A Tour of the Calculus

( 8 )
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Paperback (Reprint)
$15.22
BN.com price
$16.00 List Price (Save 5%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$0.01
$16.00 List Price (Save 100%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (90)  
Used (73)  
New (17)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 9
Showing 1 – 10 of 90 (9 pages)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
Better World Books
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(50891)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
OwlsBooks-TRM
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(22568)

Condition: Very Good
Giving great service since 2004: Buy from the Best! 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship! Find your Great Buy today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
GreatBuyBooks-WA
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(18248)

Condition: Very Good
Buy from the best: 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.61
(Save 96%)
New Chapter Recycling
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(3293)

Condition: Very Good

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.97
(Save 94%)
The Galactic Bookstore
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(43)

Condition: Good
Binding tight with edge wear,pages lightly age-toned and creased,moderate shelf wear, Ships Daily.

Ships from: Sparks, NV

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 94%)
Second Look Books
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(165)

Condition: Acceptable
Trade Paperback Used-Acceptable

Ships from: Harrisburg, NC

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 94%)
Coas Books, Inc. NM
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(1228)

Condition: Acceptable
1997 Paperback Fair This is a used book. Potential defects may exist (folds, creases, highlighting, writing/markings, staining, stickers and/or sticker residue, ETC. ) COAS ... Books, A Bookstore for Everyone. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Read more Show Less

Ships from: Las Cruces, NM

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 94%)
Got Books ma
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(11921)

Condition: Very Good
1997 Paperback Item is in very good condition.

Ships from: Wilmington, MA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.00
(Save 94%)
Nettextstore
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(1339)

Condition: Good
1997 Paperback Good Books have varying amounts of wear and highlighting. Usually ships within 24 hours in quality packaging. Satisfaction guaranteed. May contain ... highlighting/underlining/notes/etc. This item may not include any CDs, Infotracs, Access cards or other supplementary material. Before leaving negitive feedback please contact us. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Lincoln, NE

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 88%)
Wonder Book
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(13616)

Condition: Acceptable
Acceptable condition.

Ships from: Frederick, MD

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 9
Showing 1 – 10 of 90 (9 pages)
Close
Sort by
NOOK Book (eBook)
$11.99
BN.com price

Available on NOOK devices and apps

  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for iPad
  • NOOK for iPhone
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK for Android (Tablet)
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

More About This Book

Overview

Were it not for the calculus, mathematicians would have no way to describe the acceleration of a motorcycle or the effect of gravity on thrown balls and distant planets, or to prove that a man could cross a room and eventually touch the opposite wall. Just how calculus makes these things possible and in doing so finds a correspondence between real numbers and the real world is the subject of this dazzling book by a writer of extraordinary clarity and stylistic brio. Even as he initiates us into the mysteries of real numbers, functions, and limits, Berlinski explores the furthest implications of his subject, revealing how the calculus reconciles the precision of numbers with the fluidity of the changing universe.

"An odd and tantalizing book by a writer who takes immense pleasure in this great mathematical tool, and tries to create it in others."--New York Times Book Review

In its largest aspect, the calculus functions as a celestial measuring tape, able to order the infinite expanse of the universe. Time and space are given names, points, and limits; seemingly intractable problems of motion, growth, and form are reduced to answerable questions. Calculus was humanity's first attempt to represent the world and perhaps its greatest meditation on the theme of continuity. Charts and graphs throughout.

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal
Berlinski (Black Mischief: The Mechanics of Modern Science, LJ 2/15/86) presents an unconventional work on the foundations of calculus. It is in part an informal history of the subject, the author inrerweaves the historical fragments with expository sections that explain the concepts from a modern viewpoint. He gives special attention (very appropriately) to the concept of limits and to several of the fundamental theorems that underpin calculus. He also shows how differential calculus deals with rates of change and how integral calculus works to determine areas under curves. Writing in a breezingly informal style, the author includes a plethora of humorous asides as well as a number of clearly fictitious anecdotes. At times his prose gets a bit too ripe, but the overall effect is to make the book quite readable. The work should be especially useful for providing perspective to college and advanced high school students currently learning calculus. Recommended for all public and college libraries.-Jack W. Weigel, Univ. of Michigan Lib., Ann Arbor

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780679747888
  • Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 1/28/1997
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 352
  • Sales rank: 248,036
  • Series: Vintage Series
  • Product dimensions: 5.10 (w) x 7.95 (h) x 0.70 (d)

Table of Contents

Introduction xi
A Note to the Reader xv
The Frame of the Book xvii
Chapter 1 Masters of the Symbols 3
Chapter 2 Symbols of the Masters 9
Chapter 3 The Black Blossoms of Geometry 16
Chapter 4 Cartesian Coordinates 21
Chapter 5 The Unbearable Smoothness of Motion 30
Chapter 6 Yo 35
Chapter 7 Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Line 40
Chapter 8 The Doctor of Discovery 44
Chapter 9 Real World Rising 54
Chapter 10 Forever Familiar, Forever Unknown 61
Chapter 11 Some Famous Functions 75
Chapter 12 Speed of Sorts 92
Chapter 13 Speed, Strange Speed 106
Chapter 14 Paris Days 118
Chapter 15 Prague Interlude 129
Chapter 16 Memory of Motion 155
Chapter 17 The Dimpled Shoulder 173
Chapter 18 Wrong Way Rolle 190
Chapter 19 The Mean Value Theorem 198
Chapter 20 The Song of Igor 217
Chapter 21 Area 244
Chapter 22 Those Legos Vanish 252
Chapter 23 The Integral Wishes to Compute an Area 268
Chapter 24 The Integral Wishes to Become a Function 274
Chapter 25 Between the Living and the Dead 282
Chapter 26 A Farewell to Continuity 304
Epilogue 311
Acknowledgments 313
Index 315

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 8 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(6)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(1)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 8, 2006

    Before you pick up that textbook...

    ...read this book! Undoubtedly the best book on mathematics I've read. Hugely entertaining in its whimsical style. Read it if you want to know exactly WHY you are studying calculus.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 1, 2003

    Amazing book for anyone interested in math

    This book is for ANYONE interested in math. I am 14 and I LOVED this book. Now I am looking for some real calculus textbooks. A must read.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 13, 2000

    A Must Read

    I have read, and re-read 'A Tour of the Calculus' several times; each time gleaning something new are more subtle than the last. Berlinski has extracted and distilled the essence of the alculus, the continuum, and indeed that of 'real' numbers and functions. I was inspired by this book to revisit elementary analytic functions, this time from an elevated view. How function approximation leads to orthogonal function spaces to fourier series/transform (a special case) to wavelet transforms (the true general case). An outstanding work by Berlinski; at times I laughed out loud when reading the anectdotes, especial about the waiter in Prague - 'nicht da'. Doesn't exist... I heartily recommend 'A Tour of the Calculus'; if you don't find it enlightening and entertaining, you're probably a college professor at a public university :o).

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 13, 2011

    Worst Book I Ever Read

    I LOVE math. But this book was more prose than interesting content.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted August 13, 2011

    Phenomenally written

    As an old but devoted student of mathematics and science, I was easily drawn to this book by title and synopsis. Neither hinted at what a master of language, of storytelling, of visual creation Mr. Berlinski is. In addition to a wonderful tour, a revisiting of the calculus I enjoyed in my youth, he provided the gift of pleasurable excursions in history, biography, and philosophy. I was brokenhearted when the last page was turned.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 30, 2004

    Calculus BY a Poet?

    In college thirty years ago, I took a notorious 'gut' course, 'math for poets'. I never thought I would end up reading a book about math written BY a poet...Berlinski is absolutely fabulous, explaining the relationship between calculus and real world applications with great literacy and humor. Make no mistake - this book is NOT a simplification of calculus (I doubt such a thing would be possible). Rather, it is, as its title states, a 'tour', a fanciful, insightful, reasonably accessible introduction to calculus and an appreciation of its power and beauty. And that beauty is what this book is all about.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 31, 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 11, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit