Therefore, it really matters what you intend to use this textbook for. If it's just for homework and doing problems, it's good. If it's to teach an entire Algebra 2 course, it's not so good.


I came to Amazon expecting this book to be rated 5 stars   November 13, 2005
 16 out of 19 found this review helpful

I'm a 9th grade Algebra 2 student, and we're using this book in our class for homework problems. However, my teacher, yet extremely nice and smart as she is, sometimes has little time to teach new material because we're often short on time. Also, sometimes I just can't see the board and so I just don't see her pointing to the numbers when she says things like, "and then you move this here". Therefore, when I do my homework, occassionally I find that I have very limited knowledge on how to do the problems! But the examples giving in front of each section teach me how to do everything, and right now in Algebra 2, I have a 96% (hoping to raise it to over 97 so I can skip PreCalc and go to AP Calc next year). It is also very good to skim over the chapters before a test, and I find myself willing to carry it to and from school everyday, despite it being 2 kg =)

If you're seeking to learn Algebra 2 by yourself, I would recommend this book but warn you that it is better when accompanied by a course. For example, it doesn't cover expanding by minors when introducing matrix determinants, which I find to be much more useful than just cross multiplying. But overall, the content is very good.

(Hint: Don't read the passages to learn how to solve a problem, but look at the examples, and model your problem based on the example. That way you'll remember and absorb more =))


Better than the rest but still not great   February 23, 2006
 15 out of 16 found this review helpful

This math book is far better than the others, but that is mainly because the others I looked at were very bad.

The typical math book today contains 1) lots of distracting pictures, 2) dozens of unnecessary fonts and colors, 3) lots of forced and contrived examples that have a politically correct focus and, 4) very little math instruction.

This book has fewer distractions than the others (although it still has far too many). The actual instruction, that is, the explanation of the concepts, is often very brief and terse. Each section, however, has numerous example problems that are often very clear and helpful. The book is also well organized and the format is fairly readable. Not a great book, but much better than the others I looked at.


Confusing and Somewhat Boring   July 15, 2003
 13 out of 15 found this review helpful

I am a Math teacher and tutor and this book is BORING. Many of the problems which the student is asked to do in the exercises at the end of each chapter border on the irrelevant. Unfortunately, I am currently tutoring some students who are required to "endure" this textbook. ...


Review and reply to that of the teacher from Chicago, IL   June 17, 2003
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I have used another book from this series, Algebra 1, and I felt that it was great at explaining everything. Maybe it was partly because of my having a wonderful teacher, however I felt that it did a wonderful job of explaining things.
In response to that of the teacher in Illinois, I would just like to say that maybe the 6th graders didn't understand it because Algebra 2 is a high school course, normally taught in that of 11th grade according to the New York State Curriculum. I feel that her comment on the book should be considered invalid, just because of her lack of explanation, and of the time that she is teaching it. I also feel that if Illinois is teaching Algebra 2 in 6th grade, that they had better change their curriculum, because not even the most advanced 6th graders can take in a good understanding and comprehension of the complex subject at that early level.
Please rethink your decision, because from what Illinois is doing, we can find that it probably has a terrible Mathematic curriculum, and that if it doesn't do something soon, they will have many kids failing in the future. I fully recommend this book as it covers all topics neccessary, and has the ability to explain the complexity of the topics to not only a student being taught by a teacher, but also a student reading the book in order to catch up on work.