CWT - College Edition (CE) is all three volumes of Calculus Without Tears combined into one volume. Chapter 1 CE corresponds to CWT - Vol. 1, Chapter 2 CE corresponds ot CWT - Vol 2, and each remaining chapter in CWT - CE is (almost) identical to a chapter in CWT - Vol. 3. Thus the approach is exactly the same, but some of the very slow development and repetition of the first two volumes has been eliminated.

If you are taking a high school or college calculus course, you should buy this book. Here's why:

CWT Gets the Basics Right

The basis of calculus is the formula distance equals velocity times time. In the context of constant velocity motion, differentiation is the formula is given by velocity = distance / time. The value of the integral of constant velocity motion is given by the formula distance * time. And, for constant velocity motion the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus is the formula distance = velocity * time. These formulas extend easily to cover non-constant velocity motion. CWT is the only calculus book taking this approach!

CWT is Motivated by Examples from Mechanics and Circuit Theory

The secondary school math curriculum is unmotivated because it is afraid of differential equations. Then, when calculus is finaly taught, even it is unmotivated because differential equations are not introduced until the third or fourth course ! CWT begins solving problems with differential equations in CE Chapter 1 and they are an integral and motivating component of the rest of the book. Differential equations are not difficult. And, by studying differential equations we can solve problems in mechanics and electric circuit theory, this is why calculus exists!

CWT is Hands On and Corresponds to Real Engineering Calculus

Functions are to calculus as numbers are to arithmetic, and it is very helpful to be able to manipulate functions easily. CWT facilitates this by introducing MATLAB/FREEMAT and using it as an adjunct throughout the text. Real world calculus is about solving differential equations, and, usually they are solved numerically rather than analytically. It's so easy to solve differential equations numerically it's almost embarassing. You don't need to wait until your third or fourth college course. The secret is that arcane formula ecnatsid = yticolev * emit (read backwards).

CWT is Easy

Because CWT gets the basics right, it is easy to develop the princples of calculus. Calculus proofs in the standard texts are nearly incomprehensible. For example, check your calculus text, or google, or check Wikipedia, for a proof of the product rule, or Taylor's theorem for polynomial approximation, or the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. In each case the proof you find will be for all practical purposes impossible to understand; but, as the song goes, it ain't necessarily so, the ideas underlying each of these principles are easy to the point of being almost obvious, as is demonstrated in CWT. The CWT approach to the product rule, Taylor's theorem, and the FTOC is given in detail in the synopsis of Vol. 3 linked to the left, just so that you can make this comparison. By using the CWT approach you will have a good intuitive feel for calculus and be perfectly comfortable with it.