College Trigonometry

Reviewed by John Niss, Professor of Mathematics, Valencia College on 6/11/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The content is exactly what I would like for a trigonometry text with the bonus of dot products, projections and parametric equations. Those are in the last few chapters, so they are easily omitted. There are occasions when definitions for term (unit circle, for example) are not included; In that case the index indicates the term is defined on page 501 where the text I have starts on page 693. There must be a previous volume that I am not spotting. I'm sure if I did my research I could find it, though.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I see no problems with the accuracy of the content. It's not always presented exactly as I would, but that's always the case with any text.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The exercises in context in this text are not likely to become dated particularly quickly. It's a trigonometry text so a large portion of those problems from are physics or other sciences and will remain relevant.

Clarity rating: 4

I understand why the authors might limit the white space in the exposition for the sake of a printed textbook. However, for the e-text version, the text sometimes felt a bit dense.

Consistency rating: 5

This is a well written trigonometry text and the use of terminology and explanatory style is consistent throughout.

Modularity rating: 5

Modularity is not really an issue with a Trigonometry text. The material is laid out in a very traditional way and in appropriate length sections. Reorganizing or realigning would be a rotten idea as the material develops in a logically consistent and constructivist approach which reorganizing would destroy.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

See the comment for Modularity. This text is very well organized and helps a student move through the development of the logic and skills necessary to master trigonometry.

Interface rating: 5

There are no problems with the interface.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

There is no cultural insensitivity - unless you are a sasquatch. There are a whole bunch of examples involving them. Examples seem to be conscious about not including any cultural context, which while not insensitive might be seen as a bit of a cop out.

Comments

As instructional materials for a trigonometry course, this is a very reasonable option - particularly as it would be an over $100 savings for students over a traditional text, even used.

Reviewed by Tim Delworth, Continuing Lecturer, Purdue University on 7/15/14

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

A quick glance at the table of contents shows that all the major topics of a college trigonometry course are included. We cover Conics and Rational Functions in our Trigonometry course. While not found in this textbook, they are covered in the companion College Algebra textbook. We will have to combine the two text books is some form to continue the same coverage as we have enjoyed in the past.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

Accuracy is something best judged when using the textbook during the semester and not during a quick review. It seems to be as accurate as any textbook I have used. I like the simple layout. The graphs and diagrams are clean and straight to the point. I am concerned that the few aviation problems use bearings, instead of a compass. Aviation uses due North as 0 degrees and the angles open clockwise to 360 degrees. As we have a very large Aviation Technology program at Purdue, we will have to edit the text for these problems.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

Trigonometry concepts have not changed for centuries and I expect they will not during my lifetime. The graphing calculator diagrams are fine as long as students are using that type of graphing calculator or if they are allowed to use one. However, that is the great thing about this format. As technology changes, we simple upload an updated version of the textbook. I do not see relevance as an issue.

Clarity rating: 5

I like the ease of language and pace of the author's voice. It seems more of a conversion rather than a lecture. At some point, it is impossible to avoid mathematical talk, and students will have to read, and reread, sections to fully understand a concept. Brief history lessons as to why the word tangent is used is a nice touch. The grey boxes are easy to understand and highlight important information. The text is clean and to the point.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent and to the point. It looks to use the same tempo and language throughout the chapters. The pace is easy going. I did not see any large changes in language or evidence that different people wrote each chapter. It all fits nicely.

Modularity rating: 5

This is tough to determine until we give is a serious look and see how it fits with our current course offering. It seems to be very easy to divide into lessons and rearrange if necessary. We have to get 40 lessons out of this textbook and it looks like that will be easy to accomplish. We will have to drag in some chapter and sections from the companion College Algebra text to complete our course. Again, that is the beauty of this format.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Only 2 chapters, so hard to get disorganized, however, I like that it introduces the unit circle early. It has the normal flow through the topics. Again, we would have to use some of the earlier chapters from the companion College Algebra textbook to fill in the missing topics that are covered in our Trigonometry course.

Interface rating: 5

I do not see any problems with the graphs, diagrams, or examples. The textbook has very clean and clear graphs that add to the students understanding of the material. Now, to get the students to read and study the text...

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Wow, you are asking a math major to critique the textbook's grammar! It looks fine.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

No problems.

Comments

As mentioned before, the aviation problems will have to be edited for accuracy. I am sure we will have other edits if we adopt this textbook, however, it provides a great platform for us to create exactly what we need.