What are the best mathematical books? What do you recommend?
Not OP, but let me make a different question: How can I identify/know which books are horrible for learning? There's thousands of books for math, for example, how can I know which is good and which is not? Amazon reviews are not the best source for this, sadly.
>>7802304
If it's a Pearson book it's complete and utter garbage and you shouldn't spend a penny on it. Don't let anyone tell you Pearson publishes any good textbooks, some cucks may throw University Physics by Young at you, but it's an awful book and just happens to be the book they were pigeon holed into in their high school physics class and so it's the only book they've ever read.
>>7802265
http://4chan-science.wikia.com/wiki/Math_Textbook_Recommendations
Euclid's "Elements" is a must for any budding mathematician.
Technically not a "mathematics" book, but one in mathematical theory: "Godel, Escher, Bach" by Douglas Hofstadter is an amazing, mindbending read.
>>7802304
>Amazon reviews are not the best source for this, sadly
Read them, don't just look at stars.
>worthless reviews
5stars: arrived on time AAAA++++++++++++-+-+++++
1star: book requires too much math, I was looking for something that required less abstract calculus.
1star: the kindle version is unreadable! DO NOT BUY!
5stars: my daughter needed it for class and thought it was helpful
>useful reviews
5stars: compared to <author>, <author>, or even <author> this book is the most extensive and detailed while still excelling at creating conceptual understand of <subject>. The book is unique at its coverage of <topic> which does <novel approach>.
1star: for a price tag of over $250 the book's coverage of the subject is far too shallow. <author> covers that material in this book in the first 20 pages and then goes on to give a full survey of the subject while only costing $50.
There are also professional reviews if you search around
http://www.maa.org/press/maa-reviews
>>7802876
>reading any amazon reviews other than Dr. Lee D. Carlson's
>>7802892
Elaborate
>>7802304
In my experience if it contains the following phrase (or some variation thereon)
>The text is readable, but terse
When ever you see something like that always translate it to mean
>This is a second course, even if it says "introduction". The exposition is at a minimum.
>>7802850
Good one.
>>7802265
Bump
I have a £20 book token. Thinking of purchasing Fermat's last theorem and one other book. Thoughts?
>>7802907
This. >start with the greeks
is the dumbest fucking thing I've ever seen peddled around here.
>>7802816
Apparently professional mathematicians love Pearson and if a textbook is too difficult you are just an idiot.
Source: family
>>7802850
tfw when I actually fell for the bait
>>7803967
professional mathematicians love pearson because pearson either bribes or coerces them into using their shitty books for all undergrad classes
thank god there's not much money in publishing graduate math texts or pearson would be shitting all over that market too
>>7804933
Bump
>>7802265
google: "PROMYS Reading List"
