Trigonometry For Dummies

by Mary Jane Sterling

A plain-English guide to the basics of trig
From sines and cosines to logarithms, conic sections, and polynomials, this friendly guide takes the torture out of trigonometry, explaining basic concepts in plain English, offering lots of easy-to-grasp example problems, and adding a dash of humor and fun. It also explains the "why" of trigonometry, using real-world examples that illustrate the value of trigonometry in a variety of careers.
Mary Jane Sterling (Peoria, IL) has taught mathematics at Bradley University in Peoria for more than 20 years. She is also the author of the highly successful Algebra For Dummies (0-7645-5325-9).

Genres: Mathematics, Education, German Literature, Reference, Science, School, Teaching

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2005

Reviews

[Graham Cammock]

Brilliant!

Although I am fairly familiar with trigonometry, this book seriously improved my knowledge, it's a must read for anyone interested in mathematics and science. I highly recommend Trigonometry for Dummies!

[Danilo Desgraves]

Finally, Someone Explains This

Math can be very intimidating; however, the author made it look very friendly. I am now eager to study trigonometry further. What I enjoyed the most from this book was the way that the author told stories. The best stories were the history of trigonometry. Also, she taught applications, which are crucial for teaching children the usefulness and meaning of trigonometry. Many students would ask me why should they learn trigonometry--now I could answer them. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially to those who are not too full of themselves.

[Miles]

Not a bad overview of the subject, but there's nothing there to make it remotely interesting either. I would have liked to have seen more of a historical view, with the sorts of situations that called for the development of trig, and not just more word problems for their own sake. Calculating how big an emu pen can be made from a given length of fencing is a poor demonstration of the mathematics that allowed people to build pyramids and navigate the open ocean, at least in my opinion.

[Dhara]

Sure, I might sound like a geek, okay? But trust me, when I hear Trigonometry, I am literally paralyzed. Not anymore! When I got this book, it was much easier to understand. Okay, this book may not count because it isn't Literature, but I think it was useful. Now, I understand sin, cosine, tan, co-tangent and so much more. (Also check out Pre-Calculus and Calculus for Dummies.)

[Aljane Sanchez]

This is shit, one of the examples gave the wrong answer.

[Jonathan Garvey]

Thorough introduction to trigonometry

I needed a refresher in trigonometry for calculus and this book provided it. I feel as comfortable with trigonometry now as I did when I finished high school. The author’s style of writing was a bit too childish for me at times, with lame jokes and old-English speak that made it sound a bit silly for adults. Besides that it’s a solid introduction.

[Tom Hughes]

Really enjoyable reading.

Other than a few errors, this book is enjoyable to read for a trigonometry textbook. I highly recommend for anyone needing or wanting to learn trigonometry.

[Nada Khaled]

The best of the best🤍

[Ron McLeod]

Looking for Practical Application

Keep looking. Good theory and detail if you take to siphering. Lacking practical application such as understanding compound angle cuts etc

[Davidd Silva]

So many missprints in this day and age. Unbelievable.
Nevertheless, I fell like this was the most brutal book I have ever read.
Maybe because I had never been taught trigonometry in 12 years of mandatory education.

[MatheusN]

A solid book that covers the basics of trigonometry in a simple and accessible way. I appreciated how the author made complex ideas feel less intimidating. However, I felt the structure of the lessons could have been a bit more organized, especially for readers starting from zero. I also wished there were more practice problems at the end of each section to really reinforce the material. Overall, it’s a good starter for anyone looking to get a handle on trig.

[Charyl]

I've never been great at math and only got so far at it in college. I picked up this book in order to get the gist of Trigonometry (not become adept at it). While I did get somewhat of an understanding, I found most of the problems too abstract to visualize. I didn't understand why many of the problems were being worked and what the solutions meant. However, I did get some understanding of what Trigonometry is about. In my opinion, this book is good way to get an idea of the concepts and maybe a refresher if you're already adept; but there's just too much abstract information for most people to truly learn the subject without taking a teacher-led course.

[Daniel Smythe]

Gotta say I hate trig. But this book really helps you out. Some of the people saying it didn't work probably could have done with getting the Algebra II edition as well. It doesn't matter how good the book is if you stink at math.

[Ana M.]

Viele Beispielaufgaben und gute Erklärungen auch wenn es an 1 - 2 Stellen etwas konfus erklärt wurde.

[Firdevs]

Please be sure to read this book bcs really perfect masterpiece... And five stars from me ,,,,