of flagpoles and widths of rivers, when not all students will become architects and surveyors. A useful text to keep until death, and I'd imagine great for brushing up to help your kids with their homework.

I come from another country where math education was different than what it is in the United States. Now I'm studying in American college and this book comes very handy when I need some extra help in some applied math problems in my science classes. Overall, the book has been a very good purchase! Text is easy to follow and problems are easy to understand with the help of this book.

I re read this and work through the exercises once a year, and this book has been a staple of my library for over ten years. I have lent it to many friends, and all with positive results. Admittedly sparse, but that's the point.