Good Trig Books for Self Study: Pre-Calc Ready!

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around recommendations for self-study trigonometry books, particularly for someone preparing for pre-calculus. Participants share their experiences with various texts and express their needs for clarity on specific topics within trigonometry.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a need for a solid trigonometry book to catch up on forgotten material from high school.
  • Another participant shares a link to a book they have heard positive feedback about.
  • A participant recommends "Trigonometry" by Gelfand, citing its creative problems and proofs as strengths.
  • One participant mentions using a Larson&Hostetler(&Edwards?) Trigonometry book but struggles with understanding vectors, projections, and products, questioning whether the book is suitable for those topics.
  • A suggestion is made that a linear algebra book might be more appropriate for learning about vectors.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants have differing opinions on which books are best for self-study, and there is no consensus on the suitability of the Larson&Hostetler book for understanding vector-related topics.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the clarity of certain topics in their recommended texts, particularly regarding vectors and related concepts.

renob
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We just got into the trig section of pre calc and I have come to the realization that I forgot most of the trig I was taught in high school. I'm looking for a solid trig book for self study so that I can catch up on what I should know.
 
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Trigonometry, Gelfand. I own it, and am in fact looking at it right now. I can guarantee it's a good one. It has creative problems, and many proofs. I highly recommend it.
 
I have a Larson&Hostetler(&Edwards?) Trigonometry book. Much of it is very, very good, but I struggled to understand about vectors, their projections, dot and cross products. I have studied more than once, in fact 3 or 4 times in my life and still not able to understand for more than a few seconds at a time, and just barely. Is this set of topics just difficult, or is this not the best book for this set of topics? Anybody know of a better Trigonometry book which treats these topics more clearly?
 

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